stories reeling in my mind.....

Now that I am settled in Sihanoukville, my mind is dancing in the past memories and stories I have lived in such a short amount of time. I am surprised and interested in how and why certain experiences affected me more, how my openness and expectations served or failed me, and how I can preserve my new insight so it takes me even further into my travels. Again, I am uncertain how I can describe everything so it offers you a glimpse into my life; I will just have to settle with the images and moments that I retrace often...........

One arm holding onto the safety handle, the other cradling my dear friend as her head lays on my lap as she tries to find peace on the ferocious ride to Luang Prabang from Luang Nam tha. It is hot and dusty in the van, my window is open offering me no relief, and the driver is taking us on what feels like a suicidal mission ride; dodging trucks, children on bikes, stray dogs, and the edge of the road. I wonder, is this my last ride? How will my family know what has happened? Am I ready? What morbid thoughts! After the first four hours, we reached a place for lunch. I barely enjoyed my soup, head between my legs to prepare for the next few hours...Luang Prabang better be worth it! (and it was!)

Guided down a narrow walkway, led by our new friend, we are bombarded with smells of fermented fish, fried coconut and bananas, stir fried noodles, jeow, barbecued fish and chicken, offers of beer lao and a good deal. We gather tastes of everything to satisfy our bellies. We tell tales of travel and home. As we walk through the night market we are tempted to purchase wooden bowls, silk textiles, bags, t-shirts that obviously state your status as a "felong", handicrafts, laolao, silver jewelry, and much more...but leave empty handed with the promise that it will repeat the next night. As the town quiets for the night, we grab beers and head to the Mekong riverbed, dry like a dessert, and so inviting for moon gazing, star counting, and late night giggles and caress....

Cold terra cotta tiles are my only relief as I lay defeated on the bathroom floor. My only vision is a porcelain bowl. Everything I have consumed the last few weeks leaves my body over and over from every direction until I have nothing left except the few drops of water I sip to revive me but again my body rejects it. Emily sits behind me on the floor, her hand on my back brings me so much comfort. I feel so thankful to have her with me otherwise this moment, or these hours, would feel so lonely.