That's a Wrap.

Well folks,

Finally made it back safe and sound. Thought I'd give one last blog entry to close up this years traveling adventures. Wow, what an incredible gap year. All the way back to August when I was first planning out my  year til now. In the past year, I have accomplished way more than I ever thought I could. I have faced some of the biggest challenges of my life, have seen some of the most stunning places on Earth, and have met some of the most amazing human beings in the whole world. I want to just take a moment to thank each and every single one of you who donated to my trips, encouraged me over the last 12 months, or even just read one of my blog entries. Your overwhelming amount of love and support has been extremely wonderful and I couldn't have done it without you! Mom, Dad, thank you for giving me the amazing opportunities to travel and explore and experience different cultures. For believing in me when I didn't and for encouraging me to stay strong and keep going. I will never forget these experiences and the new friends I have made. All in all, it was one of the best years of my life. Anyone out there who is reading this and considering taking a gap year or if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. I would be more than happy to help you out. A huge thank you once again to all of my supporters and donors. Couldn't have done it without you. Everyone take care and have an amazing rest of your summer. Now I guess there is just one more thing to say..... that's a wrap!

Homeward Bound

Sitting in the Phnom Penh International Airport.... And it is so packed. Here take a look.

My last hours.

I honestly can't believe it. Two months have already come and gone! Cambodia, you are absolutely incredible. You are indescribable. Challenging me in so many ways, some I expected, but so many more I did not. I will never forget these past eight weeks of my life. To leave this country, my incredible students, and my amazing friends, who I have been so blessed to meet each and every one, is so hard. The only thing harder than saying "hello", is saying "goodbye". Cambodia, I don't know when I will come back or when I will see you again, but I do know this will not be the last time. We will meet again, and I am looking forward to it!

Last work day.

So my last volunteer day has actually arrived. I thought it was very fitting to end my 8 weeks on a high note. What is higher than an epic water balloon fight between everyone? It was such a great way to end my time here and say goodbye to everyone. The students absolutely loved it and this will definitely be one of the highlights of my trip. Here are some pictures of today's "teaching lesson". 

“Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...It's about learning to dance in the rain.”

Kep, Cambodia

Pure relaxation. Located 45 minutes from the Kampot Province and 2 hours from Sihanoukville, Kep is ideal for anyone wanting to relax and chill. Me, Victoria, and Bonnie and her twin brother, Oliver, all traveled to Kep for the weekend. It was great! So relaxing and they had the best crab! So good. We just spent our time swimming in the huge pool and swinging in the hammocks. We stayed at the Vanna Hill Resort in Kep. Our bungalow was located right in the jungle on this mountainside. Really cool. I loved it. Here are some pictures of our time.

Cambodian Cuties

Ready or not.

So I'm in the middle of my second to last week here in Cambodia and I am already sad to leave. I can't think about leaving my students and my new friends without getting emotional. This past week I've been doing so much processing and thinking about all the things I have been through these past several weeks. A part of me feels so sad and frustrated. Frustrated at seeing how these people have to live. Everyday I see people living in extreme poverty. Little kids trying to get you to buy a bracelet just so they can afford their next meal. You pass by land mine victims on the streets begging for any extra Riels you might have. It's insane. Probably the most frustrating part about it is when you see the level of wealth of some people. I have probably seen more Range Rovers and Lexuses here in Phnom Penh than in any major city in the U.S. I'm not kidding. It also isn't  uncommon to see a multi-story mansion being built across the street from a wooden shack where a family of 10 could be living. The different lifestyles can be seen within 100 feet of each other. It's something I cannot get my head around.

