a whistle blower for peace.

i decided to wear my whistle to work. and literally within the first five minutes, a guy asks, "um, is that for your dog?" ha. no.
"its a symbol of protest against the longest going war going on in the congo..." You can pretty much tell right away how interested they are.

i met sean and heard the story of falling whistles about two years ago when matt had an event at snooze for the nonprofit. its hard to stay updated on everything going on over in africa, but a lot of the war that was going on in northern uganda has now moved up to congo. things are still not good.

a couple weeks ago matt asked if i wanted to come help out at the falling whistles office in LA. i figured i could go for a couple days. we arrived sunday night. stayed with mr. david lewis and his lovely roommates. monday we got started right away. there was soooo much to do. hundreds of online orders a day (the rush from the holiday season) and there were displays to make for the retail stores. we were quickly put to work. and i absolutely loved it. i had no idea what we were going to be doing exactly, but i was excited to see the FW office and meet some of the interns and what not. Long story short i ended up staying for the entire week. made new friends. and rediscovered the urgency to end the war and get the word out.
i miss working day in and day out for africa.

for now i will just go around and tell everyone to buy a whistle - here

scrumptious.

the last two saturday nights my sister and i have gone to our new favorite, local, vintage ice cream/candy store.
its called scrumptious.
it has a million different kinds of candy from way back when (think razzles and jujubes). candy you cant find anywhere else.
their ice cream is homemade, all natural and the flavors change daily.
now this just sounds like an advertisement.
i promise i dont work for them.
but i would like to! ;)

ptfff.

this stands for pre-thanksgiving fall fun feast. or maybe its fall friends feast. hmmmm....
anyway. the point is we have a big party at the long beach house. i believe it started three years ago...we decided we needed to celebrate thanksgiving a few times. well and its just a good excuse to eat food with friends.
this year i flew out with josh and hannah.
made deviled eggs.
made new friends.
laughed. a lot.
and went geocaching. which is like treasure hunting!!!!!!

weepies.

i always believe that, for me...music. is. therapy.
all it takes is the right tune. the right lyrics. the right voice.
and i will calm down. feel better. be energized.

i have had a relationship with "the weepies" for about 5 years now.
bud introduced me in 2005 during invisible children.
we were on the road. a lot. which means we listened to (needed) music. a lot.

so if life is every overwhelming.
and there is nothing to 'figure out' exactly. or anyone to talk to.
listen. to the weepies.

they are (and have) been there for me when i needed them :)
and although i ended up going all by my lonesome...they were one of the best concerts ive been to.
genuine. happy. therapeutic.

thanks weepies.

chick-fil-a fo' life.

why is my alarm going off???
why it is 4:45am, on my day off, and my alarm is going off???
what could be THAT important that i have to be up for?
And then I saw my pile of camping gear next to my bed.
oh right. i was meeting josh, matt and trent at the chick-fil-a in LITTLETON at 5:30am.
i was camping out for free chicken sandwiches....duh.
it sounds like something i would do.

as i pulled up the the parking lot and saw over a hundred other people doing the same thing, I got excited. i had heard about people doing this first 100 customer thing, but had never done it myself. i spotted laura hoover and about 20 of her closest friends. there was a big group of younglife people setting up a YL tent and playing worship music. ha. this was going to be fun. At 6am there were more than 100 people, which means they do a raffle. then after we made the cut we sign our lives away...basically if you leave the parking lot, you are disqualified from getting free chick-fil-a.

everyone set up their tents. played games. tried to take naps. ate as many chicken sandwiches as we could. later on their were dance contest. body bingo. musical chairs. it was just like after-prom. hannah and justin and alicia and desi all came to visit.
we finally went to sleep in our 6 person tent...5:30am came quick and they woke us up with a chick-fil-a cow ringing cowbells, chick-fil-a t-shirts, and hats. awesome. it was freezing. and i just wanted to get my chick-fil-a coupons, go home and take a 5 hour nap.

when i finally got home, i dropped all my stuff on the floor and just thought what the heck did i just do.

