Not Sure What to Expect

As we prepare for our trip to Pakistan, I am thinking about all the times I have encouraged students not to be afraid of the unknown. Now as I find myself going to a country that is framed as a terrorist country by US media, I must admit that I have some fears of the unknown. I am confident that 99.9% of the Pakistani people are peace-loving, good people. However, we also know that there are those who would like to do American citizens harm and this does make me a little nervous. My goal is to go to Pakistan with an open mind in order to make new friends and learn as much as I can from the people we meet. I want to know and experience what I can of Pakistani culture, art, food, people, music, schools, architecture, etc. I also want to show Pakistani people that Americans are peace-loving, good people who reject violence in all forms including drone attacks, road-side bombs, economic exploitation, misogyny in all forms, religious intolerance, etc. I believe that peace is achieved through cultural exchange between people and that is what we are working on for this adventure. Wish us luk as we go make new friends.

Brian