To understand Afghanistan, you have to face the stress the average Afghan deals with.
After I was in an ambush, my uncles were happy - it was almost like a baptism.
In a male-dominated environment, things are very macho, and you can't show weakness.
The yearning to be Afghan, to be part of the country, part of the land helped me separate myself from the casual traveler and claim my Afghan identity.
It would be very hard to bring a wife to Afghanistan. In America, I'd have no problem with her doing whatever she wanted, but in Afghanistan, that's not the case.