Yurt Morning…

We were fortunate to sleep in so many different yurts on our field-research trip in Mongolia this summer. Always such a delight to wake up in a yurt–but it’s not all fun and games for the Mongolians who actually live in yurts.

This summer, I was fortunate to watch the process of drying curd–it has to be covered, of course, to prevent insects from eating it. We also learned how to open up the top of the yurt–grateful to have learned firsthand about the mechanics of yurt life.

When I lived with nomads as part of my language immersion with the National University of Mongolia, I was astounded by all their hard work, including milking the horses every four hours. But all of the nomads I have spoken with say they prefer yurt life to city life–they enjoy the daily labor and rituals of rural life.