Where have I been? That is an excellent question. About ten months ago I finished up my volunteer trip early, spent two and a half weeks traveling Thailand, flew back home, found a job, moved to San Francisco, and pretty much abandoned this blog. My life turned upside-down, inside out, and became very different and … Continue reading Why I Stopped Volunteering Abroad
Category: cambodia
Five “Weird” Things I do in Cambodia
Before I came to Cambodia, I read countless blogs from other travelers to learn as much as I could about the country, what to pack, and how to do things once I arrived. The same things seemed to come up every time: save as much money as possible before coming, haggle on prices, pack light; I … Continue reading Five “Weird” Things I do in Cambodia
Cafés Where I Like to Hide from the Sun
With complicated homesick emotions, a lack of duties from the NGO, and rising temperatures, I spend most of my days hanging out in cafes in Phnom Penh. While the city boasts many cute and interesting looking spots, many that I have tried and failed to convince myself to pop into, I tend to return to the same few over and over again. I am a creature of habit and tend to be indecisive. As such, I have limited myself to only a few options for where to spend my afternoon hours. Time and time again, I ride my bike through the sweltering heat and arrive sweaty and red faced to my favorite locations, desperate for a cool beverage and a sweet treat. Since these places have brought me so much joy during my time in Cambodia, and especially in the last month, I thought I would share them with you.
What Happened in April?
The emotional roller coaster that has been April presented me with some of the most conflicted and complicated emotions I have had since coming to Cambodia. I felt calm and stressed, exhilarated and defeated, grateful and yet desperate to leave. A lot of enjoyable things took place in April, but I also found myself feeling … Continue reading What Happened in April?
Motorbike Misadventures at Bokor National Park
“Have you ridden a motorbike before?” “No, I haven’t, but I can do it.” “If you do not know how to ride one I am unable to rent it to you.” “Oh no, actually I have ridden one before. It has just been a while.” I could feel the blood drain from my face as … Continue reading Motorbike Misadventures at Bokor National Park
A Day in the Life of a NGO Volunteer
When I first imagined working for a Cambodian NGO, I could not help but wonder if it would compare to when I worked at the Scottish Parliament. As a parliamentary intern, I managed emails, wrote motions, conducted research for reports, and a slew of other tasks. Sometimes my days consisted of sifting through emails and … Continue reading A Day in the Life of a NGO Volunteer
Dear America, I’m Still Hungry
Dear America, About a year and a half ago, I confessed my love for your food. After months of stuffing my face with Scottish pastries, my stomach began to long for the sweet treats of home. I yearned for the processed, sugary goodness of hazelnut coffee creamer and other delicacies, promising that if I could … Continue reading Dear America, I’m Still Hungry
Les Restaurants Des Enfants
A few times on my blog, I mentioned my going to a childcare placement on my Saturday mornings. I spoke about it during my first weekly rewind, noting it as an incredible experience that I promised to elaborate on later. The following Saturday I went there again, and explained my frustration and complicated feelings about watching donors … Continue reading Les Restaurants Des Enfants
Cambodia Weekly Rewind 5 & 6
The past two weeks came and went so quickly that, despite all my good intentions, I failed to post about their events in a timely manner. I would apologize, but as I continually mention when moments such as these happen; I would rather live and experience everything going on around me, than pause to write … Continue reading Cambodia Weekly Rewind 5 & 6
The Elephant in the Room
My heart pounded so hard I thought it would burst out of my chest. I could feel my palms growing cold with sweat, and my feet suddenly refused to move and remained anchored to the jungle floor. A wave of shock and disbelief washed over me, and I tried desperately to grasp hold of some remnant of … Continue reading The Elephant in the Room