Adventuring.

Cambodia is great.

It really is.

But on Friday I was lagging. It had been a rough week, I was exhausted. I had been sick and missed a day of school. I was just grumpy and irritated. There was some good news that came out of the week. My schedule has been SO crazy I couldn't handle it, so I went to Sharon and asked if there was anything I could do to fix it. The entire grade school schedule was changed so that I could have two free periods a day. It is week five of school and for the past four weeks I have been teaching seven periods a day. Just too much.

An SM from 2004, Jonathan was in town and wanted to do a motorbike trip to the beach. Phil, Olga, Travis and I had been planning on going to Siem Reap for the weekend and the idea of spending four hours each way on the back of a bike did not sound awesome. We went out to eat Thursday night to this little vegetarian restaurant based around mushrooms. Plates were about 75 cents each and SO good. During dinner Jonathan talked us out of Siem Reap and into day trips out of the city.

On Friday after school I was grumpy and wasn't feeling well. The plan was Uodong, the old capital about an hour outside of the city. I wasn't going to go. I needed a nap, some down time. But I argued with myself, really, Annie? You're in Cambodia, don't be a dummy. Go.

So I did. Best decision ever.





I rode on the back of Jonathan's bike and three minutes into the ride I was overjoyed about life. We rode out of the city, and it was so beautiful. There are so many things different about this place, we drove past homes made of sticks and blankets. We drove by ox pulling carts, and truck loads full of Khmers. It's so flat here. The only hill in town has a wat on it. It's a big deal. As we got closer Jonathan pointed out where we were going way in the distance on a hill. I was excited. I need hills! I need views!

This is not an important part of the story, but I was SO sweaty. Just riding the bikes in the sun was bad. Then we climbed the hill. I seriously don't know that I have ever been so gross.

Anyway. The view from the top was AMAZING. There was the temples and everything, but I was in it for the view.

Sabbath was potluck, which is everyone's favorite. So we decided to stay until after lunch and then scoot on over to Silk Island. Not too far from the city it used to be a huge production place for silk. Mostly shut down now, it is just an island. We were going to meet up with some of the teachers, but after being lost for a while we got over there a little late. Driving through the island people noticed we were white and EVERYONE said, Hello! EVERYONE. While we were waiting to be found we stopped at a house. The boys played volleyball with the locals and I was almost killed by a cow. By the time we met up with the other teachers it was starting to get dark and those ominous rain clouds were moving in. So they showed us a few things and we headed home.

Sunday we had to return the bikes at 10am so we woke up early, and went to the Killing Fields. It's so surreal, all of these places I've read about and studied and wrote papers on. They're here. I get to see them and experience them. I still can't believe it.

After The Killing Fields we ate pancakes on the river front and went to the Russian Market. I am in love. Phil was laughing at me, because I was walking through freaking out about everything that I wanted. We bought hammocks. Two for four dollars. JAZZED.

After we got back to the mission I needed to go to the market. Olga and I for some reason never have food. Jonathan and I rode our bikes over and he showed me a few places around Toul Kork (where we live) that I hadn't seen. It was so nice to have someone here who knows things and is wants to go on adventures. We played Settlers that evening and Jonathan taught Phil and I to count in Khmer. My students love it, and it has already come in handy at the market.

Monday Jonathan came to school and helped out in my classroom for a bit. He rallied the sixth graders and got them to try. Which, is no small feat. After school the other SMs went school supply shopping. I didn't need to go, so Jonathan and I rode into town a bit.

It was nice to have a fresh boy face here. Phil is quieter and Travis is... well... Travis. And I really appreciated Jonathan's lively-ness, and energy.






I am in love with Cambodia. And on days when I forget that, Jesus brings old SMs to remind me.

I'm in Cambodia. It's an adventure in itself. But the big lesson I learned this weekend, was sitting on your bum is lame. Get outside. Life is worth living.

Mark Twain said it well--
Twenty years from now you'll be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sail. Explore. Dream. Discover.