Austin City Limits music festival!

i have become an expert at road trips to texas.
i know the speed limits. the best gas stations. im actually considering making a "road trip through texas mix."

it was 5:45am. i was driving and we made a pit stop in amarillo. whataburger was open and although i wasnt really hungry, i felt like it was a road trip requirement. matt jolts awake. orders some hamburger value meal with a coke and a chocolate shake and concerningly looks at his phone.
amarillo!?
yes.

oh. good. here it is. and then he turns up the volume and starts blaring out...

"Amarillo By Morning, Up from San Antone
Everything that I got, Is just what I've got on.
When that sun is high in that Texas sky, I'll be buckin' at the county fair.
Amarillo By Morning, Amarillo I'll be there."

naturally dan and i join in.

"im glad your up," i say, "its your shift."

our final stop was austin. we had friends waiting. three full days of music. matts birthday.
there was fun to be had.
and as i write this 4 days later, i can tell you that i am still catching up on lost sleep.
but oh. it was worth it.

Top moments in Austin:
1.) the entire black keys concert. so sexy.
2.) dancing our hearts our to vampire weekend.
3.) being surrounded by true phish fans. and trying to be one of them.
4.) exploring austin and stopping to get feather extensions from nicolette :)
5.) meeting new friends at the ultimate hipster bar - shangri la.
6.) rocking out (by myself) to matt and kim
7.) eating the best queso with the best boys at kerby lane cafe.
8.) falling in deep love with the magical mysterious edward sharpe.
9.) singing along with 80,000 people to the classic eagles.
10.) driving through oklahoma through a HUGE lightning storm.

(other moments include muse, local natives, monsters of folk, the temper trap, spoon, norah jones, flaming lips, amos lee, band of horses, bananarchy, trying to stay up past our bed time, seeing aldo on the bus)

vincent turns 3.

birthdays are a big deal.
especially when you are three.
its about candles and ice cream and cake and wishes and pizza and birthday hats and presents and getting spoiled.
my parents always made sure of these things growing up.
these are the best birthdays.

the guida boys love chuck e. cheese and vinny has been looking forward to this day for sooo long. he is such a sweet guy.
excited and thankful for every little present. running around with the biggest smile on his face.
it is the happiest day.
i love this kid.
and when he looks in your eyes and asks you if you are coming to his birthday party.
you cant say no.

happy birthday vincent!

Road Trip!!!

my lovely friend shell and her lovely husband dane now live in wichita falls, texas.
i know, i have never heard of it either.
but this is where dane got based to train to be a fighter pilot and so this is where we go to visit :)
thanks to my job, you could live in springfield, missouri or little rock, arkansas or des moines, iowa and i will most likely come to visit :)
me, hannah, jackie and becca all have very busy schedules (who doesnt)...so finding a weekend to drive to texas was hard. honestly, im actually surprised it all came together. on august 24th we woke up at the butt crack-of-dawn - beccas car packed with junk food, mix cds, blankets, pillows, starbucks and the best of friends.
it was sooo good to see the coppinis and their new little life in texas. we laughed and drank wine and ate michelles famous meatballs (her grandmas recipe) and slept in and laughed some more and met friends and almost got attacked by a bull and then laughed a little bit more.
all of us girls are quite different and we are all in different paths of life but we can always understand each other and be there for each other and share some wine together.
and that is what girlfriends are for.

i am one of those.

