February 10, 2026

Hello dear readers! I know it’s been a very VERY long time since my last post, so without sugarcoating things, let me update you on the last 3 or so months. 

October, November, and December were tough months. Shortly after I moved into my apartment in Tokmok, I became very ill. I started losing weight as I couldn’t eat many foods, so I visited a doctor in Bishkek, who gave me some Soviet-age medications to try. As much as I wanted them to work, they brought little relief from my symptoms. My options were (A) stick it out and see if the mysterious illness went away, or (B) have an endoscopy…..awake. I went with option A, holding on for the light at the end of the tunnel, or in other words, December, when I would get to see my family and another doctor. 

You truly cannot put a price on arguing with your siblings in a foreign country! As a family, we traveled to Munich, Stuttgart, and Nuremberg, seeing all the sights and eating lots of German food. Needless to say I gained back all the weight I lost in Kyrgyzstan :)  We then spent Christmas in Salzburg, Austria, where the hills are truly alive–even Chaz was feeling the music. 

Returning to Kyrgyzstan after spending a few weeks in Europe brought a lot of mixed feelings. Being with friends and family gave me a sort of security blanket that I knew I’d be leaving behind, and as much as I’ve loved living on my own, it can be exhausting. I recently had a medical school interview where the physician asked me, “don’t you get lonely?” She wasn’t only referring to me living in Kyrgyzstan, but also about possibly moving to another state for medical school where I have no family connections. Her question really made me think about my life and the choices I’ve made. I first experienced living in a state where I didn’t have any friends or family when I moved to Baltimore. I remember sitting in my apartment, thinking about how crazy I was for doing this, and how excited I was to be on my own at the same time. After a while, that excitement faded into loneliness, and that summer was perhaps one of the hardest of my life. However, with the connections I found through church and Hopkins, I made memories I’ll never forget. 

Living in Kyrgyzstan has felt a bit like that summer, except ramped up by maybe 100 notches. Unlike Baltimore, I can’t drown my sorrows in Trader Joe’s microwavable dinners or Chick-fil-a milkshakes, and for the first time since my tweens I feel stranded without a car. My weekends are often filled with lesson planning and binging TV shows on my favorite (totally legal) websites. They’re quiet; sometimes I don’t even leave the house. But like a long Winter that eventually thaws into Spring, I’ve felt the sense of joy that comes with the small wins. Finally learning enough phrases to talk to the man in the corner shop, or understand the lady at the supermarket when she asks if I have a membership card. Making delicious french toast with the pumpkin spice my mom brought me, or having (albeit different) but amazing pizza with new friends. The mornings when I can hear the birds finally chirping again, and they remind me of Sunday mornings in my childhood home. Listening to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, even though you wouldn't have caught me dead playing them in my free time a year ago. The quiet moments have given me time to reflect on relationships in my life, and how lucky I am that I have people in my life worth missing! 

So what did I end up saying to that interesting physician who asked me if I ever got lonely? My simple answer was yes, Dr. Nosy, I do get lonely, but it’s not something I fear anymore. It’s a reality I have been forced to confront over and over again, one that I will continue to confront for the rest of my life. And I decided that I still get to be happy, even when I’m lonely. I decided that I deserve joy and need to search for it no matter my circumstances. Has Kyrgyzstan been everything I wanted? Absolutely not–I am sick 50% of the time, I feel deeply lonely, I miss American burgers and chocolate milkshakes and fireworks on random holidays and driving home to see my family and studying in the BYU library–but Kyrgyzstan has been what I've needed. 

And dear readers, it’s not over yet. I still have 5 more months here that I plan to fill with mountains, friends, food and lots and lots of teaching. Things are changing, I can feel it in the marrow of my bones! Oh, and I still haven’t eaten horse. 5 months down, 5 to go. Until next month.

-B 

We spent a couple days in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, attending a Fulbright ETA conference where we learned more about how to be effective English teachers, and tackled problems specific to each of our countries. I got to meet all the other ETAs in Central Asia (they're sooo cool). The photo on the far left shows Aurelia (left) and Raven (right) trying their hand at pottery, one of the activities we tried. On the far right is Plov, the national dish of Uzbekistan. If you look close enough you can see the hair that was left by a server in my food!

Birthdays away from family can sometimes be bittersweet, but this year my friends made it so special! I made a reservation at this Japanese restaurant that's supposed to be one of the most authentic Ramen places in Bishkek, and it was delicious. I normally have pho on my birthday, but I'm still searching for a good pho place here. We then went to my favorite bakery for cake!