Should I move to Kabul? Appreciate your hands-on experience.

Hello, Yes you definitely should go there and it will be a wonderful career boost.  It is true, as expats we used to have a great time over there - parties, social life, restaurants and even bars, and I even used to go for weekends away. This is no more.  Which is sad, it is a beautiful country and you will see almost nothing of it.  Afghan people are nice to work with, and very eager to learn, They are accustomed to expats in Kabul so its not a problem to be  a women. Some odler men are v conservative and wont shake hands, you will learn to tell them apart .....There will always be a barrier between male and female there, but in the end of the day, everyone works long and hard hours, and just need to get job done .....With security now, . .... I am sure you wont be allowed to visit any afghan home, which is a huge pity as they are wonderful with hospitality.  You will live in a UN approved compound, probably a guest house which can be an older building ...you will have all what you need there, but sometimes things like bathrooms and food variety is very limited- it all depends upon your project budgets.  You will have your own security company and they will organise all your travel to and from work and meetings, and social travel if you are allowed any. you will travel probably in a hard skin car ( armored vehicle) with a guard and maybe an escort too.  Generally the UN is less invasive with its security then say USAID projects ....so, you might get a soft skin car ..Im not sure ...And you might be allowed social moves to other guest houses for parties in the evenings.  The few public restaurants are mostly off limits now, but maybe one or 2 are still ok to go to. you can buy alcohol in black market, a local will have to organize this for you, it is very expensive though. There are three very secure expensive compounds called Baron, Green village, and Chamelot ..Im sure you will be allowed to visit them on a Thursday night - There are restaurants and bars here and sometimes live music and everyone goes.  So you can meet people outside of your work in this way.  But mostly you will just work and rest on Friday, the day off.  Bring a  kindle!  Be prepared for lack of some kinds of food  - no Asian food, and vegtables are not great.  there are 2 main expat supermarkets, Spinneys and FInest, you can get a lot of stuff there but you will pay huge amounts!   Personally I think the entire security thing there is a money making overkill plan ...but that is how it is.  I have lived in and out of Kabul since 2009, and when Im there for free time I live in a house, take taxis, walk, live normally and I never have any problem, But donor funded jobs have insurance issues, so overkill security is a result< which means you wont see much of the country. You have more chance being in a bad car wreck in say Dubai, then ever having any IED or bomb incident in Kabul!!!  But there are a few good local tourist operators there, I suggest after your work contract finishes, take an organized country  tour, if you can afford it. travel in afg is very expensive!  But a visit to Herat, Bamiyan, and Mazar e sharif are a must if you really want to see the country . ..Most of all for your career, a job in Afg is seen as a good thing, will open you to new type of experience  .....and you will get lots of R and R time ...Hope this is helpful, Mare