(Update, the blog is no longer active, but feel free to check out the archives!)
Hello!
My name is Kirstin. I’m 26, originally from Pennsylvania, currently living in Ghent, Belgium (since October 2013).
Here’s a quick summary of how I got here.
2006: Graduated high school, moved to Washington, DC for university.
2007: Spent a semester abroad in Amman, Jordan.
2008: Returned to DC, met a handsome fellow in Arabic class, began dating him.
2009: Went to work in Baghdad, Iraq, got engaged to above-mentioned fellow (Farrell is his name) in Malaysia.
2010: Contract ended in Baghdad, returned to DC for a few months to get married and work a lame job. Moved to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan in August.
2011: Still in Kyrgyzstan. Passed the time by teaching, starting a business, filming an episode for House Hunters International, and spending a few weeks in Dubai on a photography internship.
2012: Still in Kyrgyzstan. Started Kyrgyz Music Friday, got pregnant, survived prenatal care in Bishkek, flew back to the US for a few months to await the arrival of Darwin.
2013: Flew back to Kyrgyzstan. Became truly obsessed with Soviet-era film cameras. Dragged Darwin to a ski resort, an animal market, a painter’s studio, a cat show, Istanbul, a field of poppies, and the beach (twice). Decided to move on, started looking for jobs in the US. Belgian friends sent Farrell a vacancy notice for a job in Ghent, and it was the only offer that came through. To Europe we go! After doing the typical months-long dance for visas, we left Kyrgyzstan in August, spent three months in the US and arrived in Ghent, Belgium in October 2013.
2014: Still in Belgium, probably for a very long time.
(Previously, this was a food blog when I was based in DC, if you happen to dig around the archives.)
Having lived in Kyrgyzstan for three years means the bulk of my archives relate in some way to expat life there. Here are some notable articles if you’re thinking of moving or traveling to Kyrgyzstan:
How to find an apartment in Bishkek
How to make friends in Kyrgyzstan
My cost of living in Kyrgyzstan
My cost of being pregnant in Kyrgyzstan
A map of my favorite restaurants, cafes, shops, and more in Bishkek
Here’s where you can find me, my writing, and my photography around the internet.
Matador Network. Expat Interviews. Jetsettlers Magazine. Language of Termites (some background photos). Global Voices Online. Adventure Peaks.
Want to get in touch? Feel free to email me at kirstin {at} ivorypomegranate {dot} com, but please be kind if I’m too busy to answer your email and don’t get back to you right away! (Also, please note that my Facebook is private and I won’t respond to blog-related correspondence if it’s sent there, thanks!)