“Some people do not have to search, for they find their niche early in life and rest there seemingly contented and resigned.
At times, I envy them but usually I do not understand them…
And seldom do they understand me.
I am one of those searchers.
There are, I believe, millions of us. We are not unhappy, but neither are we completely content.
We continue to explore ourselves, hoping to understand.
We like to walk along the beach; we are drawn to the ocean, taken by its power and unceasing motion, its mystery and unspeakable beauty.
We like forests, mountains, deserts, hidden rivers, and lovely cities as well. Our sadness is as much a part of our lives as our laughter. We are ambitious only for life itself and for anything beautiful it can provide.
Most of all, we want to love and be loved, to live in a relationship that will not impede our wanderings and prevent our search.
We do not want to prove ourselves to others or compete for love.
This passage is for wanderers, dreamers, and lovers who dare to ask of life everything which is good and beautiful.”

top 10 signs you hang out with kids too much.

10. you prefer the Toy Story shapped mac and cheese over regular.
9. you dont even notice when the cartoon network is on...all day.
8. your day revolves around how much you can get done during nap time.
7. you are wearing one of those shape bracelet rubber band things.
6. you have books like "alexander and his no good, very bad, terrible day"....memorized.
5. you know what "icarly" and "diary of a whimpy kid" means.
4. you find yourself cutting your food into tiny, bite-size pieces.
3. there are about 12 shoes in the closet. none of them are pairs and only about half actually belong to your kids.
2. 90% of your phone apps are kids games.
1. you find yourself bribing your friends and husband with cookies or "treats."

kids are wonderful. i love being an aunt :) they definitely change your life.
my sister can relate to all of these im sure. and i can relate to most :)

love quote.

"loretta, i love you.
not like they told you love is, and i didnt know this either, but love dont make things nice-it ruins everything.
it breaks your heart.
it makes things a mess. we aren't here to make things perfect. the snowflakes are perfect. the stars are perfect.
not us.
not us!
we are here to ruin ourselves and to break our hearts and love the wrong people and die. the storybooks are bullshit.
now i want you to come upstairs with me and get in my bed."

ronny cammareri, in moonstruck.

fashionista.

i have been to denmark two times now and with confidence can say that....
a.) i love danish fashion
b.) i have seen the "trends" get made fun of by american magazines or what have you and then...
c.) EVERYONE is wearing them 8 months later.

so for those into "fashion" or trends....listen up. because this is what is cool.

(side-note - if you dont have time to read this or want more information about these 'new' styes - see entire 80's decade)

so here it is (i should be getting paid for this).

-80% of the girls in Scandinavia wear there hair in a high bun. long hair with no bangs, all pulled into a somewhat messy ballerina bun (it helps if your hair is blond and thinner).
-the other 20% have VERY unique styles. non symmetrical cuts. crazy short. the key is confidence.
-attached to their colored ray bans is a sunglass string holder. you know, the kinds from the 80's. i saw pearls. neon strings, and of course i got one is a simple silver chain.
-no girl wears makeup. duh. everyone there is naturally beautiful.
- fanny packs were soooo last year. this year girls carry their money, chap-stick, etc around in a neckless purse. its like a little wallet around your neck. some have diamonds on them. i almost bought a simple black leather one.
- shoes. about 80% of girls and boys (well, with boys its more like 100%) wear converse. they can be high top or low. all colors. but its best if they look worn in. sometimes vans are ok.
- for the other 20% its the leather tie up shoes...some are high top (think combat boots). im not sure what these are called but they have a name.
-socks!! they all wear socks that are above your ankle!!! its crazy. i refused. (i did buy used converse though....)
- jumpers are also sooooo 2009. this year - overall shorts. yep. the faded worn in overalls. like you've been wearing them since...well the 90's. again i almost bought some (lord knows i got rid of mine!)
- the hippy style/indian looking headband around your forehead. (ok....maybe i didnt see a ton of these. maybe tayler and i just think they are cool...and they are!!)
- shirts that are too big/see thru/and you can see your bra.

Now tuck this shirt into your high wasted levis or wrangler shorts. roll up the shorts (if you are cold you can wear black tights under the shorts). wear leather loafer looking shoes with socks. hair in bun. purse around neck. cool glasses. and BAM!

