Final Blog Post

The trip has come to an end, and I can honestly say that it was everything, and much more than I could ever ask for. Everything about it exceeded all expectations. Not only was it an incredible learning experience, it was also a once in a life time, life changing trip that I will forever be thankful for. If I had to use one word to sum up the whole experience, the word would be indescribable, because no words are powerful enough to completely capture all that it has been. Sure, I'm absolutely devastated to be leaving, but the one thing that makes it all better is the thought of how much we accomplished over the course of two weeks, and the fact that those kids are happy because of it, that feels incredibly rewarding to me.

Cambodia has definitely changed me. Little things like walking through the slums or my consequence have made me become more responsible for my actions and myself. I feel like my way of thinking has changed as well. Before, if I came across a problem I would give up on it completely and I would always rely on others to fix it for me. Now, I've taken the initiative to do things for myself. I feel much more responsible now than I did before and I also feel more confident. This trip has made me realize that I am much more capable than I ever though I could be.

 I have learned so much from this experience, and I have loved every single bit of it. From learning about Cambodia, to learning about myself, all of it has been amazing. The simplicity and the genuinely kind hearts of the people in Cambodia really surprised me. At first, I thought that because of their living conditions, they would be upset or mad all the time. But instead, they are always happy and they go on with their everyday lives as if nothing where wrong, because to them, nothing is wrong. They have everything that they could possibly need, and though it's not much, they are happy with what they have. That alone was an eye opening life lesson to me.

 I feel blessed and incredibly thankful for this opportunity. It was hard not to instantly fall in love. Out of everything we did in Cambodia, spending time with the kids was definitely my favorite. When we first arrived, they didn't even know our names, yet they where incredibly happy that we where there. They hugged and kissed us as if they had known us their whole lives. That alone was absolutely wonderful to me, and getting to know them and spend time with them was a million times better. Each and everyone of those kids won me over. There will always be room for them in my heart, and I will never, ever forget them. I can't believe how fast the time passed by. Yes, the trip has come to an end, but this is also the beginning of a new chapter that I will now be writing with a whole new, different perspective of life.