I took a leave of absence for a year. I went to India for 3 months in 2016, then Pakistan for another 3 months, followed by Afghanistan for 1 month. Afghan an

I took a leave of absence for a year. I went to India for 3 months in 2016, then Pakistan for another 3 months, followed by Afghanistan for 1 month. Afghan and Pakistani people are by far the friendliest among any nationality. I ignorantly thought they are intolerant of all non Muslims, but it turns out they could teach us a thing or two in hospitality and kindness. I learned some Urdu and Hindi along the way. Pakistani food is some of the most aromatic and tasty food I’ve ever had. The better it tastes, the more it absolutely burns your mouth and wrecks your stomach (no regrets). In India I went to a massive wedding in Hyderabad. The curries in Hyderabad were just as spicy as Pakistan, although they used nuts quite a bit more. Once you’ve had a real chai in India, you’ll never drink what they call “chai” in the US ever again. The main thing I missed was central air conditioning, although I stayed in some places where at least the bedroom had a working air conditioner.