Weekend in Bangkok

Two weeks ago I got to take my first trip, and it was exciting.  We left early on a Thursday afternoon and headed to the airport to catch our late afternoon flight to Bangkok.  We had a three-day weekend, and I had a visa run to make so it was the perfect opportunity to head somewhere fun for the weekend.  The great place about my community here in Cambodia is there is always a travel buddy (or buddies in this case).  Pretty much as soon as I mentioned heading to Bangkok for my visa run, I had two quick volunteers who graciously offered to fly to the big city, sightsee, and eat an incredibly huge amount of Thai food.  

We arrived in Bangkok on Thursday evening, checked into our amazing (but incredibly cheap...perhaps because of recent political issues in Bangkok? oh well!), and headed out to find the famous Thai street food.  We started with some meat on sticks (is there anything better than just grilled meat on sticks, I'm thinking no) then graduated to a $1 noodle bowl with some kind of chicken concoction in it.  I have to say Thailand has some of the most amazing food I've ever tasted while traveling.  I felt like we ate all weekend.  Not to mention there was a Starbucks and McDonalds located right down the road, so we started every morning there.  It's funny what you crave in a foreign country because I honestly couldn't tell you the last time I had a McDonald's breakfast in the US.  Oh well, it was delicious and totally hit the spot in Bangkok, so cheers to McMuffins! 

On Friday (which was also a Buddhist holiday), we headed to do some sightseeing at some famous temples and sightseeing spots. We visited some amazing temples, had some great food, and just enjoyed wandering all over the old part of the city.  It was also photography heaven.  

The Royal Palace and Wats

Wat Phra Kaew

Really beautiful, intricate details on the temples. 



Wat Pho.  This is a giant golden reclining Buddha.  It was literally so huge. 



Please note my amazing outfit.  I had to rent a skirt and wear my coat.  Buddha likes conservatively dressed women, so I had to oblige. 



Street Food.  Shrimp Pad Thai.  YES, PLEASE.

Wat Arun



These stairs were incredibly steep.  It was quite the excursion to the top. Also, this is my new friend Shaz, the former Legal Intern who is staying for a few extra months.  She is super fun and really amazing.

Picture with the temple. 



I'm from Kentucky, y'all.  I gotta take pictures with a horse if I see one!

After sightseeing for the entire day, we decided to go to a movie at the mall.  First of all, it has to be made clear that Asians love malls.  Seriously, they are always super crowded, and these malls are nicer than anything we have in America.  The movie theatre is also pretty extravagant.  For example, for $30 you can sit on a reclining soft, with a blanket, get a free massage and unlimited popcorn/wine/champagne while watching a new movie.  And while we didn't splurge on this (mostly because it was the Buddhist holiday so we couldn't do the all-you-can-drink-champagne which would have been the best part anyway), we did check it out.

On Saturday, we went to the Jim Thompson house.  He was an American who started producing Thai silk products.  He loved Thailand and moved there permanently.  He combined like 6-something traditional Thai houses into one big house surrounded by lush gardens into his permanent home.  He mysteriously disappeared one day while visiting Malaysia and no one knows what happened to him.  It's kinda weird, very conspiracy-theory-ish.  Google him, it's kind of fascinating.  But anyways, his house has become a huge tourist stop just because it's super relaxing and an absolutely beautiful display of a traditional Thai home and gardens.  It was a morning well spent.



Spirit House.  Whenever you build, it's important to have a spirit house so the spirits you are disturbing have a place to live.  You see these everywhere in Thailand and Cambodia and probably everywhere else in SE Asia. 

Enjoying some fresh fruit smoothies at the cafe.  Delicious. 

After leaving the Jim Thompson house, we went to Terminal 21 which is a huge Bangkok mall that has multiple stories with each designed to look like a different international city.  They have Rome, London, Tokyo, Paris, San Francisco.  It is huge and super fancy and ever the BATHROOMS are decorated to match the theme.  It was amazing to walk around in and air-conditioned which was important since it was boiling hot in Bangkok.  I also bought my first "Asian-y" item.  See the picture of the fabulous, quirky shoes I bought below.  Bright, cartoonish things are very popular in Asia, so my shoes are very fashionable.  I thought they were adorable, and while I'm not sure how much I'll wear them in normal life back in the US, they were $9 and I couldn't resist.

After leaving the mall, we walked around and enjoyed another night of Thai street food.  I indulged in some kind of coconut curry with noodles.  YUM.  We finished the night at a rooftop bar on one of the skyscrapers in Bangkok.  All in all, another fabulous day in Bangkok.



