Goodbye Cambodge, Hello USA, and Land of the Beautiful (and Famous) People

Hello, friends! I know, I know. You're wondering what the hell is going on with the Griffins. Let me recap:

Goodbye Cambodge
So, as planned, we started our trip. We headed down to an island off the coast of Cambodia and stayed a week. Here is how the week progressed:

• Day 1/2: This place is awesome; it's a bummer we have to leave for Vietnam in three days
• Day 3: Ugh. We don't want to leave (especially to a new country) and trudge through a new culture, language, etc. What can we do?
• Day 4: I know, I know! Let's extend our visas and stay here on Rabbit Island for a month, then head home.
• Day 5/6: Screw that. Let's change our tickets to go home to the US of A. Celebration!!
• Day 7: Head back to PP to stay with friends our last few days in Cambodia.

So, yup. That's how it went down. And as a final closing to our Cambodia chapter, I'll say this: Cambodia you have shaped my life in ways I never thought. I love your land and your people, and I am honored to have lived here for 7 months. Thank you for treating me well and keeping me safe. Goodbye, and we'll see one another again.

Where are we now? See below.

Hello USA
After around 30/40 hours of travel, we arrived in Los Angeles, and boy does it feel great! There is NOTHING like being back in your home country. It's awesome. We are staying with our good friends in LA, so life has been good here: good beer, sunny/clear skies, beach, biking. What else could one ask for?

Sila, too, is having the time of his life. Our friends have two boys (ages 2 and 5), so Sila is playing nonstop. Additionally, I think he is enjoying have friends who speak English. While diversity is great, being 3 and not speaking someone's language is a bit difficult. I don't think Sila has stopped smiling and laughing since we landed, which is nice to see as a parent.

Land of the Beautiful (and Famous) People
I thought I might end my blog now that we're in America, but then I realized I have international friends and even domestic friends who may not have ever visited the places we plan on going over the next three months. So as we progress, I'm going to write about what I see and where we are, as well as include some pictures. For the latter, we are so unorganized at the moment, that pictures aren't happening today, but I will write about our experience.

Mostly, we've been hanging out with friends, but today we went out to breakfast, took a bike ride down to the beach, hung out at a beach club, and visited the pier. I might add that we are in the fancy part of LA, the part where you see famous people in.

So you might be wondering who I saw today. Here is the list (yup, all in one day): Toby Maguire (at breakfast--I had to say excuse me because he was in my way to get a spoon at the take-out counter!), Naomi Watts (at the beach club), and Ali Larter (also at the beach club, but I didn't really recognize her: she is the one who wears the whip cream bikini in Varsity Blues). Whew. What a day.

So the adventure continues, just in a different way! The good news is that if you live in the States, we'll probably be coming to see you soon! Much love and big hugs.

Oh boy, is it hot!

It's starting to get warm here in Cambodge.

It's sneaky: the mornings and evenings are cool, with a great breeze; then mid day happens. You walk or bike, and all of a sudden you're drenched. Sweat drips from your forehead, and your shirt sticks to your belly. All the while, locals are wearing their winter hats, long sleeved shirts (or even coats!), jeans, and maybe some gloves to boot. Am I exaggerating? No!!

The claustrophobia sets in.

Do the locals seem to sweat? Nope. Are they chilly? Who knows!

Is it hotter here now then it is in Florida in August or September? Nope. But do you want to know the difference? In Florida, there is this little invention called central air conditioning. So when the heat starts to creep into the house (late afternoon...you know, when it's so f-ing hot you can't stand it), you escape into your home and sigh a sweet sigh as the sweat evaporates.

But here? Nope. The windows and doors are open to get some sort of breeze, and the sun beats in the windows. The fan is on its highest setting, blowing directly at you, and you can't wait until bedtime, where you enjoy the luxury of an a/c unit blowing on you until it gets so cold, you have to turn it off. Then you go back to sweating.

The plus side? I'm detoxifying every day.

I'll leave you with a few pictures. While not the best, notice the few locals who are fully clothed; the only reason I have a long-sleeve shirt on is because it's the custom to cover one's shoulders. Underneath, I had a tank top that I was wearing around the house. I covered up to go get Sila.

I'll probably post one more time before we leave Cambodia, so look for that sometime next week. Big hugs to everyone!