First Full Week Feels

As I draw near to the end of my first full week as a volunteer English teacher in Siem Reap, I can say that I am starting to grow accustomed to my new life here. It's funny how much of an emotional roller coaster life can be in just the span of a week. When my first weekend was over and it was time to get back to work, everything still felt entirely new, which came with its own set of challenges. This was the first week Sydney and I had our own teaching schedules, and at first the anticipation of having to get in front of and teach a group of students gave me a case of the heebie jeebies.

I had nothing to be nervous about though. I attribute my worries to the incredibly high standard I hold myself to. But over the course of this week I learned how to roll with the punches, and if something didn't work, I'd have an opportunity to try something new the next time. What I found was that despite how nervous I was before a class, by the end I felt invigorated. Each class seemed to take all my worries away, and by now I have learned to just enjoy teaching the students something new.

At present Siem Reap is already starting to lose its novelty, which has given me less distraction from the feelings of homesickness. Teaching once again was able to solve this problem, among other things. Since I was given a teaching schedule this week, my agenda has been filled with lesson planning, activity research, classes, and staff meetings. All of these things have given me little time to worry about my homesickness, all the while building a sense of purpose in this faraway land.

I had the opportunity to meet some very nice people at a restaurant one night for dinner, and speaking to them gave me some perspective. I spoke with a man from Norway and a woman from Spain, both of whom were impressed by the duration of my first international travel experience. After talking with them I realized that feeling homesick is nothing out of the ordinary, and I know for certain I will return home eventually. What is uncertain is when I will get to come back to Siem Reap, or see another part of the world I haven't seen before. Thus, I need to enjoy the limited time I have here.

What continues to impress me is the resiliency and attitude of the kids at TGC. Most of these children have lived through poverty, abuse, addiction, gambling, and for some even more. If you were to meet these kids however, you wouldn't have as much as an inkling that they came from troubled backgrounds (the term "first world problems" is really starting to take on a new connotation for me). Every morning I am greeted by dozens of smiles and giggles and "Good morning Teacher!"-s that I can't help but smile myself. On my birthday the kids even made me a card that was signed by everyone at the school. It was one of the most heart-melting gifts I have ever received.

While it has taken some jumping out of my comfort zone, I feel as though I am getting closer to the students, and that has been one of my main goals from the start. Today I was able to impress them with one of my stranger talents, which is my ability to walk a fair distance entirely on my hands. Even though I miss my family and friends back home a great deal, I am starting to build another one here in Siem Reap.