Beautiful Cambodia and her life lessons

It's already been quite a while since I got back from Cambodia (I'm feeling sad just saying this) but the reason I waited so long before writing about it is because I needed time to let everything sink in so that I could analyze it better. Two months have already gone by, and in this time where I resettled into a "normal" european life I had the chance to go over my experience, compare it with what is going on here, but most of all, to compare what I was before to what I am now.

Last week I finally managed to order the photo album containing my two months in Asia and just yesterday I finished writing an article about my volunteering experience for this local magazine I write in Switzerland. These two things brought back so many memories and made me realize I was now ready to talk about what I experienced in Cambodia. 

Many people asked me why did I chose this country in the first place: during my stay there I tried to justify my choice by saying that a friend of mine had just been there and told me it was great; I also said I didn't really choose Cambodia in particular but rather Asia (I sent my CV to different AIESEC committees in Asian countries and ended up being interviewed by the Phnom Penh committee). While being there though, I realized that Cambodia was in fact the place I needed to be at that time of my life. It seems weird to say it like this, and perhaps a little bit exaggerated, but I found myself mirrored in this country and diving into their culture I managed to figure so many things out about myself. Looking back, I couldn't have found a better place to spend my time. 

Cambodia is a really poor country, about which not much is said in the media. Before leaving, I didn't really have a good idea of what this country was like, let alone what happened to its people. Of course I read something about it before landing there, but still, nothing's like really being there among them. 

Cambodia is a strong country, which after incredibly tragic historical events is now working very hard to get back on its feet, constantly and very determinately. Things are still pretty bad in this little corner of the world, but you see that people are determined to turn things around and have the patience to work every day to achieve this goal. 

Cambodia is a land of many contrasts: the strong smell of raw meet hanging from market stalls clashes with the morning incense and the beautiful rain-smelling forests; potholed street that turn into adventurous rivers when the rainstorm approaches contrast with overilluminated shops selling western products; the amplitude of the sadness caused by the horrific genocide perpetrated by the khmer rouges only a couple of decades ago bumps against the inextinguishable will to live and kindness of the cambodian people. 

I left Europe with my heart torn into tiny little pieces after a relationship onto which I put a lot of expectation went into thin air. I also just graduated from university, meaning that my three-year long routine came to an end. The same happened to my roommate and old friend, who moved out of our apartment to find a job in another city. All the pieces that constituted my life back then just flew off the table and I found myself standing in front of a white page. 

In Cambodia I was mainly alone, dealing with an unknown language, unknown life style, unknown food, and unknown places. I had to take the initiative, I jumped into the void, I let myself go and learned to accept things as they were. I learned that I was strong enough by myself and thus didn't need to rely on someone else for happiness. I learned that not all unknowns hide scary things, I learned to seize the day and evaluate my time thanks to the impact I had on other lives. I learned that less is truly more, I learned to let go of so many things, I learned to worry less about things that can't be controlled. 

Cambodia had me standing on my feet again and made me find an inner strength I didn't know I had. Cambodians were a true inspiration to me and I came back a fighter, with legs longing for adventures and eyes seeking the unknown. 

Cambodia taught me the power of smiles and the beauty of silence. Some have spirit animals… but I think I found my spirit country.