Street market full of food vendors. 



Coconut chicken curry with noodles.  YUM.



Cutest shoes ever.  I'm sure Jess from "New Girl" would totally rock these.

On Sunday, we just slept in, had more McDonalds and Starbucks, then headed to the airport which ended up being a total cluster.  But atlas, we arrived back in PP late Sunday afternoon.  Good weekend in Bangkok.  I'm glad I went, don't know if I'll go back, but am enjoying the life of a traveler these days nonetheless.

Settling

"The world is a book and those who do not travel only read one page."  St. Augustine

I read this quote a few years ago, and remember writing it down in my journal, circling it, underlining it, going over it in yellow highlighter.  Have any truer words ever been spoken?  The world truly is a book, with every chapter giving you more adventure, tears, laughter, understanding, and self-reflection.  The lessons I've learned about humanity & about myself & about God throughout my years of travel are invaluable and innumerable.  And traveling has become a part of my DNA, coiled together with all the other parts that make me, me.  That after being in one place for an extended period of time, I feel this sense of urgency to get out of my comfort zone, to embark on something new, to meet new people and try new foods, to find myself lost and frustrated and finally found again.

Cambodia.  Sometimes when I say it & let it roll around on my tongue, it still blows my mind that I'm finally here.  It truly is an incredible place.  Gritty, beautiful and tragic (mostly because of the light my work has shed on this place) all at the same time.  But I'm loving it and doing my best to feel comfortable with it which isn't always easy.  Life is good though and full of community.  And for the first time, I feel excited to go to work.  I feel like my work matters, that my education and those long years of grinding out papers, briefs, and outlines have finally paid off.  I'm prepared (as best as I can be) and am ready to have my heart split open & spill all over my paper, to work for something that matters, to bring Heaven to earth for children being exploited in Cambodia.  To play a part, a very small fleeting part, but a part nonetheless, in the incredible work International Justice Mission does.

So that's my update.  Happy & content & missing home & full of peace.  And incredibly thankful for a God who is teaching me so much and allowing me to have this opportunity.

First Week in Cambodia

Hello Friends and Family!  Greetings from Phnom Penh, Cambodia.  I have finally arrived and am starting to get my bearings, mind you slow but surely.  Time to update you on all that has happened in the last week.

I left Lexington early on Wednesday, June 25.  It was pretty tough.  I had spent the previous days saying goodbye to best friends then spent the last evening my mom and dad.  We made a lot of last minute Target runs as well as stuffed in last minute items into my already overpacked suitcases.  Bright and early on Wednesday, we headed to the airport.  We enjoyed some Starbucks coffee and time as a family.  It was pretty tough saying goodbye to my parents; I've been working with my Dad and am incredibly close with my Mom so the idea of not seeing them with any kind of frequency was sad.  There were lots of tears, lot of promises to email/Skype/text, and finally I left their warm embraces and headed into the security line.

The flight over was LONG.  I think it was my longest flight to date.  I went from Cincinnati to Chicago, to Seoul, then finally Phnom Penh.  I watched approximately 7 movies (none of which were particularly good unfortunately) and got maybe two hour of combined sleep.  I arrived in Phnom Penh on Thursday, June 26, at 10:30 pm.  After getting my luggage, applying for my visa and going through customs, I was greeting by three co-workers from the office.  It was a sight for sore eyes seeing some familiar faces (well semi-familiar, from FaceBook at least).  We quickly loaded up my bags and hit the road because they were in a hurry to get to one of the local sports bars to watch the US play Germany in the World Cup.  I tried to jump right in which kept me from being overwhelmed and homesick.  I got to meet some other people from the office and other NGO's in PP so it was an nice time.  When I finally got back to the apartment, it was around 1 am, and I was EXHAUSTED.

I slept in the next day, then headed into the office late afternoon to meet everyone and tour the office. The office is amazing, both the Cambodian national staff and ex-pats working in the office have been so welcoming.  I only stayed for about a hour, then it was off to Kep for the weekend with about a dozen girls.  Another intern from the office had emailed prior to my arrival asking if I'd be interested in going to the coast for a weekend trip immediately after arriving.  Since I definitely want to travel as much as possible while in SE Asia, I decided it would be fun as well as a great opportunity to meet the girls from the office as well as friends from other organizations who would be joining too.  Kep is located on the coast, and it is beautiful.  It's very lush and tropical.  We got great a great deal on some bungalows, and just relaxed the whole weekend.  We went on a beautiful hike Saturday morning, laid by the pool, ate some amazing seafood, and watched the sunset go down at a quaint little restaurant called "Sailing Club."

