Coming to Mongolia, there was a lot I wasn’t sure about. While I had been to Mongolia once before, there’s a big difference between visiting a country and living in it. Especially in rural places, it’s difficult to know what to expect. Do I have to bring extra medicine? Will I have to wash my clothes by hand? Will there be internet access? What foods can I buy? All of these things were rushing through my mind as I prepared to go to Mongolia.
Luckily, Khovd turned out to have a lot more things available then I had expected. I have access to hot water, flushing toilets, a washing machine, and wi-fi! Being far away from home and having to think in a new language is still hard sometimes, but thanks to the wonderful people around me, it’s been a good learning experience.
There have been times when the power and water in Khovd have gone out for a couple days at a time, making it hard to do daily things, like taking a shower, charging my phone, and cooking. The first time there was a long power outage, one of my co-teachers came over unannounced and surprised my roommate and me with a jug of hot tea and homemade food.
