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!

 

What's Been Going On?

I was having a conversation recently (via FaceBook messaging) with a friend, and she said something interesting: (I'm paraphrasing) "I'm amazing on FaceBook but in real life I'm having a tough time." I love this because it's so true. I don't post status updates on FaceBook for this reason. Life is hard. There are ups and downs, and well, I'm in a down one now.

Before I begin, yes, life is amazing. I am able to manage taking a year off of work to travel, spend time with my family, and do/see some amazing stuff. Don't get me wrong.

But the other side of all of this? I've been sick--really sick--for the last three weeks. Darn Cambodian bacteria. And I've suffered from vertigo the last five days. And Conan has had a sore throat for the last three weeks and just can't get his energy up. And Sila has one never-ending cold. And we're all homesick. And we all want to go home.

But we are tackling each day as exactly that: a new day. We have goals, and we aim to complete them. We have a little over 2 weeks left here in Phnom Penh, and our new plan (if you don't know this already, well, Conan and I always have a plan, but it always changes) is to ditch the bikes (too much work) and just bus/train to amazing beaches and sites in Vietnam. We feel this is exactly what we need. Sunshine, crystal clear water, and new adventures.

So if you're stuck in a rut, maybe think about what you can do differently. How can you shift your perspective, while still being honest with yourself? Honesty is okay. It's okay to feel like crap and look like crap and eat crap (sometimes) because that's life. Life is good but oftentimes messy.

If I haven't depressed you, sorry. I didn't mean to.

One another note, take a look at some pictures I have below. The pictures of tents are when we had a massive funeral on our street, pretty much in front of our house. I thought it was a wedding (who knew karaoke was a part of both weddings and funerals?), but our neighbor said it was a funeral. Regardless, I'm glad it appeared because it will be one of the things I miss most about Cambodia. It's exciting. The street shuts down (have mercy!), there is music (which isn't really a part of Cambodian culture), and sleeplessness as people wail into a microphone (singing or praying) until all hours of the night. Ah, Cambodia. How I love you so.

 

 

Ear Aches, My Birthday, and Book Reviews

I am now on day 8 of having ear issues. I got a cold/sore throat late last week, and all was fine until an ear ache popped up in one ear. I haven't had one of these since being a child, and I'll tell you what: it hurts. A lot.

After one day of an ear ache in my left ear, the illness switched to my other ear. Now, while pain is gone, I have a persistent ringing (is the ringing always there and I just can't hear it?) and constant blocking of my hearing. I'm trying everything to drain the liquid, but no luck yet.

The other exciting news (as if my ear aches are exciting) is that it was my birthday this past week. 34. Wow. 10 years ago I was married to someone different, had only completed my AA degree, and was about to experience a pretty difficult year ahead. Now a decade later, I'm married to someone new, have a child, hold a Master's degree (and am currently applying to pursue a second one), and am living in Cambodia. How times fly and change.

It was a bit hard to truly enjoy my birthday due to my ear issues, so I'm trying to make the best of it now and move forward positively in my 35 year of life. Next year, though, I'm going to blow it out of the water for my 35th.

Lastly, book reviews. I realize this might not be something you care too much about, but I'm doing it more for me than anyone else. I also read something about how long book reviews can discourage someone from reading a book, so I'm going to keep it short to avoid that. There is never any harm in reading a book, good or bad.

• The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath: this was the first time I have read anything by her, and I have to say I enjoyed it. It was, however, a bit dark. Basically this book details the protagonist's struggle with the outside world, her sexuality, and her deep inner thoughts. A well-written and good read but don't expect the sun to shine too brightly within it.
• Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris. Honestly, I didn't really get this book. I picked up the sexual identity struggle, family dynamics, and life exploration aspects of it all, but I really couldn't make sense of it as a whole. To me, this book was a rambling narrative about life. I have, although, listened to a NPR segment with Sedaris since reading this book, and I am still intrigued enough to read another one of his books that is on my Kindle. I'll let you know what I think when I am in the mood to pick up another one of his books.
• Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. I was interested to read this after the last two because I miss being in (or at least reading about) nature. This satiated my nature-reading desire. I'm surprised it took me this long to read the book since it's pretty famous. My thoughts on it: so-so. I didn't particularly over enjoy it, but it wasn't bad. Just not life-shifting, if you know what I mean.
• Catching Fire and Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. Yes, these are the last two in the Hunger Games Trilogy, and yes, they're meant for teens. Are they a light read? Yes. Full of suspense? Yes. Are they literary? No, but that's why I read them, especially after the above three.

Currently reading, you ask? Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void and rereading A Confederacy of Dunces (one of the most brilliant books ever).

I'll leave with a few pictures from my birthday weekend adventure. Many hugs to you all!

 

 

Living in the Arena

So there is a person (Brene Brown), as well as a book (Daring Greatly), who has been pretty influential to my ever-shaping desire to be living a more authentic, purposeful life.

I've had much thought and discussions about this (the more "authentic, purposeful life"), and what it boils down to is that I just like this shit. It feels real. I don't know how the hell to get it, but I believe it's out there and is attainable.

