I certainly don't want to imply that I have it rough.I have it rougher than living in the States, to be sure, but I live better than most people in Afghanistan (i.e. the Afghani nationals), and even better than most of the US personnel here. I have my own room, for one thing, occasional access to a vehicle, good coworkers, a supportive command chain, a steady paycheck.
That said, my life is stripped down largely to the bare necessities and what passes for luxury out here is paltry compared to the lifestyle most Americans are used to living. In this situation, very small things can make a significant difference in the quality of life.
Weeks ago I purchased a small clip-light that I first attached to
the headboard of my bed but eventually moved it to a pipe on the wall because I was constantly knocking into it during my nightly, sleeping exercises. This light, this crappy little light that will accept only a 40-Watt bulb the illumination from which is the equivalent of a jar of lightning bugs, has brought me immeasurable joy. I can now read in bed without having the glaring fluorescent light on. I can turn it off and stay in bed, instead of having to get out from under the warmth of covers in the chill of night.Shortly after, I purchased a small radio that I could plug my iPod into - and once again my life in Afghanistan took a turn for the better. It cost $30 and is of the same shoddy quality that everything in theater seems to exhibit, but it plays my music - something my old computer struggles to do at times - and I find myself grooving along as I toil at my computer. I'm grateful for this small thing as well.
More recently, my Mom included a box of Cheez-Its in a care package and I cocked an eyebrow when I saw it. I don't recall ever having eaten Cheez-Its before, though I'm sure I have - when I popped the box and had a handful, I was enamored. It's a new taste, something not served at the DFAC and this alone makes it worthwhile. They often have Cheez-Its at the PX, but I never thought anything of them until now, but I'll be buying them in the future thanks to my Mom's reintroduction of them.The highlight of recent discoveries and joys, however, has been salsa. I had a craving recently and went to the PX to buy some; I'd seen it on the shelf with the chips, but they were out when I sought them. I bought a bag of nachos in eager anticipation and kept it unopened on a shelf in my room. I continued to check back for salsa, to no avail, and I mention my quest to Izzy in one of our daily meandering conversations.
A couple of days later, he knocks on my door and hands me a jar - Izzy, my new best friend.It was delicious. Flavorful and spicy ("medium"), it was if I'd been eating everything with a condom on my tongue for the last 5 months - such is the mundane quality of the chow hall grub. I ate almost the entire jar in one sitting, which I regretted only later, and in the next few days I returned to the PX multiple times to stock up.
Salsa has lost some of the initial strong appeal, but is still a nice snack, an escape from the usual. I have 5 jars on a shelf not far from my stockpile of other sundries I don't want to run out of - 11 bars of soap, 10 bars of deodorant, 7 tubes of toothpaste, 6 bottles of shampoo, and more books than I care to count right now.
I notice I've only 1 box of Cheez-Its. I'll swing by the PX later tonight.
DFAC = Dining Facility
PX = Post Exchange