Congratulations. you are almost as cool as a dane.

typical day at roskilde

i wake up panicked. it is probably 110 degrees in our tent and i have on every piece of clothing (plus an eye mask, ear warmers, and the warm jacket that practically fell from heaven and landed directly in front of our tent, thank you jesus). from about 3am to 7am it is freezing. its like the desert or something. who knew denmark was like the desert? but yeah, it gets a bit chilly and apparently tayler and i are too hard core for "matts" or "sleeping bags." we use the traditional layering and cuddling method.

we had gone to bed at 4 or 5am and shortly after that some kid opened up our tent and straight up asked if he could sleep in our tent! with out even taking off my eye mask, and without hesitation....i said 'no.'
come on! freakin' L camp.
after he left i considered calling him back over. perhaps he had a blanket. or a pillow. or something to contribute!
dang it.

every morning, come 8 o'clock i frantically take off my layers, grab my little blanket and walk to the white tent...which is a big tent where people, such as myself, take naps (which is all you really do at roskilde is take a bunch of 3 hour naps here and there). on this particular morning there was a girls choir. All dressed up. They were singing over me, like angles. It was actually pretty soothing, at least it wasnt kids (and when i say kids i mean anyone acting like they are 5...but they are actually 19) squirting me. in the ear. with a water gun. yes this happened during my nap the day before.

Most days swimming in the lake trumps showering and so tayler and i got our swimsuits and made our way over. I was not surprised to see a sign that said "Lake closed due to ecoli."
Plan B. a freezing cold shower, in a metal box, with about 25 other mostly naked people. awesome.

this is roskilde.
and although it all sounds....um...ridiculous.
im sure you are thinking why would anyone in their right mind pay $350 dollars and, in our case, fly half way across the world to camp for a week.
well...you have to see for yourself.
the concerts i saw and the friends i have met and the stories i have come away with are...priceless.

"L" camp

Of course its great that tayler still has benefits and can fly for free, but i just kinda wish she was a flight attendant for skywest. and had the same life and benefits as me :) we woke up at the buttcrack of dawn and said our goodbyes, hoping to just see each other at the copenhagen airport. Well...with standby we tend to hope for the best but expect the worst. my plan a - was to fly out of atlanta. plan b - out of jfk...somehow i ended up in newark. and so did tayler. after a night in new york with a friend. we finally made it on a continental flight first class to cph!!!
Making our way straight to roskilde we thought we would get our tent set up and and settle in and then we could go to the city or what have you. we waited in line. mingled/danced/drank carlsberg with the other 50,000 roskilders and as everyone was relaxing. someone started talking over the PA system. in danish of course. as he finished speaking everyone frantically picked up there stuff and started running into the camping area. the doors had been opened. and if tayler and i didnt grab our stuff and start running with them we would probably get seriously injured. "where is everyone running to?" asked tayler, as we are running, "i have no idea...i think we have to find a place to camp, but i dont know where is good." After running aimlessly for a good while we found an open space next to some good looking fellows and declared our home for the next week.
little did we know that we choose "L" came which tends to be more popular for the crazy teenagers and first time rosklide goers.
im not even kidding, through out the week people sprayed us with beer. peed on our tent. spray painted our tent. and it was not unusual for them to be playing limbo and blasting music at 4am.
needless to say i felt like i was at the kids table at thanksgiving and next year we are definitely camping in the "B" or "C" camp with the adults.

countdown to roskilde

Roskilde Festival is an annual week-long international cultural event offering quality experiences based on modern music and creative kinship.

With its attitude towards environmental issues, humanitarian causes and cultural work, Roskilde Festival reflects and challenges the surrounding society and world.

Roskilde Festival is a boundary-pushing cultural-political manifestation. Roskilde Festival is based on the efforts of an unpaid workforce who focus on all aspects of audience service, quality, creativity and safety.

All profits from Roskilde Festival are donated to humanitarian and cultural work.

