• Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
Live and Let's Fly
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
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.

Get Daily Updates

Join our mailing list for a daily summary of posts! We never sell your info.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Previous Article $390 JFK-Berlin One Day SALE!
Next Article More Starnet Blocking by US Airways

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.

Related Posts

  • Wife Seat Swap

    Sorry Sir, Your Wife’s Middle Seat Is Not My Problem…

    June 25, 2025
  • hot air balloon crash brazil

    Tragic: Shocking Footage Of A Fatal Hot Air Balloon Accident

    June 22, 2025
  • Favorite Airline Commercials

    My 10 Favorite Airline Commercials

    June 15, 2025

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! 😉

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Search

Hot Deals for June

Note: Please see my Advertiser Disclosure

Capital One Venture X Business Card
Earn 150,000 Miles Sign Up Bonus
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Earn 100,000 Points
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Earn 75,000 Miles!
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Earn 75,000 Miles
Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
Earn $750 Cash Back
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Earn 120,000 Membership Reward® Points

Recent Posts

  • Wife Seat Swap
    Sorry Sir, Your Wife’s Middle Seat Is Not My Problem… June 25, 2025
  • a row of seats in an airplane
    Delta Adds Rome And Barcelona Flights From Seattle, Edging Out Alaska June 25, 2025
  • a sign in an airport
    American Airlines, United Airlines Extend Middle East Flight Cancellations June 25, 2025
  • Carl Brothers United Airlines
    A Mileage Run For The Ages To Achieve Lifetime United Global Services Status June 24, 2025

Categories

Popular Posts

  • Qatar Airways Economy Class Breakfast
    Economy Class Breakfast On Qatar Airways June 7, 2025
  • Favorite Airline Commercials
    My 10 Favorite Airline Commercials June 15, 2025
  • Israel Flight Cancellations
    Major Carriers Extend Flight Cancellations To Israel: Here’s The List June 6, 2025
  • Qantas Lounge Review Hong Kong
    Review: Qantas Lounge Hong Kong (HKG) June 14, 2025

Archives

June 2025
M T W T F S S
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
30  
« May    

As seen on:

facebook twitter instagram rss
Privacy Policy © Live and Let's Fly All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Live and Let's Fly with appropriate and specific directions to the original content.