Why Thailand and Cambodia?

27 days to go...



I've been asked this question more and more as I tell people about my upcoming trip. I was picking up a couple prescriptions to prevent me from catching malaria and in case I encounter food or water that doesn't agree with me when I saw a coworker at the pharmacy. The conversation eventually got around to why I was at the pharmacy and then the eventual question:

"Why Thailand and Cambodia?"

Because it's there was my response, but I probably should elaborate a little but more. My only barrier to travel has been finances. Its difficult to travel anywhere when your bank account is hemorrhaging and in my early and younger twenties, my bank account was on permanent flat line. I've started to make a little more money, and have also become a little more fiscally able to save money, so before I become too old or too tied down, I'm really going to take advantage and travel all I can.

My first few trips were to Europe (Ibiza, Dublin, Galway, Amsterdam, Paris, and Barcelona). Europe is always fun and I got to see places that my peers went to when they got out of college. I was just catching up, more or less.

When the Euro decided to become a major world currency thanks to the lack of a strong dollar policy, I needed to find a place where I would get more bang for my buck and not feel like I had to eat canned tuna for a month after I got back from holiday. Daily, I always checked the world currency indices to see where the dollar was strong and found that Southeast Asia was a good candidate for exploration.

February 2003, (Which I will put my written travelogue on this blog when I can get the time to sit in front of the computer) was my first trip for 10 days in Thailand. The sights, smells, and sounds were the first things that peaked my interest in this thriving and mysterious country. I didn't have nearly enough time to see the country and the night I got back in the states, I was already checking flight prices for a return trip in the fall. Plus, the weather was going to be in the 80's versus the 40's and below back here in the Midwest.

Quickly I realized that I would only have about two weeks of vacation time left for a trip in the fall and would have to figure out a way to stay longer, get in enough site seeing, shopping, and immerse myself in the culture as much as possible. The only logical solution that I could think of was an unpaid leave of absence.

Now, unpaid time off to me always had some type of stigma, but in talking with a good friend that chose to travel and enjoy herself rather than become bound by the corporate world (boy do I admire her to this day), I realized that there is absolutely nothing wrong with it if your employer will let you take the time, and you can save enough money to make up for the time you'll miss. Thankfully, a few opportunities came up with extra projects that offered extra time off instead of money (a trade off that I'm fast learning is more important) and was able to get another week of paid vacation.

So here I am waiting for next month. I've read and re-read my travel guides, searched on the web, and read everything that I can about where I'm going. I'm prepared with the background, but nothing can ever prepare you for a trip until you actually get there because guidebooks change and web sites can be outdated.

Why Thailand and Cambodia? Because the look on someone's face when you tell them you've been there is priceless. The wonderment as they look at photos of far and away exotic places and the stories behind the photos as you hold a captive audience is a complete rush and honestly a bit of an ego boost too. (Hey, it is pretty cool.) And there is always a little jealously as you tell them of the plans for your next trip.

The other reason is an insatiable case of wander lust. There are too many places on this planet and I'm making it a continuing goal to see as much of it as I can. This trip, Thailand and Cambodia. Next trip, we'll see...