...............

does this mean i can count this as my tithe? ha. yesterday i woke up at 4am for work and on the way to the airport i was checking my facebook. im "friends" with the roskilde page and it says "ROSKILDE SELLING OUT SOON!!!" what!??!? i text tayler immediately. our plan was to just get the tickets when we arrived. never buy anything in advance is my motto. with this job who knows if we will get on all our flights. but we HAVE to go! so i charged it. two tickets for 4,252 danish krona. i went ahead and got a tent too. and also i threw in one hot shower. haha.(ok, well actually it was the only option left!). when the charge went through and the tickets were confirmed i got REALLY excited. i dont care if we have to fly to germany and rent a car...we are committed to this festival. the tickets should be sent in 5-7 days and we were planning on leaving in about 8-9 days. perrrrfeectt.

costa.

it was our reunion.
me and 2 really close friends were off to our favorite foreign country. where you go when you want guaranteed adventure. guaranteed good time. good weather. we LOVE costa rica. we knew what to expect for the most part. our "plan" was to meet up sunday, looking cute and ready to have fun. i think we all had high expectations. and we tend to get a little too excited, because of course we got our hopes up when we didnt make it on the flight to atlanta.
plan b.
we get on the next day and arrive in san jose around 9pm. we stayed at our favorite hostel...tranquillo! i was ready to play big booty and walk around san jose (trying to reenact the last time we were there), but there was something a little different about this trip. my friends were both in relationships now and they were writing their significant others. which was fine. they are allowed to do that. this is their vacation too. i just found myself getting annoyed and reminding myself that yes, it is possible to travel without your boyfriend or girlfriend. BUT if there is any unresolved drama going on back home..you cant really escape the drama by going to a different country for a couple days. maybe you need to get away to think and clear your head, but if you are going to TRAVEL. to discover. to BE somewhere else. it makes it difficult when you are constantly thinking about someone else. or course this is my opinion. and of course i realize there are somethings that might happen that cant be fixed and are no longer in your control. in which case i just know that it doesnt matter if im on the beaches of bora bora or in the jungle of peru - if there is something on my mind, something going on back home. im not fully there. and traveling is not hard. 80% of your experince is merely showing up (well...and staying). being present. open minded. engaged. and if im not, i tend to completely miss out on what is directly in front of me.

the placenta ladies.

this post is long overdue.
but one day (back in novemeber) my sister and i were sitting around, thinking about how fun it would be to start our own business (totally normal).

the problem is never the lack of ideas, but the lack of money to finance our brilliant ideas :)...and so we did some brainstorming...

what is something we are passionate about? that we believe in. Something that we can be qualified for with out getting a degree. Something we know and love.

me: oh oh! i know! we could open up a frozen yogurt place!

my sister: OR...we could put placentas into pills for people?

me: or...we could do that.

yes. this would be our new business. we will call it...
"Fruit of the Womb"
we would be the placenta ladies.

the next week our new business was up and running. and although it may seem strange or gross to some...it has become completely normal and exciting to us. so if you (or someone you know) is interested in knowing their options regarding their placenta - check it out! :)
placentapills.com

...

"well," said Pooh, "what i like best --"
and then he had to stop and think. because although Eating Honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didnt know what it was called.

videoky, cockfighting and mangos. oh my!