Here are some pictures from the weekend.



Our Hotel



The bungalow we stayed in complete with AC.  So important!



The hotel had 8 bungalows surrounded by lush greenery.  So gorgeous. 



Lounge area overlooking the hotel and bungalows.



Our view.  That's the ocean in the distance.  Swoon.



Again, the view. 



Swanky pool.  Very refreshing and much needed after our hike. 

Hiking in Kep National Park.

A view from the hike, you could see forever.

Lime Soda.  Tonic water, fresh lime, and simple syrup.  My favorite Cambodian food item so far.  It's the most refreshing thing in the whole entire world and I will drink this for the rest of my life.  Seriously, for the rest of my life.

The local food consists primarily of fresh seafood, and in particular, crab.  They season it will local pepper which is grown in a town close to Kep called Kampot.  It's delicious and amazing and fresh and I could eat it all day.

"Sailing Club" lounge area.  We enjoyed some drinks as the sun went down.

The incredibly beautiful pier and wild sea.  

After returning from Kep, I settled down into my apartment and prepared for my first week of work.  I am currently living with 3 other interns from work, and will be at least staying here until September.  They leave throughout the next few weeks, so my living situation is going to change in September.  I'm just going to wait and learn the area to decide what I want to do when that time comes.  I'd like to stay in this apartment because it's incredibly cheap but that also means I'd have to find 3 new roommates which could be challenging.  I also might want to move to a more "western" apartment that feels a bit brighter and more like home.  But for right now, this works and it's cheap so I'll take it.   Work is also going really good, although I haven't really done anything except listen to training sessions and read research.  The research is pretty disgusting and eye-opening but vital to the work our office does in Cambodia so it is good to start getting familiar with the culture.  But really other than reading, I didn't do much with respect to work.  I'm sure that will change as I get settled, but I'm happy to take it slow and soak it all up.

It's also rainy season here which means a few times a day we experience absolutely torrential downpours.  Yesterday was my first experience with flooding streets.  It was crazy.  Literally, streets turned into rivers, and there was at least 6 inches of standing water for about an hour.  The traffic still flies through it as though there isn't 6 inches of water.  It's crazy.

Tuk Tuk ride through a downpour.  

Anyways, Happy 4th of July.  Tomorrow I will be going to the US Embassy for the 4th of July Party so I should have more to blog later this week.

Mother Daughter Weekend in Atlanta, GA

A few months ago, my mom saw "The Lion King" in Nashville and has been raving about it nonstop.  She scoured the Internet to see if there was a theatre within driving distance that would be playing the show before I left for Cambodia.  She found out that it would be in Atlanta in April, so she bought tickets and planned a much needed girls weekend in Atlanta.

We arrived in Atlanta on a Thursday evening, staying in Midtown right across from the Fox Theatre.  We stayed at a fabulous old, boutique hotel conveniently located within walking distance of a lot of fun sightseeing.

On Friday, we decided food was our starting point and made our way to the highly recommended "Flying Biscuit" restaurant.  It was delicious!  I decided to get the pimento cheese eggs Benedict with cheese grits, can't get more "Southern" than that, am I right?  It was amazing, we had to force ourselves to eat at other restaurants throughout the weekend as I'm pretty sure we could have returned to this place over and over again.  We also went to Margaret Mitchell's home, the house in which she wrote her famous novel "Gone With the Wind."  About a year ago, I made a list of "must-read" novels for twenty-something ladies, and this novel was on the list.  I spent about four months reading through it, and although it was a little long, I am glad to have read such an important classic.  I think it's important to read those kinds of books, and hope to continue to read through them as the years go by.  Anyways, we did the tour there and enjoyed walking around the home and gardens.  It's kinda like the house in the movie "Up," right in the middle of all these skyscrapers, pretty neat.  It was a beautiful afternoon and lovely for walking and exploring.  That evening, I had made plans to visit some of my PASSPORT friends who attend schools in Atlanta.  We decided to attend a Braves baseball game and eat at the Varsity.  All in all, a very fun, very Atlanta evening.

Displaying my delicious brunch at The Flying Biscuit

Historic Marker Outside Margaret Mitchell's Home

Infamous Turner Field.  Great seats at that!

 Love catching up with these forever friends.

