I think we probably all saw this coming, but I’ve got myself a ticket back to Central Asia.  This time around, I’ll be in Kyrgyzstan, one country over from Tajikistan, and immersing myself further in the ways of the Silk Road.  I’ll be working as a Health Extension Volunteer in the Peace Corps (although I can’t officially call myself a Volunteer until July), and as of yet I have no idea where I will be placed, or even which language I will be trained in.  I could be placed in the rural mountains, where feet of snow fall on yurts cast wide across the steppes, or I might be in a regional city, where marshrutkas abound and there might even be a movie theater.  I might be in a regional capital with other expats.  It’s hard to know now, but what I do know is that it will be one of the hardest but most rewarding things that I will ever do with my life.

Kyrgyzstan is slightly larger than Tajikistan, but also more sparsely populated.  Its roots trace back to a nomadic culture, and it may be best known as the origin of the yurt, which is a type of moveable dwelling with plenty of insulation that many Kyrgyz still live in to this day.  Its many towns and villages are flung across high mountains and valleys, and many are spread around a massive saline lake called Issyk-kul, which means “warm lake,” so named because it does not freeze in the winter.  Its landscape, particularly around Issyk-kul, is considered so beautiful that many Soviet leaders chose it for their summer dachas and retreats, and many former Soviet leaders still venture there regularly for vacations.

That’s not to say that this will be a vacation; the Peace Corps is hard work in tough and demanding conditions.  I’ll be adjusting my life to rural Central Asia, which will be a bit of a far cry from the comforts of Cafe Segafredo, Public Pub, and the Iranian food of Dushanbe.  I’ll learn to eat all parts of a goat and sheep, and become one with my carbs.  I’ll encounter the harshest winters that I have ever faced in my life (and being from Alaska and New England, that’s kind of a big deal).  I’ll work in two entirely new languages in two new language families (Russian and Kyrgyz), while living and working closely with strangers (who I will learn to call my family).

But one thing is for sure: I know that this is the next step for me.  This is what I need to do.  And I know I’m doing the right thing, because every single friend I have told has immediately thought, “Mark would TOTALLY do that,” or “that is SO perfect for Mark.”  I’ll learn, I’ll adapt, and I’ll grow to integrate myself into a new culture and a new country.  Tajikistan will always have a special place in my heart, but I’m confident that Kyrgyzstan’s place will be even bigger.