the next morning we flew straight to cebu.
fine with me. honestly this was just a trip of 'going with the flow.'
we were not in cebu for too long and we were trying to find a way to get to moalboal (a beach town with good diving and waterfalls). as the boys were bargaining with a car driver...i looked around. ok...i straight up stared.
there was a very dirty little naked boy who didnt even look two years old, he was wondering around, really close to the street. he didnt look like he belonged to anyone. two other small boys were begging us for money. other kids were playing around us...one of them fell and i instinctively went to help him, all the other kids pointed fingers and laughed. he started to cry. and i tried scolding the other kids. ha. and then they started pointing fingers and laughing at me. and then in the middle of the chaos a marching band comes by. a full out marching band, with trumpets and drums. no one really reacted. there are kids trying to sell us water and corn and the sound of roasters is inescapable.
where the hell are we?
as we took the bus to moalboal, you realize we (me and the filipinos) are staring at each other. some of the towns we went to had never had tourist (i dont really like that word). in fact one town we got surrounded. and the police came because they thought there was a riot or something. we were just looking for an ATM. and everyone smiled at us and wanted to give us a ride on their tricycles (and our money of course).
i came for unknown reasons...knowing that it would be an experience none the less.
philippines is a place i will never forget. and although all these 'experiences' may change me and may be 'enlightening'...there are times during my trip when i get this fear and agitation that my traveling has become trivial. and nothing seems more important than being home. not because of the shallow comforts that i have done nothing to deserve. not because of a warm shower or clean water. not because i want to sleep in my own bed. but because this is where the people i love that most are. and i wouldnt really consider it 'home sick.' more of a calling. a calling to to go. and a calling to come back.

meet me in manila

culture shock: n. A condition of confusion and anxiety affecting a person suddenly exposed to an alien culture or milieu.

ok well. if this is the definition, then i sometimes get 'culture shock' when im driving around in denver and i cant find my way home. haha.

there is this feeling i get. this certain feeling that i cant explain when im in a new place. traveling. discovering. embracing.

"so have you been to the philippines before?" my sweet new filipino friend, malinda, asked me on the plane.
um...no.
"oh. well, you know someone here then?"
no. well...im meeting my friend from the states.
"oh. i see. and they have been here before?"
no.

and my adventure was about to begin. sometimes not planning ahead is what makes things so exciting. i came with no expectations. i know nothing about the philippines. except for that manila is the capital and that i was arriving at night. and tayler was meeting me at the airport. at least that was the plan the last time we talked.

"maybe you should call her?" my sweet new filipino friend, patrick asked me at the airport.
oh its fine. i actually told her 8pm so shes not really that late.
"you dont have any number to call? where are you staying?"
i dont know. im sure it will be fine.

its hot here. im wearing a sweater, but underneath i am wearing a yellow tank top and i dont see anyone other women wearing tank tops. there is no internet at the airport and we said the baggage claim but you cant get back into the baggage claim area. these cars called "jeepneys" keep driving by...one just picked up a family of 15. no white girl with curly hair in a taxi. if anything i can just fly back home.
"KATE!"
yesss...i never felt so happy to see another white person.
"sorry our clock said it was earlier than it really was!"
um...yeah. good excuse. i dont even care im just glad you are here! now...tell me everything you know about this place.

rock fishing

"squid is the best bait for a jew fish," neil explains, "but its also very good to eat...so you have to decide if you want to eat it or hope that it will tempt a jew fish."
neil has been fishing for ten years. and his goal is to catch a jew fish.
"once he catches one, he will die a happy man." says his wife lou. lou hates fish.
michelle and i. we will help neil catch a jew fish. i have never really had a desire to fish...it always seemed like a pretty boring 'hobby.' but this is not that type of fishing. we watched videos of people catching great white sharks. tiger sharks. people falling off the rocks. in fact, their friends' dad had gone fishing on these rocks we were about to go to...and never. came. back.
this was not the the safe, boring kind of fishing.
we were equipped with buckets of hooks and bait. headlamps and shoes with grip. two poles and a large shark hook thing.
i was excited. anything that involves shark hooks and shoes with grip means adventure.
we went out at night. about 10pm. the cliffs are less than a five minute drive from neils' house. it was a full moon and we were the only ones out there. i loved it. you stand out on these rocks and watch the waves crashing around you. little crabs crawling next to your feet. waiting. any minute there could be a tug on your line in which you have to run over to this shallow area and reel in the fish with all your might. i starting imagining michelle slipping off the rocks and into the ocean. simultaneously a shark swims by and of course i jump in to save my friends' life but as i get out the shark BITES my calf! he bites and then lets me go. i have to get 45 stitches at the sydney hospital. and a shark bite scar to show everyone..."kate, KATE!"
oh, sorry, yep?
"we have to go. the currant is too angry. i reckon we wont catch anything tonight and its too dangerous."
what? we are just gonna give up??? fishing takes patience and dedication. and we HAVE to catch a jew fish!
"yeah, not tonight," says neil in his thick aussie accent.
And as we packed up, i started re-planning my life...around my new life goal. catching a jew fish.

