• Asia,  Cambodia,  Thailand

    Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary & My Week in the Forest

    I lay still in the darkness, my eyes sleepy, my ears still awake listening to the unfamiliar sounds of the forest around me.  Chirping, creaking and the rustling of leaves around the stilts of the hut.  Occasionally the echoed sound of a lizard, “ggggecko” reverberated in my ear, the noise so close it could have been resting on my shoulder.  The humming of the generator stopped and all had gone black so I knew it was after 10pm.  In the corner of my little hut, enveloped by a pink mosquito net that encircled my bed, the night so quiet and black that it was almost too peaceful to sleep.  Unable…

  • Asia,  Cambodia,  Snapshot Sunday

    Snapshot Sunday: A Cambodian Farewell

    Cambodia.  I’ve been here almost a month and as my time here comes to a close I’m looking back on what a fulfilling experience it has been.  I’ve volunteered, biked, beached, interviewed, photographed, marveled and most importantly I’ve learned A LOT.  One of my experiences here that will be a forever memory was spending another week with the elephants again this year.  There was a smaller group and a newer project making it that much more fun and rewarding to observe & interact with some of my favorite animals!  

  • Asia,  Cambodia,  Snapshot Sunday

    Snapshot Sunday: Cambodian Hide-n-Seek

    I spent the last week volunteering at Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary, 25,000 acres of protected land where we had the chance to farm, play with elephants and take care of other tasks to facilitate the project.  It was a fabulous opportunity to give back in helping to preserve a piece of disappearing wilderness and while there we had the chance to attend a local village temple ceremony.  We brought a donation for the temple and everyone was excited to invite us to participate in the events for the evening.  It was so rewarding to see an impoverished village come together as a community with such joy and happiness.  All the children…