It was the second night in Turkmenistan where I and many others of the group were starting our Peace Corps assignment. We were enjoying the night by dancing and drinking vodka/beer with the local workers at our training site; I noticed that the medical officer and Assistant counry director were walking toward us, and remembering saying... "come and join the party!" Then I noticed the facial expressions as they got closer... very grim... and the other people in our group behind them following with their PJs on....; We sat there silent while they told us that US was attacked in NYC, Washington DC, and Pittsburg... we were stunned and numb; But we never thought that we would be evacuated back to the states....; Parents were calling the government offices, their representatives to get their kids back...... so much confusion... But finally they told us that we were closing the office, and being evacuated... and we were told by so many people not to say that we were Americans...; We arrived and were whisked off to be debriefed... and the airports were different from what we left... It was crazy... the environment was changed... I just didn't even know what to think or do....

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