I Have Friends!

This is Shelley:

She’s awesome and she came to visit me in Cambodia last week.  Shelley’s been teaching English in China since last fall, and for her Lunar New Year vacation, she decided to swing by the Kingdom of Wonder and pay me a visit. 

This was wonderful for a number of reasons. 

1)   We got to hit up some tourist sites that I kept saying, “I’ll get to that one of these days…”

Exploring the ruins at Phnom Chiso.  We're only awkwardly spaced to try and get some background in there...

Inside one of the ruins at Phnom Chiso

2)   We got to reminisce about the good ol’ days and talk about things other than Peace Corps

Chilling out in Phnom Penh with some ice cream

3)   We got to speak English to each other for almost a whole week!

4)   I had someone else to back me up on how AMAZING Iowa is

Shelley and I on a tourie, getting ready to head to my site!
Please note the Iowa shirt.

5)   Shelley reminded me that Cambodia is a pretty awesome place

Riding on a cart full of durian to go and get our hair and make-up done for a wedding!

Make-up!

As far as Peace Corps countries go, Cambodia is pretty great.  There’s a lot to be done, and although it’s not always an easy path, it keeps me busy and keeps me on my toes.  Cambodia is also gorgeous, and I constantly forget that I should probably be taking in the rice paddies, mountains, and temples while I can (although I gotta say rice paddies still got nothin’ on corn fields).  Basically, it was great to remember how amazing all of this is, and how it’s slipping away faster than I can even imagine. 

Shelley perfected Khmer dancing

Speaking of which, it’s February.  WHAT?  I’m still not sure what my official leave date is but it’s between July 3^rd and August 7th^th.  Either way, that is so soon (or at least seems soon in Peace Corps time).  People have been asking me how I feel about coming home in five or six months, and to be honest, I’m not completely sure.  I’m so thrilled to be closer to my friends and family, sad that I won’t be able to teach my favorite students next year or be a bike ride away from some of my PCV friends, and scared of starting what everyone likes to call “real life”.  I also tend to think that readjusting to American life will be a cinch, but in the words of my recent visitor after spending a few days at my house, “Kelly, readjustment might be a little difficult for you…this place is pretty different.”

It is mind-blowing to realize that in a few months my life will be drastically different (yet again).  But hey, if that difference means I could be doing my laundry in a machine right now instead of just staring at my overflowing laundry basket, dreading the hour and a half of scrubbing and wringing out my over-worn wardrobe, then bring it on.