Work has indeed begun and my life has settled into a comfortable routine of working, running, studying…sounds a little like life back in CT, doesn’t it? The major difference is that I have been politely asked to leave the country before January 30th. Yes friends, I am being deported. Luckily it is just for a “visa run,” meaning that I simply need to exit the country and re-enter using the correct visa. Despite the simplicity of this, I obviously prefer to use the term deportation. The way this happened was that I flew into Siem Reap (the second largest city and the home to the magnificent Angkor Wat) instead of the capitol of Phnom Penh. Apparently in order to have a work visa you must fly into Phnom Penh to get the correct signature. Needless to say, it has ended up being an excellent excuse to head to a weekend adventure!

This weekend I will be using this excuse of having to leave to spend a weekend in Bangkok. Though it sounded like a bit of a pain to have to turn life around and leave my new home so soon, stepping back and looking at the situation made me laugh: poor me having to go to Bangkok for the weekend! I will update with my actual activities, but my plans include seeing the royal palace, exploring their weekend market, and perhaps even getting to see a movie!

Life here in Cambodia is surprisingly similar to life at home, with a few key differences- its very same same but different. I still enjoy coconut water on occasion, but this time from an actual coconut bought from the very nice old gentleman who rides his moto around with coconuts for sale on the back. He will usually cut one off with his machete and even put a nice place in the side to hold your straw.

I have also gotten to know my neighbors a little and made a few friends.

Work is challenging but really affirming my decision to become a lawyer. Unlike most people who look at lawyers with distaste and think they are boring and very type-A, I cannot wait to join the legal profession. The pace and work environment is fast, efficient, and all in all right up my alley. Though I loved teaching for a year, this really does feel more like the right profession for me- much less fingerpaint and no bulletin boards.
Life on the other side of the world is indeed coming together. I have started riding a bike around to try to adjust to traffic and have even tried driving a moto! There were no crashes, and only a few screams (mostly from me when the moto actually started moving). My plan is to continue my biking adventures for the next month or so before investing in a moto, or not. The traffic at rush hour is no easy feat and I am in no rush to be navigating that.