One of the biggest cultural shocks I have had here was the Cambodian vision of beauty. The idea that white skin is superior and dark skin is ugly. Go to any supermarket, mini mart, or marketplace, you will find a whole aisle purely dedicated to whitening cream. Shelves and shelves plastered with different types. I was shocked. Coming from a place where people purposely pay money to sit in a machine that makes your skin darker, as to here in Cambodia, where white skin equals perfection. The Cambodian society has accepted this as the symbol of beauty and you should work everyday to keep yourself as light as possible. From using cream to wearing jeans and jackets during the day to shield your skin from the sun. My students didn't understand why I would wanted my skin to get darker while I was here. I remember when I came back from Siem Reap my first weekend here and one of my students said, "Teacher your skin, it's darker, why would you let that happen?" They just couldn't understand that to us, being tan is a good thing. Very different ideas and visions. 

Clothing however is very westernized here. You will see shopping malls and clothing boutiques promoting the latest trends and fashions. I will say though, Cambodians are so much tinier than Americans. So many of the other volunteers have such a hard time finding any clothes that will fit them. Back home I am usually like a small or a medium, but here I am like a large or extra large. And if you're in the marketplace and one of the ladies selling the clothes thinks you are too big for their clothes, she will tell you. Yep straight up tell you, "oh too big lady. I don't have big size for you." Gee thanks. Haha but its true, Cambodians are super tiny.

One thing I am really going to miss when I do go back is how friendly this country is. Being able to wave at someone, even if you don't know them, and having them smile and wave back. Today we were in a cafe and we were sitting across the table from this lady eating some fruit and without even a second thought she offered us some. Cut some up and gave it to us. Cambodian are so willing to share their things with you or give you a place to sit or answer any of your questions or just give you a friendly smile. I really enjoy the people here and I will miss them dearly.  

These were just some of the things I have especially noticed during my time here. As I continue on with my last couple of weeks I will try to share with you my final thoughts and feelings as often as I can. I can't believe where the time has gone and I can't believe that in less than two weeks, I will be on the opposite side of the world, back home. I don't know if I'm ready. Ready to leave this all behind. I guess we'll see.

BBQ + 50 Kids + Gangnam Style

Last night I attended a BBQ with the orphanage I am working with (COLT). The BBQ was at another orphanage similar to ours called New Future for Children (NFC). To get to NFC we had to go by truck. So we all rode in this big cargo truck and me and some of the other volunteers along with all the kids were in the back. By far the craziest truck ride of my life!!! Rain was pouring down (luckily there was a cover on the truck but still) and kids singing random Khmer rap songs at the top of their lungs and people sliding all over the place. Yeah, pure insanity. Haha definitely an experience I will never forget.

Anyway so we finally get to NFC and we are greeted with a traditionally Khmer dance performance along with a street dance performance. The last dance was the coolest one by far. They used these two long wooden poles and laid them down on the floor. Then two people, one at each end of the wooden poles would bang the poles together in a rhythmic pattern while other people would dance in between them. Really interesting and they were so good at it.

So after the dance performances we moved to a courtyard like area and all sat down for dinner together. And I thought our dinner table was crowded. We were all seated at the mega long table where we ate stir fry vegetables, rice, chicken, and potato curry. It was so good!!! Just sitting with all the kids and getting to know them. I loved it.

After dinner we cleaned up the dishes and moved all the tables to create a dance floor. They had speakers set up and we just danced our little hearts out. The kids were crazy for Gangnam Style and Maroon 5. Haha so cute. 

Overall just an awesome night with some incredible people. The kids were so great and such adorable dancers. Definitely the best Cambodian BBQ I have ever been to. As we were leaving to go back to COLT all the kids were waving goodbye to us and it was so sweet. I realized how hard it is going to be in two weeks when I have to say my goodbyes. It's going to be so difficult.

The Somaly Mam Foundation

This Wednesday I had the amazing opportunity to visit The Somaly Mam Foundation for a brief presentation about the organization and meet one of the survivors. What an incredible opportunity.

I first learned about Somaly and the work she has done through the book Half The Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity  for Women Worldwide and her book The Road To Lost Innocence (both of which everyone should read). Shocked by the horrible and unfair treatment against women in Cambodia, I was inspired to travel here and spend two months volunteering.

