She Who is Brave is Free

I cannot believe that I have been in Cambodia for a little bit over a week now. It feels like so much longer. It is insane to think I would have been half way through my trip in Africa right now a year and half ago.

Today I have had more down time than any other day thus far and it is quite rejuvenating. It is nice to feel like my feet are molding into the feet that will be carrying me along this journey for the next three months. It took a bit longer for me to get adjusted than I would have imagined but we are getting there. It also doesn't help getting a seasonal cold in a third world country with 4000% humidity.

These six months away from home will be the longest period of time I have been away from my family and friends. That feeling of being misplaced or the feeling of missing out has had a lot to do with the idleness of immersing myself in an entirely new country. It is odd, the feeling of being completely free from not coming home, yet not completely immersed into somewhere else. It is almost as if you could fall off the face of the Earth and it wouldn't even matter because you didn't belong anywhere.

Another reason I think I have had a harder time than expected is that this is not Africa. With that said, I could never draw a conclusion of which one is better or which one is more important. The truth of the matter is they both are key elements into the stitching of my heart. Ever since I was a little girl, though, Africa has always been my cause and purpose. When I went there a year and half ago, a girl named Zola became the portrait of that. In a weird way I felt as if I was doing a disservice to Africa and Zola. I felt guilty for being here in Cambodia and not in South Africa. I've said it may times before, Cambodia was never on my radar of places to live, visit maybe, but it was never urgent and so that has thrown me for a different loop. But isn't that what life is all about after all? Being able to experience something that wasn't on your radar. I wonder just how boring my life would be if I only received the things or experiences on my radar. (I sure as hell would not be having the worst dating stories over cocktails that is for sure!)

So it has taken a little bit of time to get use to Cambodia but we sure are making just fine company to one another.

Being the youngest person of the group is difficult.
Being the only person who has never been to South East Asia is difficult.
Being someone who hates rice and is living in Asia is difficult.

But we will make it along just fine.