Abstract
The Zhelezka Mobile Summer School in August 2023 brought together a group of sixteen early career researchers to explore life on and off the railroad by unraveling specific travel and mobility practices, documenting urban and rural landscapes, and collecting stories of strangers, local communities, and railroad workers in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. The diverse group of people, representing 8 countries and collectively speaking more than 12 languages, made for an excellent study in human interaction and exchange. This essay serves as a reflection on the Zhelezka journey from the perspective of exchange and connection. By focusing on the similarities between Kashmiri and Uzbek culture, specifically looking at the Persian influence on language, among other traditions, this essay seeks to highlight the broader implications of the relationships that likely existed in the past and continue to endure to this day.

Keywords
Kashmir, cultural exchange, languages, Urdu, Persian