Goal = Achieved

           One of the biggest things I learned from my short time at Vector Marketing was that you never get what you want unless you ask for it.  Thankfully, I brought up a goal of mine at the right place and the right time.  I made the ask, and it happened.   Sitting at lunch at Ava’s house, a former student of mine, with her family we were chatting about random things.  Naturally it came up that I was leaving soon.  I also decided to add in, “But I still haven’t accomplished one key goal…I want to shoot an AK-47 wearing all traditional Kurdish clothes.”  To my pleasant surprise, her father said “Ok, let’s go on Saturday.”

            The drive out to this little area took about an hour.  Seven of us were crammed into the SUV and, due to an almost obsequious hospitality, I was lucky enough to get the front.  The car was packed full of stuff for a picnic, but my main foci were not being hung over and getting into the Kurdish garb to pack some heat.  As we arrived the first thing that stood out, as usual, was the view.  The sun was slowly setting behind the surrounding mountains, which made the temperature slightly cooler, but it still shone brightly over the fields. 

            Shortly after, it was time for the action to begin.  One of the sons placed a bottle about 50 meters away; the target was set.  First, we took some shots with a 9mm Beretta.  I had already done that before so I wasn’t overly excited; it was just the warm up for the main event.  Then, I put on the Kurdish clothes.  I was told the name but I forgot about 5 minutes later.  The photo shoot began as I struck different poses with the most common assault rifle in the world today.  When I fired it I expected a greater kickback but it was surprisingly smooth and very easy to handle.  I didn’t hit the small bottle, but it was only my first time shooting a weapon like that. 

            After I took some shots I quickly removed the hat, as my head was sweating, and we went to gather fruits and vegetables.  The fields were stocked with grapes, figs, aubergines, okra, pomegranates, and tomatoes.  We cooked some delicious chicken wings over a small grill, a Kurdish favorite, and then I laid out in the beautiful night sky under the stars.  All in all, it was a really fun day.