We met this gentleman, Bapa Johken, while snowboarding from a backcountry yurt in the Terskey Ala-Too range of the Tien Shan mountains. We passed him on the trail and stopped to say "hello." He was with his donkey, which was towing a sled full of...
Here is Azamat, hiking back up the hill with my snowboard for another run. Azamat was helping us collect firewood for a winter tourism project deep in the Terskey Ala-Too range of the Tien Shan mountains of Kyrgyzstan. At the end of the day, our...
Peace Corps takes you to some far-out places. This is me, posing in front of a yurt during a blizzard. The yurt was about four miles above a small village in eastern Kyrgyzstan called Ichkey-Jergez, nestled in the foothills of the Terskey Ala-Too...
The day my host sister, Begaim, announced that she was getting married, a summer afternoon rain shower gave way to a dramatic double rainbow in my small village in eastern Kyrgyzstan. We rushed outside to take pictures. Here, my youngest host...
This picture was taken at Ara-Bel Valley near Barskoon, Kyrgyz Republic in July 2011. The PCV, Brandon, is looking at one of the Jashyl Kul Lakes. Brandon and other PCVs were helping a local tourism organization write itineraries for hikes near...
This picture was taken in Kyrgyz Republic in June 2011. Here, young Azamat (whose name means ‘excellent’ in English) shows off his donkey. Three current Volunteers and one RPCV spent the evening with Azamat’s family at their summer yurt near...
This photo was taken on Christmas Eve 2008. My host mom threw me a surprise dinner, This was done in the Kyrgyz tradition known as "guesting". My host mom invited me to come and eat with the family as her honored guest, not as her daughter. ...
This picture was taken in July of 2011 in Kyrgyz Republic. This picture was taken at the closing ceremony of a Leadership Camp (joint GLOW and TOBE) developed and conducted by Volunteers. Peace Corps Volunteer Jennifer is receiving an award given...
My first time at the bazaar in the Kyrgyz Republic I was in awe of the fresh vegetables and amazingly delicious fruit. The food was accessible and ready to be devoured. This picture was taken in August 2008 with a local Kyrgyz woman examining her...