Rest Day in Kabul - The Human Psyche

The human psyche is intriguing - one night you are in a warm comfortable bed with a large spa-like bathroom...the next night you're in a too hard, too short bed, freezing your *@! off - yet, I am grateful I have a bed, a blanket and a pillow. Not to mention a TV and Internet connection. I am extatic that DK and I share our own bathroom - never mind that it's as wide as my shoulders and not much longer...I guess that's why the sink is in the living area with us. And, we have hot water!! Whatever our circumstances, we humans are able to accept it, adapt and convince ourselves that "its all good".

Because tomorrow we head off to our first Forward Operating Base (FOB), where sleeping bags are the norm, there's no indoor running water and I don't even want to think about the bathroom situation (it's outdoors), I savor what I have at this moment and remember to take life one day at a time.

Tonight we are invited to the Australian Embassy's barbeque pool party - yes pool party - and this is another example of how we humans deal with our surroundings and circumstance. Outside the well guarded gates is a chaotic dangerous city with lots of unknowns. But inside the compound, life continues like you are at a DC office complex. Everyone goes about the day like it was just another day at the office and with the gyms, cafeterias, coffee cafe and tennis courts the down times have a lot to offer. This includes parties and get togethers where networking and off hour meetings take place just like they would in Georgetown. I actually have a meeting scheduled with an important official tonight. This is how one survives, mentally, in a war zone.

This might be my last post for a few days but please keep checking back you never know if I'll get an opportunity to continue sharing.