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Speaking of old, nostalgia-inducing photos from Pakistan, here’s one from the family vault: my mighty grandmother making roti in Kurram, one of the country’s remote tribal agencies that’s perhaps best known for its strategic location to Afghanistan.

In the photo, she’s in a village near the city of Parachinar, which today, thanks to instability, sectarian violence (Kurram has a significant Shia population, which also sets it apart from most of the other tribal agencies) and contested reports that the Haqqani network is penetrating the area, is largely inaccesible.

I have some of the most incredible childhood memories of summers spent in the valley. Sadly, the last time I was able to visit Parachinar was in 2006. I’m desperately hoping I’ll make it back soon.