Apologies for not having been more disciplined in writing to you all, whatever minuscule readership this blog does have I know that to some it is an important way of communication, so for my absence…my b. Prepare for some length.
Cambodia
My pictures from Cambodia are on my Google Pictures account, completing my set of pics from Vietnam and Cambodia. It’s honestly very hard to describe the scenes in Cambodia. Pictures can do magical things, and that often requires lots of time, patience, and an extraordinarily expense camera; none of which I posses. In a lot of ways though, the pictures from Cambodia are sort of irrelevent, if only because the temples that were carved between a millennium and nine centuries ago are never done justice by fancy editing software. Though Bekah and I often felt like we were the freak shows on a Japanese tour group bus, there was an extreme sense of calmness as well as humbling achievement standing and walking over stones cut by craftsmen whose tools were primitive at best. Pre Rup offered amazing views of the lush Cambodian countryside dotted with temple peaks. Ta Prohm and Ta Som held striking moments of beauty when the sunrays finally got through the dense trees and shone a dusty spotlight on some carved figure or deity completely entangled in the roots of a tree older than the United States. Angkor Thom was an extraordinary complex of open fields lined with monuments and hidden ponds reflecting nearby temple mounts. Angkor Wat was superb; as disappointed as I was that the curse of green renovation tarp had mischievously wrapped itself around this 900 year old relic, it felt so amazing to stand there: a Midwestern not-so-country-kid in Cambodia.
I couldn’t have asked for a better travel mate. Bekah and I are incredibly lucky to have parents with both the means and the attitude to encourage us to see the world in ways only really our generation has had the ability to do so easily. I also couldn’t have asked for better weather, clear 80 degree days mixed with cool nights in a thriving and fun city called Siem Reap, aka Angkor base camp. The succession of temples can be overwhelming but it also requires a certain amount of concentration; that of quiet reflection on the miracles of generations past, their deeds and what they’ve left behind. Surely there wasn’t a soul in 987 AD in the Khmer Empire who thought about the tourists who would visit their monuments to the Gods one thousand years down the road. The slow march of time has destroyed much, but it’s pretty awe-inspiring to be able to still climb on fallen stones. It didn’t take long on a tuk-tuk ride through the Angkor Visitor Complex to wonder what life was like here 1000 years ago, or 500 years ago London or 200 years ago Boston. In my short life I don’t know if I’ve enjoyed so many moments of travel in such a short period, but I’m pretty glad to have seen what I’ve seen.
Hong Kong
It’s hard to believe, but my time in Hong Kong is winding down. In about 36 hours I’ll board a plane to Tokyo, then a plan to LA, and then finally a plane destined for the snow covered suburbs of Minneapolis. I couldn’t be more excited. My excitement however, should not be misconstrued as a disdain for Hong Kong. Our study abroad advisors, before leaving, lectured us on the horrors of the “W Curve”, whereby each student experiences a honeymoon, a depression inducing crash, a short period of ecstatic jubilation, another anxiety filled period of homesickness and finally a joyous return to normalcy at home (or at least a less dramatic version of that sequence). I would say my abroad experience has been more like a steady swerving of ups and downs. My current plan is to wait until I’m home to write about what I miss most and least and what my general feelings about Hong Kong and the abroad experience are.
I will talk about my excitement for home. It goes without saying that seeing family and close friends is the most appealing part of going home. Beyond that, there are obvious culinary desires such as mom’s spaghetti, Jake’s meatloaf and the one and only Chipotle. I’m also just looking forward to everyday occurrences that I don’t have here. The sound of car doors closing…and if being in the driver’s seat. Target having literally everything I could want instead of bouncing from one under-stocked grocery store to another oddly stocked pharmacy. Calling friends and not having to make plans to meet up at any one of a hundred points in a city of six million. I’m excited to read a newspaper. See snow. Have currency that fits in my wallet. Sit on a couch. Watch any number of channels on TV without having to look up working links to shows or movies. I can proudly say I’m a global citizen, but I’ve also never been so happy to proudly say I’m an American.
