2011

So, 2011, huh?

During the weeks I was home, my computer died, taking with it memories and documents of what has been a whirlwind year-- and then, thanks to one very savvy person, it was resurrected. There was a 30-hour-Portland trip, too short a time to see friends, but just long enough to give me a taste of the Pacific Northwest, to remind me how nice that city feels, how a big part of myself was shaped there. There was also a whole lot of eating.

And then, there were family goodbyes, packing, a plane trip that started with breakfast in Los Angeles, continued with an orange sunset in Tokyo and then a late, late dinner in Bangkok.

I'm back in Phnom Penh. Stepping outside the airport doors to the dusty city, I peeled off the layers of travel clothing and was greeted by the smell of burning-something (incense? foliage?) and the honking tuk-tuks and a cool breeze, all filling the air; it felt really homey.

Already, there is so much to do, and a tide of change is underway. There are new faces in the office. And very soon, I will have a new home. With an oven!

It kinda feels like I'm turning a page.