Keeping it Riel

Each day Asia finds some way to nudge me out of my comfort zone, and I’m learning to expect and even appreciate it. I was none too happy to leave frenetic Bangkok, but it meant a nine-hour, overland journey by bus into Cambodia. Mitch had researched the route diligently, but it was a nerve-wracking decision to make. To keep within our budget, it made the most sense to drive rather than fly. What did not make sense was actually taking the bus, walking across the border, taking another bus and then finally a taxi to get to our destination. In a third world country. But we did it!

I’m realizing that the best memories are made when we push ourselves and do something that seems, to us, very unnatural. The easy, comfortable and routine does not a memory make. I could have easily paid the $200 and gotten on an airplane for an hour, but this was an experience we’ll never forget. Who doesn’t want to ride into Siem Reap, Cambodia with two guys in a Camry pointing out rice fields and offering great food recommendations? It was a trip. Literally.

So, we may be all smiles in our photos, but our stomachs are always a bit nervous. These adventures keep our brains buzzing and our memory banks working overtime. But that’s why we came, right?