Final thoughts on Cambodia

Leaving Cambodia, especially Phnom Penh, was sadder than I had anticipated. I wasn't expecting to fall in love with a place so quickly. Our first few days there I remember thinking, "Laura what the fuck have you gotten yourself into and when can you book a flight home." Especially when the ants started to find my peanut butter. Looking out our window you could see a river that the water couldn't even flow down because there was so much trash in it. Walking down the street I would see a family living in a shack on the same street as a newly built mansion. Simply put there are people who have, and people who don't have. But the people. The people are amazing. Thailand is supposedly the "Land of Smiles" but I disagree. The Khmer people are so genuine and sweet, even though it was rare to find someone who spoke even a little bit of English (except the man who sold me coffee, bless his soul)

Megan McCawley thought otherwise...

"A little accent"

Every time a little kid would see us walking down the street they would chase after us and scream "HELLO!!!!!" and wave at us until we said hello back at least ten times. 

At first I was so confused why Language Corps would have their program located in the outskirts of Phnom Penh. There is nothing to "see" or "do" if you are looking for touristy things. But this is the most I feel I have been immersed in a culture before. I lived in the Netherlands for seven months and have less of a connection to the Dutch people than I do to the Khmer people, and I was only here for two weeks. 

Pay it forward is also a huge thing here. 

Mike, one of the staff of Language Corps who moved to Cambodia after a bad breakup, was short 100$ on his rent-he had absolutely no money to his name. A tuk tuk driver, who waits outside our hotel every morning hoping to give someone a ride so he could make even a little bit of money to support his family, gave Mike the last of his money so Mike could pay the rest of his rent. Tuk tuk drivers barely make enough money to support themselves and their family, yet this driver gave up the last of his money to help someone out in need. The kindness and sincerity these people have for one another, and even strangers, is amazing to witness. One of the LC teachers who has been living in Cambodia for about three months now had one of his meals paid for by a Khmer person when he first arrived. He decided to take us all out to eat (he showed us the angel who makes the Vietnamese meatball sammies *insert angels singing from up above*) and paid for every single one of us, on the condition that we do the same thing and pay it forward in whichever country we end up teaching. 

It is such a unique culture and while it definitely took some getting used to, I am sad to have left and cannot wait to visit!! If you have the opportunity to go to Cambodia I strongly suggest doing so- the people make it worth it.