Goodbyes and grains of sand

I am a very transient person.  I have grown accustomed to saying goodbye when I leave.  Living in DC area, people were always coming and going but the turnover as an expat here is extraordinary.   I have learned, I don't like being the one left behind (sorry for all those I continually leave).  You meet people, invest time, build relationships, and they go.  Some will keep in touch regularly, many slip away and remain as a memory of a friend for a time.

This has also made me acutely aware of the ever increasing speed of time.  How do you balance spending every possible moment with people while those moments exist and still recognize and care for your own needs?  I also have just 20 months left on my own contract and then I may be the one leaving.  How will I feel when that time is up?

There is an Anna Nalick song I absolutely love that says, "Life's like an hour glass glued to the table.  No one can find the rewind button... Just breathe"  So, I am trying to just breathe through it all.  And, this is why blogs have been slow coming.  I am struggling to find that balance.

For your viewing pleasure, here are some recent grains:

 

In June, or was it July, these lovely folks came to visit.  Lauren and I went to college together and were hall-mates Freshman year (back when dinosaurs roamed the earth).  We haven't seen each other since the graduation party, I believe, which just made catching up that much more fun!  And, I got to meet Jeremy for the first time.   A great break in my routine!

 

At the airport sending off my buddy Erin (middle) who was here for nine months through a Fulbright/National Geographic grant.  I have endorsed her blog before but will do it again!  Read more about her research and experiences here with the Cambodian Deaf Community. Thankfully, Arlinda (right) is still here to entertain me :)

 

I did took some photos for another Maryknoll project and this was one of them.  The colors of Cambodia are just amazing.  This is in one of the lakes near Phnom Penh.  They are filling these lakes in (in the name of development) and forcing the low-income residents off their land and away from their livelihoods.  Then, they fill the lakes with sand and build huge extravagant buildings on them...  When it rains, everyone is then boggled by the fact that the streets are under a foot of water...

 

The beautiful Boeung (lake)

 

I also helped a different lay missioner conduct mock-interviews with her university students.  This is my best attempt at looking like HR.  It was a lot of fun to mix up the normal routine and hear about these students' interests.  Some were clearly very passionate about a certain field, like the one whose entire face lit up when I asked why she wanted to be a teacher. 

 

This is just to prove to you I am still alive.  We were trying to take photos for a new government ID that is being required and so of course I took this very seriously.

 

This is another goodbye.  For two months I took care of this little kitty.  He ate through multiple cords, bit me multiple times (he was suffering from transition anxiety because his family moved).  Despite all that, leaving him at the airport was possibly one of the most traumatic experiences I have had here.  Leaving a terrified, caged animal that is looking at you like you are the only person in this world that can help him and you have no way to explain he is flying to his family is not an experience I hope to repeat.  Though it is nice to not have my ankles attacked every time I walk around my house, I do look crazier because now I just talk to myself.  Before I could say I was talking to the cat :)

 

I was also responsible for helping to keep these two alive (neither of them bit my ankles, thankfully).  Each year, Maryknoll Lay Missioners Cambodia is responsible for hosting two students from Notre Dame University who come for a service learning experience.  It was great to have some fellow Holy Cross educated folks to chat with about life.  Plus, visitors are a good excuse to try new things and have new adventures... Like checking out the spa down the road... or...

 

Making new furry friends.  One year ago, I was too scared to hold this.  But, after having one end up in my sarong, holding it was a much easier challenge.

And, if you want to see more of what I have been doing, check out the recent DDP Newsletter, featuring my writing and photos.  Plus, one of these articles was submitted to me all in Khmer and I did the the English translation (PROUD MOMENT)