The internet is an incredible tool, and it gives us the ability to see things happening on the other side of the planet. That can mean text from those who are there on the ground, pictures, or even video — these things are often anything but entertaining, but they give us an idea as to what is going on, and can greatly inform our thought processes and decisions. However, the picture presented is not always completely accurate — the journalists and newscasters are generally concerned with news. Some do it well, others do not, but neither have much inclination to show what “normal” looks like, and to be fair it’s not their job to do so.

Still, while the world is mired in conflict even at its most peaceful age in history, there are many people living their days in relative peace. This includes the war-torn jungles of Myanmar, the flat and bloody plains of Sudan, and even the tired, rough mountains of Afghanistan.

Like any country, whether they are in peace or at war, the everyday person will struggle to find some sense of comfort, routine and happiness. Many of them find a level of it, at least in their own ways. Afghanistan is no different — children play, adults endeavor to keep their families fed, and they all partake in traditions and rituals that have been handed down from previous generations, just like anywhere else.

Make no mistake, Afghanistan is a dangerous place and the civilian death rate is continuously rising — the U.N. recently reported that 2018 is on track to be the worst year for Afghan civilians since they started recording these numbers. 1,692 were killed in the first six months of this year.

Still, some people find at least a lingering sense of normalcy. The following is a series of pictures, depicting the Afghanistan not often shown in the headlines, not soaked in blood or rife with shell casings. Rarely is it an easy life, but it’s still not one you often see.

Afghan men warm themselves near a fire on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2014. Rampant poverty makes it difficult for Afghans to cope with the cold winter. | AP Photo/Rahmat Gul
An Afghan child is vaccinated for polio during a polio eradication campaign in Jalalabad, east of Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2013. A three-day campaign to vaccinate Afghan children was launched by the Afghan Health Ministry with the cooperation of the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund. | AP Photo/Rahmat Gul
Afghan horse riders play “buzkashi” game during a friendly match on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2014. Buzkashi is the national sport of Afghanistan, in which players fight to place a goat carcass into a circle goal. | AP Photo/Rahmat Gul
An Afghan woman walks with her little daughter across a cemetery in the center of Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, March 7, 2014. On the eve of the International Women’s Day 2014, Afghanistan has been named the worst place in the world to be a woman, according to Amnesty International. | AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus
An Afghan girl wearing broken goggles poses for a photograph on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Dec. 5, 2014. | AP Photo/Rahmat Gul
Afghan men take a ride on a makeshift public transport vehicle back into town on the outskirts of Kandahar, southern Afghanistan, Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013. Kandahar is the birthplace of the Taliban who where ousted in 2001 following a US-led invasion of the country. | AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus
An Afghan man watches his pigeons after feeding them in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, March 8, 2012. | AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus
An Afghan man carries sacks of discarded bread on his cart as he sells balloons in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, March 17, 2012. | AP Photo/Ahmad Nazar
Afghans push a car after a snowstorm in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Jan, 15, 2012. | AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq
Afghan girls react while sitting in a mosque waiting for their teacher to attend their daily class on reading verses of the Quran, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011. | AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen
In this Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011 photo, shop owner Mohammed Ahmadi, 32, listens to a man, not pictured, while standing inside his wedding and evening dresses shop, in Kabul, Afghanistan. | AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen
An Afghan woman and a girl work in a brick factory on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2011. | AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen
An Afghan boy works at a brick factory on the outskirts of Jalalabad, Afghanistan, Monday,Oct 10, 2011. | AP Photo/Rahmat Gul
An Afghan girl, right, walks along with a donkey carrying jerry cans filled with water, after collecting it from a public tap in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Oct. 24, 2011. | AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen
An Afghan boy grazes his animals in Kama district, Nangarhar province east of Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012. | AP Photo/Rahmat Gul
Rahim, 60, holds his son as he poses for a photograph near his temporary home on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Oct. 28, 2013. | AP Photo/Rahmat Gul

Featured image: An Afghan girl poses for a photograph at a brick factory on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, June 16, 2013. | AP Photo/Rahmat Gul