La Sonya

There was a buzz in the office today. It wasn't even my fault because I didn't drink any coffee today. I blame the buzz on a full office of people and the fact that it's two days until the Christmas Staff Retreat and for me like any good extrovert the extra people jazzed up my energy. * Side Note* In case anyone is wondering it is actually a burden at times being an extrovert. By the time the work day was over I felt as if I had just finished a cup of coffee. I was excited, loud, funny and on top of my wit game--why? Because there were people in the office, I'd gotten a lot done, there is a road trip in two days etc. This kind of energy is exhausting and I am aware that people must be annoyed by the happiness and excitement I gush out. Well, it's not like I can really control it. Thankfully my coworkers seem to enjoy it/embrace it/tolerate it and accept me for it. (( I like you for you !)) * End of Side Note* There is always a lot of talk about our Christmas Staf...

This week I was able to sit with Nic Roberts, Troy's wife and co-founder of RAW Impact . It was good to catch up with her and talk about how life is going. In all my other adventures abroad I was always there for just the school year. I always was the one to leave. Now that I've signed on a bit longer with RAW Impact I am the one to stay and say goodbye to people and IT'S HARD. Talking with Nic about it was nice, she understand the struggles of making friends and then having to say goodbye a few months later. When living outside my birth culture life is like living an extreme sport and when you share that with someone you can become quick, fast, deeply connected friends. Nothing makes a better friend than a shared experience, a struggle to overcome and the magical-ness of existing in a place that doesn't speak your language. That's what happens at RAW, especially when we all live together as well. I love Brené Brown and her words on vulnerability . But I am goi...

     I have learned something about Troy and Nic Roberts, the founders and directors of RAW Impact. They LOVE a good mystery destination. The tradition for our Christmas retreat is to simply tell us the dates that we will be gone. After that you can't trust anything they say! Troy will toss out false leads as to where we are going for weeks leading up to the trip. He'll say, "Bring hiking boots, take containers for fresh water, bring your snorkel and flippers." There is no way to know exactly where we will end up! Ideas about where our destination is fly all around the office. I always suspect it will be beach related simply because the Aussies miss the beach and are pulled to it like a puppy is pulled to a squeak toy. Even once we have all boarded the bus in Phnom Penh we don't know where we are going as Troy gives crazy directions taking us in all sorts of directions.     I must admit it is exciting and fun to not know exactly where we will end up! It's...

Part of our team trips with RAW Impact  involve a kayaking trip while in Karatié. I have been on a few team trips as the logistics person but never able to go on the trip because of group size. I have been looking forward to the day when there would be room for me to join. That day came last week when they had room for one more! I LOVED EVERY MOMENT OF IT! Since I was the extra person I got to paddle with the tour guide. It was great to practice my Khmer with him but we soon got over that and I let him tell me all the facts about the Mekong in English.  The groups are 12 tourists and two guides. The first bit is hard because you have to cross over the river and explore on the other side. I remember thinking half way across how crazy this is because once you start you have to finish and it's hard! I had already been hoeing a garden all morning and now I was paddling across this river! The kayaks are open and made for two people. I stored my phone/camera in a small dr...