#1. The ALIVE-"ness"

OK- perhaps alive-ness is not a word :-) but it's what best captures the openness and vibrancy of this place. I remember my very FIRST impression of Cambodia when I arrived two years ago... I was flying in at about 10:30am and I remember craning to look out of the window for the last 15 minutes or so before we landed. There were fields everywhere and few signs of inhabitation until just as we approached Phnom Penh. As we started to land, I could see moto taxis driving on red dirt roads, women hanging laundry out to dry on their rooftops, people walking around (mind you... I was seeing all of this from the AIRPLANE!). What struck me in that moment was how alive everything seemed in this city, this country. That feeling has not yet left me- and it is not only something that I LOVE about Cambodia, but something that I hope to keep with me as a way of enjoying life and the community around me.


I love that doors are always open, that porches face the street, that people eat their meals on the sidewalk corners, that laundry is hung for all to see, that strangers chat with one another on their motos while waiting for traffic lights to change (if, of course, they have opted to wait until green!), that men get their hair cut on the streets, that markets are open and bustling and SO much more!!

Pi Chnam Howie!!! (Two Years Already!)

For the anniversary of my 2nd year in Cambodia, I have decided to attempt to re-start a blog. Now for those of you who know me too well and are inwardly groaning, knowing that I only wrote SIX blog posts in my first TWO years.... well, yeah- that was pretty bad and I can't really write a justification! I'm not sure I can really give a guarantee that such delinquencies will not happen again... BUT I really want to make this work!

Here is the vision... I want to introduce you to all of the things that I LOVE about Cambodia. Honestly, the longer I have lived in Cambodia, the more that I have grown in my love of this country. Not that it isn't ever hard. Actually, much of why I love life here is that it feels so much more REAL. Pain and chaos and suffering and uncertainties of life are daily experienced and become a "normal" part of life. Yet in the West, these realities of life are so often masked as we create for ourselves a sense of control over our lives through building walls of self-protection and avoidance of suffering. Yet in masking the realities of suffering and pain, I think that we (or I!!) have so often missed out on experiencing joy and hope that is sustained in a world where I do NOT have control and MUST be utterly dependent on God.

So, while life in Cambodia brings the experiences of pain, it also has held great joy and depth for me. It is a beautiful country. There are amazing people. And I really hope to introduce you to a glimpse of my world. I'll admit that you might pick up on a few sarcastic posts along the way... cultural differences that just make the living experience even more fun, and have me laughing on a regular basis. So enjoy reading! And if you become inspired to come visit, I would absolutely love to host you!