there's no place like...first class

another trip overseas! this time to australia...i was off to visit my friend michelle! usually on these trips, getting there is half the fun (once you get on the flight of course). i have many memories of drinking champagne, watching movies and eating great food with my friends in first class. its usually pretty empty...the only people who can afford first class international are extremely wealthy business men or other airline employees.
i started my traveling around 3pm. leaving for 10 to 20 days. packed light. probably forgot something. first step was getting from DEN to LAX and then LAX to MEL.
a FIFTEEN hour flight.
fifteen hours! this is the longest flight i have been on. and as much as i wanted to sit in first class, Delta (my first choice) was not looking good. and now United was filling up. a zed fare on Quantas was looking like my best bet. which means i would have to sit in...eek, i dont even like to say the word...coach.
how bad could coach be though? really...i mean i keep telling myself that normal people travel this way all the time.
I check in and receive my seat number....57E. that does not sound good. and it wasnt. right away i see that 'E' is a middle seat in the middle section. the worst. i walk back with all my stuff to row 57 and i look over to see a baby and a three year old and a frantic mom with too much stuff. i couldnt even see my seat beneath all of the stuff, but somehow i was seated in the midst of the madness. a quick side note...i just wanna say that 'kids' should not be allowed to come on these long flights. they go crazy. i heard a comedian once say that there should be a whole other kids plane that is hooked on to the big plane. kind of like the kids table at thanksgiving :)
thank goodness the frantic mom was separated from her husband and was begging me to switch with him. yes, of course (any seat is better than that seat). so im off to my new seat. last row, but an extra seat between me and the crazy kiwi. who when i sat down says that her and i are "going to be great friends!" 'oh...good. um, my name is kate,' and i put out my hand. that is about as long as our friendship lasted as she seemed quite offended in the strength of my handshake. supposedly she had carpal tunnel and gave me dirty looks for the next 5 hours. the next 7 hours after that were spent with her BARE FEET nestled into my leg! where i was then giving her dirty looks. she said, 'oh sorry,' but did not move her feet.
all i could do was put on my headphones and my blanket and dream of the wonders that are...first class.

phnom phen

this is one of the major cities in cambodia. i had never heard of it before this trip. cambodia seemed like this far away country and i had no plans on visiting. and now im riding around on a motorcycle with a girl who doesnt speak any english. it is midnight and we are on our way to the night market. the city reeked of exhaust and pollution. there was trash everywhere. at the night market there was some 'cambodian style' hip hop going on and some loitering teenagers. our friend chanthos and her sister took us to a little place to get some soup (pho). the lady was making it right there on the street. it did not look clean. but we were hungry and we were guest. plus i hoped that if i added enough hot sauce, it would kill any bacteria. or something. haha.
our next day consisted of touring the killing fields, s-21 (a school turned into a prison camp), parks with wild monkeys, witnessing two motor accidcents, meeting chanthos' family, and arguing with an old american who was trying to justify buying sex. it was an overwhelming, eye-opening day. and i know the past is the past, and we just have to learn from it but i was mad and sad about the present. the day ended with me, tayler and chanthos talking. laughing. bonding. we are all young women. we are all just trying to figure out life. who we are. why we are here. and we all want to be loved. tayler and i tried to encourage chanthos to learn to read english and find a honorable job and to not settle when it comes to love and be an example to her friends. blah blah blah.
who are we but some wealthy americans traveling through.
knowing that the comfort of our home awaits us in 2 weeks.