HERAT, Afghanistan -- The early Middle Ages are famed as being a dark age, a time void of education, music and art - a time where society and the economy deteriorated to such a point that can only be described as dark.

A few days ago I was at a school inauguration in Herat City. While there, the Herat Provincial governor, Dr. Daoud Saba, juxtaposed the state of Afghanistan over the past decades to that period in Europe's history.

"For [more than] 30 years, our country has been living in a dark age. I define darkness as illiteracy and living in a period where females have no rights," said Doctor Saba. "Education is the main component of a modern country so we must educate ourselves, educate our children, and keep moving toward the light."

1,500 children enrolled and started classes at Sufiabad School March 21, making Herat City home to the 180th modern public school in the district.

I was present with Afghan National Police and a small number of coalition forces during the school's inauguration March 18.

As I was taking photographs of children playing, I felt a little tug on my pant leg and looked down to see a small girl with the type of smile that brightens the sky.

I kneeled down to say hello and was taken aback when she mustered an English greeting.

When I asked how old she was, she held up eight fingers. Simultaneously, I heard a man's voice proclaim her age.

Standing up, I introduced myself to her father and learned he was a Herat City journalist.

We talked a bit about our equivalent career fields, discussed our families, and I told him from the day I redeployed and left Bagram Airfield in November 2008, until I returned to Kabul on Halloween of 2010, his country was constantly on my mind.

He found that hard to believe.

After explaining I moved from the Philadelphia area (Dover Air Force Base, Del.) to near London (RAF Mildenhall), cities he's not only heard of but always wanted to visit, he said he thought I was placating him.

Though he couldn't imagine his city as profound as these two famous cities, I disagree.

I told him I believe someday his city will be visited by people from around the world. That planes full of tourists will fly into Herat and come see the remarkable history his region is blessed with.

He thanked me for my kindness but didn't seem convinced I was sincere. I understood his reluctance, as his governor just said; this land has been living in a dark age for many years.

But I'm convinced there's a light at the end of the tunnel.

While I continued talking to my journalism colleague, I felt another tiny tug - his daughter had returned.

The journalist in me took hold, and I asked the child what the school means to her. Her reply surpassed what I presumed an 8-year-old would say, and brought a smile to my face that was almost as bright as hers.

"I know that now I have the opportunity to become a doctor, dentist or anything I set my mind to," said Mayedeh Pejman, still trying to muster the conversation in English.

My new friend said he's proud to be sending his daughter to school, saying, "Years ago, girls didn't have these opportunities."

Miss Pejman is one of the 500 enrolled females, and about 1,000 males attending Sufiabad, which teaches children between age 7-18 the following subjects: Dari, math, history, geography, religion, English, Arabic, physics and physical education.

I know the new school is proof Herat is a vibrant and living community, and I am proud to have had the chance to talk to my new friends.

Still, I have to admit when reflecting on the day, I'm still saddened.

Herat, though the second-largest city, is only a small pocket of Afghanistan. There are still people preventing the type of development and governance seen in Herat from manifesting in their own back yards.

I've been many places across Regional Command-West, and I've seen insurgent activities with my own eyes. I saw the same things in RC-East.

I'm alright taking things one step at a time. This week was a good week; I was in my new favorite city.

Perhaps many years from now, a day will come when I can shake hands with a man just like Mr. Pejman, and tell him the same things I told my new friend, and he'll believe me.

I look forward to the day when a person is ranking the places they'd like to visit, it's perfectly fathomable that Herat makes the same list as London and Philadelphia.