I sincerely appreciate all those who are giving me good-hearted warnings without the implication that I'm an idiot and am completely oblivious to everything your military buddies have told you.
A lot of you have claimed that I'll be fortunate if I escape death, rape, and/or beatings. Most of you have made up your mind regarding what it's like there, regardless of never having been there and never having spoken to people living there in the long-term. This is an established school full of westerners. To date, not one of them, man or woman, has experienced kidnapping, rape, or beatings. The worst that has ever occurred has been petty theft.
I am not fresh out of university, I'm not some closet female misogynist, and I am not going to spread the word of Christianity. I have no illusions regarding what it's like. I'm pretty sure I have a much more accurate idea of the place I'm going than most on this forum. What your military buddies have witnessed is probably not the same place I'm headed.
So thanks again to those expressing their support, and even those with kind words of warning. I'll be sure to post lots of pics a few weeks down the road.