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Home » Travel » An Afghan Christmas in 2012
Travel

An Afghan Christmas in 2012

Matthew Klint Posted onDecember 25, 2012December 9, 2016 5 Comments

Christmas is upon us and I realize that I have been conspicuously absent this month. An odd day to resurface, perhaps, but as you pause today to spend time with family and friends or at least enjoy a day off from work, I want to share a recent anecdote from my trip to Afghanistan.

Imagine a place in which it is unfashionable to live on the hill. With no running water, no electricity, and no paved roads, bringing fresh water up from a distant well is taxing—it can take the whole day just to fetch enough fresh water for your family. Imagine a place where children play in dirt or tend their father’s store all day, because there are not adequate public schools. Imagine having no change of clothes and eating the same thing every day. Imagine your friend being blown up by a landmine or you losing your father in a suicide bombing just a few paces from your house.

You need not imagine this—you can see it yourself in Kabul, Afghanistan. I just did. And it wasn’t pretty. And yet I saw something else too: an odd sense of contentment, children laughing, men and women smiling as they shared amongst each other what little they had, and most importantly, a sense of hope, hope that the situation is improving and that there is light around the corner.

Christmas is about hope and I find myself very hopeful this Christmas. 2012 is winding down and I have no idea what I’ll be doing in 2013, though only a week away. And that excites me. I need not worry—opportunity abounds—but I also trust that on this day and every day that follows, I can act a bit like the many wonderful Afghans I met. With hope. And contentment. And charity.

Merry Christmas.

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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5 Comments

  1. Dan Reply
    December 26, 2012 at 4:09 am

    Thanks for sharing this. I was in Kabul several years ago, and experienced some of the same thoughts you mention above.

  2. tri Reply
    December 26, 2012 at 3:55 pm

    great stuff. thanks for not pushing a CC “deal”.

  3. Ben Reply
    December 27, 2012 at 12:16 pm

    stay safe bro!

  4. Randy Reply
    December 29, 2012 at 3:26 am

    How in the world did you get to Kabul? Safe travels….

  5. Matthew Reply
    December 29, 2012 at 6:09 am

    @Randy: Stay tuned to find out! 😉

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