You might be wondering what the heck I'm talking about, and it refers to what Brene Brown states as being either in or out of the arena. The ones who are living in the arena are the ones who are fighting for a good, authentic life. A life that has meaning and purpose to them. A life that is honest and not falling in line with the politics or sometimes the bad energy of others. These people are pursuing their passions and not feeding the bad in the world (the bad being the mean-ness, critical, vindictive tendencies a human sometimes fall prey to).

I watched a great YouTube clip with Brene Brown and it's on the power of being vulnerable. I loved it, and it speaks so much to the way in which one can live a pretty darn good life: through vulnerability. It's a long one, though, so beware.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sd3DYvBGyFs

This clip also brought to mind a specific instance and person at work whom I recognize is afraid to be vulnerable and as a result desperately tries to look into the mirror of someone's (perceived) failure as justification for the actions s/he chooses. The only reason I mention this latter part is because understanding my role at work is a huge part of what I'm trying to figure out recently, and this video brings clarity to my own relationships and place at work and allows me to focus my intentions and actions in more refined ways, and for that, I am grateful.

I'm sure for my next post you might want something a bit more light, so I have one about food that will follow in the week to come. Oh and if you don't know, it's my birthday tomorrow (this should bring more clarity as to why I'm writing about living a more authentic life---nothing like a birthday to get the wheels turning)! Big hugs to you all.

Oh, there is also this cool website I just discovered: The Good Life Project http://www.goodlifeproject.com/

4 Months to Go, Biking Vietnam, and Chicken Pox

So now that it's February 3, we have less than 4 months to go! Yippee. We have been in Cambodia for over 5 months, and we have been here longer than what we have left. Wow.

Our plan is to leave June 1st so that we can spend the summer in the States. Friends all over the U.S.: be prepared for a Griffin visit this coming summer! We won't be heading out, though, until after we've had an epic bicycle trip.

The plan (as of now and of course subject to change) is to leave PP in 6 weeks. How will we leave? By bicycle. Where will we go? To Vietnam. The anticipated route is PP to Ho Chi Minh. Then HCH to Halong Bay. Distance: 2100k. Crazy? Yes. And we're planning on doing it all on a bicycle with nothing more than two baskets, two saddlebags, and one small duffel.

So these next few weeks are busy cramming in our last few weeks of "me" time and getting ready for the trip and packing. Packing excites me most because bags packed here won't be unpacked until we reach good ole' USA!

The only other new thing for us is that Sila had the chicken pox last week. It was a pretty mild case, so he was in good spirits (and driving us crazy) and is back to school this week. Nothing else really going on here except I've been reading like crazy (see new books posted on the right of my blog) and been teaching a lot of yoga.

Big hugs to all who are reading this. Enjoy your winter because we're hot here!

Cambodia Fabulousness

So I'm missing the States--big time--so instead of wallowing in my desire to be somewhere other than where I'm at right now, I thought I would blog about some of the amazing things Cambodia has to offer:

Bomb-Diggity Fruit...and Cheap Cheese
As I write this, I'm munching on a big bowl of fresh fruit. In it consists of bananas, dragon fruit, and papaya. I chose not to put the mango or pineapple that is also in my refrigerator, but that was out of pure laziness more than anything else.

The best thing about all of this? It was SO cheap, it's so good for me, and I can get it easily every day from the local market that is two streets away. I will certainly miss this, and if you have no idea what dragon fruit is, I've attached a picture for your reference.

 


We also love cheese and bread and wine, and because all of this is a lot cheaper here than at home, we've been indulging in our most favorite meal ever. Here it costs under $10; in the States, we'd have to spend around $40-$50 to eat this. Yummy.

A Different Way of Life
I've been seeing a lot of posts about rear-facing car seats, which promise to keep your child safer longer. What's funny about most other non-Western countries, however, is that car seats are non existent, and children don't die from car accidents at a higher rate than they do in the West.

I know this will probably upset a few, but we've been in quite a few cars and had no car seat for Sila. Gasp! He's also been on more motos than I can count, and it's the complete norm here.

The point I'm trying to make is that I appreciate (and very much love) the perspective that Cambodia--and other non-first-world travel--offers.

Chickens and Ducks
Non meat eaters for animal rights reasons, stop reading now. About every few weeks or so a moto will zoom by with around 50 live chickens moaning and squawking hanging from the back of it. They're not the liveliest of chickens (it's probably been a long journey for them), but it's amazing to see.

On our way home the other day, we decided to take a tuk-tuk (a luxury for us now since we tend to bicycle everywhere), and as we were heading home, Conan started to hear what he thought was a cat meowing. As I tuned in, I said it was a chicken, and we both laughed and wondered where it was.

Turns out that our tuk-tuk driver had a chicken and a duck stuffed under our seat! They, too, were on their last legs and were probably bought at the market early that morning to inevitably become dinner way later that night. In the interim, they got to sit in the heat and darkness until that time arrived.

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So you might be thinking that it's weird I titled this post "Cambodian Fabulousness," but that's what all of this stuff is. Will I miss seeing chickens hanging from motos? Probably not. Will I miss the simplicity that Cambodia offers? Absolutely. It's all fabulous and in many ways so much simpler than the States.

I know that many are thinking or have hear rumors that we're not coming back. We laugh to that. Yes, we LOVE travel and will continue to do it for the rest of our lives. But you know what we love more? America. Our lives. Our home. Our life. So if you're hoping we'll be back, we will. Until then, hugs.