oh, cambodia~

This year was very up and down for me. Off and on, I dealt with several anxiety and near panic attack episodes. It made me feel a little anxious about going to Cambodia this past November. I still didn't feel ready as I stepped onto the plane and landed once again in my family's homeland (I had gone two years prior). It took me a few days to adjust and come to the realization that I was really *really* in Cambodia. We had a packed itinerary and were on the go pretty much as soon as we arrived. It didn't help that it was very hot - we expected a ever so slightly cooler weather like in December, but that just wasn't the case. Thankfully, I remembered to purchase a portable fan before the trip which became my travel holy grail. I don't know what would've happened if I didn't have that small fresh breeze on me 24/7 like when we traveled to the markets and ancient temples!

Unfortunately, with age comes with less energy. I felt my energy deplete more quickly during this trip. I made sure to always carry my personal go-to medical emergency items on me at all times just in case and drank electrolytes when I needed to. Some days, we'd go escape to the malls where there were plenty of restrooms, food options, and most of all, A/C, after a long day out. I made sure to stay away from raw foods and drink only bottled water, but as careful as I was, I still ran into tummy issues. I even (TMI) vomited in my cousin's living room - it happened so suddenly after I had rubbed medicinal balm on my forehead and chest. I literally had no time to run anywhere. It was the worst, but I sure did feel much better after it was over!

My sister and I originally intended for this trip to be just us because we were piloting our weaving tour, but her husband and kids wanted to come too. The tour was very insightful. We couldn't believe how much had changed in such a short period of time and finally finding out more information on where and who were behind the production of the machine made fabrics that has taken the community by storm. We learned a lot of valuable information that will be helpful for the official tour (TBA).

One of our trip highlights was visiting the Koh Ker archaeological complex for the first time. It's a little further out from Siem Reap, but with new roads, the drive isn't too bad. It was very cool to explore new temples with the most known one of all being the pyramid-style temple called Prasat Thom Prang (or Prasat Thom). Not gonna lie, I was afraid to walk up (because of my easily tired self), though it ended up not being *too* bad. However, I did drop my phone on the second set of steps that my brother-in-law managed to grab by hopping over the rails (which wasn't allowed - oops). I guess I can say my phone has been blessed by the temple! 😅

All in all, this was a memorable trip. I was able to purchase most of what I wanted from my (mental) to-buy list and support artisans/small business again. I also had outfits made with old a new fabrics that I can't wait to see. My sis and I weren't in a rush, so we let our personal tailor work on them on her own time and to ship them once she's done. I've found that every trip back is unique in its own way, especially with a constantly changing Cambodia. Arriving during the week of Bon Om Thouk for the first time was especially a magical experience. Until next time, Cambodia!