So, I've decided that the long dry spell of my blogging ought to come to an end, for better or worse. Therefore, I'm writing this post. Be forewarned, I'm starting this post without knowing at all where it will end up.. so here goes. Today is the second day of my weekend and although I've … Continue reading Thoughts and Reflection
The Plateau
The honeymoon is over and it's all settling in. We've all been through it, I've heard it called the storming phase or the norming.. or something. It's that time when you've been in a new place long enough to form a routine, get used to your surroundings, and the things that were novelties become common. … Continue reading The Plateau
A Little Perspective
So, with the happenings of the last week, I felt it was time for another blog. I have some thoughts rolling around in my head that I find interesting... here's to hoping you find them interesting as well. Even though people have now gotten used to the fact that I do indeed live here, in … Continue reading A Little Perspective
Long Awaited Update
Hello and greetings from the far side of the planet, well, for most of you anyway. I've got this new blog thing about where I want it but there will likely still be a lot of changes happening to it over the next months. I'm trying to actually turn it into an actual website instead … Continue reading Long Awaited Update
Thoughts from the Air
Well, As I write this I'm in the air, not sure what country I'm flying over but I'm guessing it's Iran. I've been waiting to come to this region my entire life, it seems unbelievable that I'm actually here. This may be an odd analogy, but I kind of feel like a kid on Christmas. … Continue reading Thoughts from the Air
Why Americans Don’t (and May Never) Understand Nation Building
I'm taking a brief interlude from my travel blog to bring you some thoughts, once again, about foreign relations. Obviously, CA (see previous post for explanation of this term) has been on my mind a lot and I've been reading as much as I can, trying to educate myself on the region. This is a … Continue reading Why Americans Don’t (and May Never) Understand Nation Building
The Calm
Well, training is finished and I'm in that all too familiar stage of the journey that marks the calm time before everything really gets going. In the past 3 weeks I've been in Tulsa, Memphis, and now South Bend, enjoying time with family and friends before I won't get to see any of them for … Continue reading The Calm
Transition
So, it begs the question... why am I moving to Central Asia? I've had several people ask me this, and yes, I've asked myself this same question at least twice a day since the opportunity had the inklings of reality. One of the main responses that people have had when I tell them what I'm … Continue reading Transition
Travel Blog
It's been ages since I posted anything on here. However, that will soon be remedied. This blog, while I'll still use it for the occasional rant on foreign policy and such, is being repurposed and will become my official travel blog while I'm in Afghanistan for the next year. Feel free to subscribe if you'd … Continue reading Travel Blog
A Few Brief Thoughts on War
There has been a lot of buzz lately about the possibility of war with Iran. If this is news to you, get out from under your rock. Of course I've read a lot of analysis on what war with Iran could cost; higher gas prices, another decade of occupation, and the potential of driving Moscow … Continue reading A Few Brief Thoughts on War
Luke David 