Guys! I’m in Cambodia
Hey Hey Hey!! Here I am, on the other side of the world! So far, things have been going great and super super busy! It took me a little time to get (at least a little) acclimated to the time change, the culture shock, the weather, AND starting a new work environment 😅 but I'm definitely starting to settle in.
First impressions:
It. Is. HOT!
Mid 90s and a billion percent humidity since I've been here, but this week looks to be cooling down a bit.
Hustle and bustle!
This city is hoppin'. There's a national holiday coming up, Pchum Ben, so this time next week, the city will be a ghost town, as most people spend this holiday with their families in the provinces.
What have I been doing? TONS!
I work at Kate Korpi Salon and Academy Tuesday-Saturday, which is awesome! I spend some time behind the chair and some time in classes with the students (who are amazing by the way, but that's a story for another post). I've certainly managed to get some touristing in, as well as some local spots.
My first day trip was to the Killing Fields, which was a brutally honest look at Cambodia's history during the Khmer Rouge era. Very ugly, very sad, but very necessary to understand some of the "hows" and whys" of Cambodia's state today.
I was fortunate to be invited to an art exhibition called "Speak Your Green". I loved that this event was happening here in Cambodia, because recycling and caring for the earth is not at the forefront of most people's minds here, and education/programs for recycling are not common like they are in the U.S. So cool to see early stages of progress happening in that arena.
The next little adventure I took myself on was to fulfill my mission of petting an elephant... Mission accomplished! I went to the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Sanctuary, which is about 90 minutes outside of the city. I chose this particular location because they are a true wildlife sanctuary, not a zoo. The animals are all rescued from bad living conditions and brought to the sanctuary to either be rehabilitated and released, or to live better lives there if release is not possible. So great, right?! I spent some amazing time with Lucky, the 18-year-old elephant, saw some tigers (from a safe distance) and monkeyed around with some monkeys (who I'm still pretty skeptical of, to be honest 😂).
In between all of those experiences, I've been drinkin’ coconuts, singing karaoke with locals, eatin’ street food, dodging rainstorms, exploring secret speakeasy-style bars, and doing my best to stay as hydrated as possible.
Which brings me to today. I had a lovely day at the salon, took in an amazing sunset from the roof, and decided that I should post this little update for you all!
More to come. Stay tuned for my adventures over the holiday break!
Follow me on Instagram to see my day-to-day stories too! @StylistAlicia 😃