As a sex trafficked victim herself, Somaly Mam has dedicated her life to establishing multiple organizations and sanctuaries for young women all over southeast Asia. SMF was launched in 2007 and was co-founded by Somaly Mam along with two Air Force Academy graduates Nicholas Lumpp and Jared Greenberg. This organization is an international NGO based in based in New York, with an office in Phnom Penh which I was able to visit. SMF aims to provide funding for anti-trafficking organizations and works to give a voice to victims and survivors.

Somaly has also established an organization called AFESIP Cambodia which focuses on the rehabilitation of girls who have been trafficked or abused and tries to reintegrate them into society. Currently there are three AFESIP facilities located in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and Kampong Cham. All of which house over 60 girls each. The AFESIP office in Siem Reap is the one shown in the documentary Half The Sky on PBS. Unfortunately visits to the AFESIP facilities are highly irregular and aren't open to the public so it wasn't possible for me to visit one during my time here.

But I was more than thrilled to be able to visit the SMF office. Overall it was even more inspiring and eye opening to be there and to hear the stories in person. I will never forget it. The emotions were so overwhelming. I honestly almost started to cry when one of the girls was telling us her story of being sold to a brothel at the age of 7. My heart was breaking. She was in the brothel for 3 years until she escaped and Somaly's people found her and took her to AFESIP. So so so sad. At the end of the meeting I went up to her and asked her her name and how old she was. She told me she was 21 years old. Only two years older than me!!!! But to see the work of AFESIP and SMF right in front of me was so inspiring. I am happy to report that the girl is doing very well and now works for the SMF doing advocacy work and educating young girls all over Cambodia. Amazing. This young lady has been through hell and back and to see her now dedicating her life to other girls just like her is absolutely incredible. Very inspiring.

Insane Rain

Here is a picture of Wednesday's rain storm. The rainy season has officially begun in Cambodia. Not only did it rain like crazy, it rained like crazy for a good four hours. I swear our tuk tuk had turned into a boat. The best part is when you see people trying to ride their bike in ankle deep water haha. Never in my life have I seen rain like this.

Monday Afternoon

Here are some pictures of the craziest traffic jam I have ever been in. This gives a whole new meaning to "rush hour". We literally sat in our tuk tuk unable to move anywhere for 30 minutes. Absolutely insane. And on top of that it started to massively downpour on us. Haha that's Cambodia for ya.

Farewell Boat Ride

Last Monday night, me and several other volunteers went on a boat ride to bid farewell to many of the volunteers who are scheduled to leave this upcoming weekend. While some are continuing on with their travels and others are going home, it was nice to spend an evening together and just hang out with the people I have grown so close with over the past five weeks. I have built so many lasting friendships and met so many incredible and unique individuals. I am grateful for the time I have spent with them and I will miss them dearly.

(L-R): Nate, Maria, Bonnie, Villy, Zora, and Ella

(L-R): Bonnie, Me, Villy, and Zora

Me and Victoria

Yes, this is normal.

Here's a picture of the rush hour traffic on our way home from work the other day. Nobody panic. Picture this and then like 50 motorbikes all around you trying to squeeze through every nook and cranny. Oh and then on top of that, people walking and riding bikes. Madness, absolute madness.

Hot Pot Anyone?

So Tuesday night me and a few other volunteers (Zora, Victoria, Ruby, Zeine, and Ricardo) went out for some good ole Cambodian Hot Pot. IT. WAS. DELICIOUS. Plus we were able to make it ourselves. In hot pot cooking, you get a burner in the middle of the table where there is a pot filled with broth and some kind of meatballs. At least I think they were meatballs. You can never be too sure here. But anyway, they bring out different bowls filled with various meats, noodles, and vegetables. When the broth starts to bool, you can decide what you want to put in and watch it cook right in front of you. The soup literally takes seconds to cook. I loved it and I will definitely be having hot pot again.

Night Market