Where does the time go?

Hard to believe, but this is my last week in Mongolia. I'm flying home on April 2. After ten months and over 50 blog posts, my time is up. I've already started reminiscing, and I'm looking forward to sharing my experience in person with friends and family. April is going to be a busy month, preparing to go back to work in May. From the long list of things I've learned and loved here, I thought I would share my "Top 5 Favorite Things About Mongolia" (in no particular order):

• The famous hospitality of the Mongolian people. Mongolians are very friendly, and will open up their home to strangers, treating them like friends. I've lost count of how many gers I've visited, enjoying the unique company and foods served.
• The also-famous Mongolian sky. It feels like the sky is just bigger in Mongolia....you may laugh at that, but I've never seen better stars anywhere, and despite the cold winter, many days are sunny and blue. One night recently I saw Orion, absolutely clearly. I had never seen Orion before. It was amazing. Last summer I liked to lay outside on my back in the country and watch shooting stars, too many to even count.
• Traditional Mongolian music. Singing is in Mongolians' blood. Everyone sings. I love the traditional throat-singing, and listening to the traditional instruments like the horse-head guitar. Hip-hop is popular here too, but I just can't get into a Mongolian version of Snoop Dogg.
• The unspoiled vastness of the country. The size of the country (BIG) versus the population (small) makes Mongolia one of the greatest "wide open spaces" on the planet. It's no surprise that it's becoming a tourist hot-spot, especially for those who want to get far away and breathe some really fresh air for a little while. Fascinating fact: many dinosaur bones and dinosaur eggs have been dug up in Mongolia, and there's probably more to be found.
• It's American-friendly. I've traveled to over 15 countries, and in most of them I've met people with a chip on their shoulder toward Americans (valid or not). Not once have I ever heard a Mongolian hassle me about America.

Now, before you get excited, this is not my last blog post. I'm sure I'll have a few more things to share over the next week, and possibly shortly after my return. Stay tuned!