Goodbyes!


Today is my last full day in Cambodia because tomorrow night, I will be flying back home to the UK. Waking up this morning, I was filled with excitement to be going back. Even though my medical problems haven't gone away, and it will be a challenge to sort them out, I am so glad to be back with my creature comforts and living in a country I am familiar with.

The silver lining in going back home earlier than expected, is that I will have a full month before going back into my final year of uni. It will be a nice break, after a hectic spring and summer. In addition, it will be so great to see my friends and loved ones, who must miss me sooooo much (hahahah- no joke you better have missed me)!

I had a chance to go back to Mondulkiri on Thursday afternoon, to pack up my belongings and say my goodbyes. Returning to community after having been away for over a week, was very strange. It felt comforting and familiar, which is a feeling I never expected to have. Saying goodbye to my counterpart, other Khmer vols and the UK vols was very tough. The bonds and friendships that I made over the last 5 weeks were a lots stronger and deeper than I had imagined. It made me realize that regardless of how I felt about the program, how sad I had been, or ill, that I made some lifelong friends in the process. When I arrived back in community, the volunteers had organised a big dinner, with everyone present, just to say goodbye- it was beyond touching.

I don't regret coming to Cambodia because I gained an invaluable experience. I guess that at the end of the day, what I wanted out of this program/my summer holiday, was to gain some understanding and knowledge about the world around me. In coming here and having the experiences that I did, I accomplished this goal. Hopefully next time I visit a tropical country, my stomach doesn't decide to attack me :) .

xx