It would be hard, er impossible, for to describe everything that’s happened and all I’ve done here the past 2 and half weeks. But I suppose I’ll try anyways. It feels like from the moment we all arrived, we were thrown on to one of the most amazing and exhilarating roller coaster rides of our lives. For me, the the flight over to Phnom Penh was like the ascent to the top of the ride—with all the anticipation in the world surrounding my every thought. What would the country be like? Would I be able to adjust? How would I get along with the other people in my program?
Then all of a sudden, the ride begins the descent. Hands go up, eyes widen, adrenaline pumps. No more time for thinking and worrying; just living. And it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that it has been the best living of my life. I never could have imagined how much fun it would be to sing karaoke in Rick’s bar, have a pool party in the pouring rain at Siem Reap, or play beach volleyball and ultimate frisbee in Sihanoukville.
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| Sunset in Sihanoukville. Pretty impressive, right? |
As a group, we explored the temples at Ta Prohm, Bayon, Angkor Wat, and Beng Melea (which literally looked like something straight out of the The Jungle Book). We stared in amazement at the ancient wonders and shot the hell out of our cameras, basically to the point where you could almost hear them begging for a break (over 500 photos taken since being here if you’re keeping track at home). We all woke up at the butt crack of dawn to watch the sunrise-that-never-was in front of Angkor Wat. And we all sat on the sandy beaches in Sihanoukville and stared in utter amazement at the jaw-dropping beauty of the sunset.
And then our two weeks of bonding ended. On Friday we said a sad farewell to our Thailand comrades (and Adrian mistakenly said farewell to his bag…whoops). Our roller coaster ride had finally begun to slow down. And after our relaxing weekend getaway in Sihanoukville, we bid adieu to our Vietnam peeps. By now it seemed the roller coaster had come to a complete stop. After two weeks of non-stop action, it felt like time had come to a standstill. The rest of us left here in Cambodia somberly exited the roller coaster car, in disbelief that such an exciting period of our lives had concluded. It felt like we had gone from riding the Tower of Terror to hopping on a merry-go-round. It was at this point that I experienced an emotion I had yet to feel during my stint in Cambodia: sad. I’m not saying I haven’t missed my family and friends at times, but I certainly hadn’t felt nearly as bummed as I was Sunday night when I came to terms with the fact that a very exciting chapter of my life had come to a close. And while feeling sad is never a good thing in itself, this sadness—and all the reminiscing and missing friends that accompanied it—was mere proof of how meaningful the past few weeks had been to me. From our time together, we now have memories that will stay with us for years and years to come—some good, some bad, some weird, and some hysterical. Like who could forget when Erika’s purse was stolen? Or when the little Khmer boy assaulted me with his book? Or skinny-dipping at midnight? Or when Todd…well, did Todd’s thing? Or when Trea got buck wild on the dance floor on our last night? Or when Kamron did the world’s wackiest version of the YMCA during class? Or when Will PEED on me to save from the evil sea urchin?
Furthermore, this same sadness that led me to think of all these priceless and treasured memories was also good because it revealed to me that I’m ready to move on. I mean if 2 weeks in Cambodia yielded so much joy, I can’t even begin to imagine what’s in store for me in Taiwan.
The roller coaster ride was amazing. But I know I’m now ready to move on to another ride at a different amusement park—one named Taipei; jam-packed with 6.5 million people. So get ready Taiwan—you’ve got quite the act to follow. And thanks again Cambodia--It's been fun. It's been Riel.
