It’s the halfway point. From where I stand, I can look back
and see one month accomplished and look ahead and see one month waiting to
unfold. It’s an exciting, daunting, anxious place to be.
My first month here wasn’t easy. I dealt with illness that
didn’t want to budge, homesickness that tugged at my heart, and new
experiences, both exhilarating and unpleasant. The heat here is sweltering, the
smells sometimes nauseating, and the language barrier frustrating. At times I
am lonely, yet I find myself craving quiet time to reflect, think, comprehend.
But if I stop there…that’s only half the story. Even though
I often feel like I haven’t always been on my A-game here, I have to remind
myself that I haven’t done that terribly, either. Despite speaking different
languages, I’ve managed to make friends with the Daughters. I’ve tried new
things, and I have a whole lot of stories.
I just returned from our mid-trip retreat in Siem Reap. The
intentional break from normal life allowed me the chance to look back and look
ahead; to see where I’ve triumphed and where I’ve fallen flat. I can set
realistic goals for the month ahead because I now know what to expect.
I want to bond with my host family and become an active
participant in home life, rather than remaining awkwardly on the outskirts. I
want to see the places where the Daughters come from and try to get my head
around the trafficking that happens all too often here. I want to get over my aversion
to rice (after throwing it up so many times, I’ve lost an appetite for rice and
sometimes even seeing it can make me feel slightly nauseous). And I want to
write about all of this, the ups and the downs, in a compelling, relatable way.
I think I have more than enough to keep me busy for the next
few weeks. And before you know it, I’ll be boarding a plane headed for home.
But for now I’m headed for a shower. I just jump roped with
the kids, and though the afternoon rain cooled the air considerably, I’m still
somehow (as always) dripping with sweat.
P.S. We visited the ancient temples of Angkor Wat a few days
ago so I’ll be posting some pictures from that in the next day or two.
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