Introduction: Points of Arrival and Departure

Abstract

Judging by facial expressions, nobody waiting for the bus was looking forward to the long overnight journey from Gilgit to Islamabad in the steamy heat of late August. The bus would be crowded, the ride hard and bumpy, and the young driver invariably sleepy from overwork. Bus rules dictate that the two passengers who sit in the front seat with the driver cannot sleep during the 16-hour journey; it is their responsibility, together with boisterous Bollywood film music, to keep him stimulated and awake through the night. Many people vie for the job, rather than rest fitfully, worrying about him careening off the road that barely hugs the steep mountain slopes.

I’ve learned here that even horror experiences always have a conclusion, and because development volunteers are development volunteers, those horrors are all set in the larger context of a really rich cultural experience.

—Janet¹

I guess I grieve a little bit or feel sad that I’m not who I used to be. I never will be, because I’ve lived here. I’m never going to be like I was seven years ago. You know, you start getting mixed up, wondering who you really are. Well, I’m also getting older, so you change because of that, but we don’t know anymore what part is getting older and what part is living in Gilgit, becoming more international and world-minded.

—Abbie