These are a Few of my Favorite Things

We all go through slumps.  There are times each year, where I just want to curl up and let a few weeks pass me by.  The past year has obviously been no exception to these periods of time, and I would venture to say that many Peace Corps Volunteers, myself included, have found ourselves in a bit of a slump lately.  The combination of missing the holidays at home, along with the things happening on our side of the rice paddy, can combine to make a lot of us forget why we're even here.  And sometimes, it's hard to see the big picture, so, like Julie Andrews, I like to focus on the little things.  So here is a list of some of my favorite things about living in Cambodia.  Some items on the list even have a visual aide!

1) Team Takeo: The people in my province really have become a sort of second family.  Whether  they're like a sister, or a creepy uncle, I know they always have my back.

2) Bon-chaio: a truly delicious breakfast made of egg, rice flour, pork and vegetables.  It's even better when you throw some fried noodles on there.  

3) A successful English Club:  These are some of my students hard at work on a game I planned for the day.  

 4) The view outside my classroom:  Because sometimes I just need a breathtaking reminder that I'm living in Cambodia...and that's pretty cool.

 5) The fact that anything, and I mean anything, can be strapped onto the back of your motorcycle. Because sometimes there's just no other way to transport that sliced-up pig carcass.











Some of my other favorite things (not pictured here) include:

6) The feeling of actually being a little bit chilly, and having to use both of my blankets (this only happens at about 3am)

7) Long bike rides

8) Dancing my heart out to a good Taylor Swift song in Phnom Penh

9) Consistent weather

10) Knowing that no matter how bleeeeeh (I can't thing of an appropriate adjective.  My grasp on the English language is loosening) things might feel now, they are going to be great, very soon.  But for now, we'll focus on the little things to get us through; like raindrops on lotus flowers and whiskers on adorable, flea-ridden kittens.