Departure

And the adventure begins – not far from my house in Lacey, Wash. I poked my head in to grab some last-minute items from the pharmacy area. I mentioned travel in association with the items I was purchasing.

I had a feeling the woman ringing up my purchases was herself from Southeast Asia, but didn’t expect her to be from Phnom Penh. The irony was striking and I could see the excitement across her face. She seemed to know I was going to experience something wonderful as had as a child there.

She reiterated (several times) how safe and different Cambodia is today. In fact, she went back last year and had the time of her life. My best guess puts her at about 20-years-old, surely not old enough to have experienced the direct horrors of Khmer Rouge.

It’s the indirect effect Pol Pot and his regime played in her life that most likely was the catalyst for her family to move her to the US. Her enthusiasm for Cambodia, beyond her personal relationship to the area, only further excites me for this journey.

Next stop – airport.