I’m still reflecting on a weekend when I became a little more complete. In the mountains outside Dalanzadgad, I observed an entire goat being taken apart, put back together, and consumed by a dozen or so Mongolian medical professionals and myself over the course of two days.

They asked if I did things like this at home. I told them, sort of.

The basic components are the same: outdoors, people, stories, games, food. Here, all those parts seem more closely tied to one another. Back where I’m from, like the meat, all those parts seem cellophane wrapped and neatly displayed.