Category: Life in Turkmenistan
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The Journey Part II: Our Journey to Turkmenistan
Istanbul Layover- The Realization We landed in Istanbul around 9 a.m., running on maybe two hours of sleep in the past 48. We stepped off the plane and into a world that no longer felt familiar. Languages swirled around us from every direction, none of them recognizable. Women wore styles of dress we had never…
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A Normal Tuesday in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
The Questions Everyone Asks When I first began telling people we were moving to Ashgabat Turkmenistan, there were two reactions we received. Is that a country? Where is it? or They immediately imagine something mysterious and profoundly foreign while picturing the opening scene of Aladdin. Complete with sand dunes and magic lamps. If you’ve ever…
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Nisa: A Place That Remembers
There are some places on this world that stand apart. You can feel their power in the air around you—places that have witnessed seasons and empires come and go, along with countless celebrations and rituals that grew, changed, and were eventually forgotten. Ancient Nisa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Turkmenistan, is one of those…
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In the In-Between
Welcome back, friends. I hope I can call you that now — because if you’re still here, you’re invested. This season has lived in the space in-between—between breaks, plans, countries, and versions of ourselves. The stretch between fall break and winter break is a no-man’s land. You take a deep breath, lower your expectations, and hold…
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Life in Ashgabat: Almost Camping in the Chuli Hills
If you’re new here, you might also want to read Life in Ashgabat: No AC, No Wi-Fi, No Regrets — a more literal look at our early days here, before the routines settled. Hiking day in Chuli (Gökdere) — our “almost camping” adventure. Life in Ashgabat has been a steady exercise in adjusting expectations—about comfort,…
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Life in Ashgabat: No AC, No Wi-Fi, No Regrets
We landed in 115°F heat with no AC, no Wi-Fi, and 12 suitcases — and within an hour we were whispering ‘No turning back… right?’ to each other. Here’s what it looked like as we started carving out a life in Ashgabat. Arrival, Unfiltered We’d made it, we were officially on the other side of…
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Living Between Rituals: Marriage and Family Life in Ashgabat
Birthday Madness & Shenanigans The calendar pages turned quickly, and suddenly we were juggling birthdays, anniversaries, and a house overflowing with family. November seemed to move at warp speed. Life in Ashgabat never stops. First on the docket were two birthdays. (Fun fact: counting back roughly nine months lands you on Valentine’s Day—guess we know…