On Saturday, we decided to visit the World of Coca-Cola and explore the Olympic Park since it was so sunny and beautiful.  We walked around the museum for a while, then tasted the "cokes" from different parts of the world (most of which were disgusting).  I sampled some Asian-flavors to prepare myself for Cambodia, as well as sipped some Stoney Tangawizi which brought back so many memories from my time in Tanzania.  After the World of Coke, we went to Piedmont Park, originally we had planned to visit the botanical gardens, but while walking there we noticed there were lots of people heading that way too.  We were told that there was a huge art fair in the park.  We decided to check it out, and literally there were hundreds of artisans as well as performing arts from different cultures.  We browsed, ate some great food and watched some African drummers and dancers.  It was a great afternoon and not something we typically get to do in the smaller towns/cities in Kentucky.  

Saturday evening was dedicated to "The Lion King."  We had the best night.  We ate at a really great local restaurant, outside on the patio, and enjoyed some cocktails.  And the show, it was pretty amazing.  The creativity it takes to put a story like that on stage is pretty mind-blowing.  The costumes, the singing…it was all so, so good.  I had always wanted to see it, so it was great to finally watch it on stage.  There is just something so fun and special about seeing live theatre.  

Enjoying a Coke with the Founder of Coke, duh.

3D Coke Movie

"The Lion King" at the Fox.  Amazing. 

On Sunday, per my insistence, we did the "Walking Dead" tour.  I am a huge, HUGE Walking Dead fan, and I knew that a lot of it is/was filmed in ATL and the surrounding area.  Essentially, a former "Walker" from the show takes you around the city pointing out filming locations.  We saw a lot, and I kinda nerded out about it, but I don't really care.  I had never done anything like it before, so I was pretty excited.  We also went to a place called the "Goat Farm" which is actually a place for artists to work, but they apparently shoot a lot of films/shows there.  Most recently, it was used as District 12 from the movie "Catching Fire" so that was pretty cool to see as well.  After our tour, we met my former youth ministers in Marietta, GA.  We got to spend some time with them and their three fabulous kids.  I was hoping to catch up with them before leaving for Cambodia, so it worked out well as they are now living around the Atlanta area.  

With my boyfriend, Daryl.  

Season One: department store, where Glen and Rick meet, Sheriff's office, and hospital where Rick wakes up.  All pretty important spots in Season One.  Seriously fun stuff! Haha :) 

Where Rick rides into town….yeehaw!

District 12

Farley Family.

All in all, a great weekend.  We did so much, but it was a much-needed weekend away for both of us. 

IJM Benefit Concert

On Thursday, March 20, I hosted an IJM Benefit Concert at Natasha's Bistro in downtown Lexington.  I had contacted Nathan Angelo, one of my favorite artists, and convinced him to make a stop by Lexington to perform.  He allowed me to keep 100% of the proceeds.

The event was put together in about two weeks, and it was quite a whirlwind.  I depended a lot on my friends, who are hands-down the best group of girls in the world!  I am really lucky to have a solid group of girlfriends from college who literally love and support me in everything.  They are always willing to give their time, talent, and whatever else I ask for.  All of them posted all over social media for the few weeks leading up, one even dropped my name to the local news which resulted in a small segment highlighting the event on the evening news!  My friend Jesse helped with all the details and created a FB event to spread the word.  Others sold merchandise, some worked the photo booth with Cambodian themed props which will provide me with much needed support and encouragement while away, another manned the powerpoint so I didn't have to stress about technology that night.  And my super talented friend Blair took care of decorations, making sure that my information was displayed fabulously.  These girls were the first to arrive and the last to leave.  God is too good to bless me with each of them, and it's so bittersweet to step away from our lovely circle for a season.  But they give me the courage to follow my dreams and love that sustains me when I leave on adventures such as these.

Anywho.  The concert!

Man, it was so freaking fun.  It was incredible to see people from all walks of life there.  There were high school friends, sorority sisters, the girls from my high school small group at church, Judges I practice in front of and defense attorneys I argue against!  There were co-workers, bosses, long-time family friends, and family.  While sharing about IJM, I lost it for a few seconds as I looked out into the crowd and saw so many familiar faces there.  Never could I have imagined such an event that would bring everyone together; it was just incredible.

The music was fantastic.  The food was delicious.  And the bar was fully stocked.  We danced, laughed, took photos, hugged, and celebrated life, both the past and what the future holds.

At the end of the night, we raised almost $3,200!!!!!!!!!!!

I mean, tears, literally when I counted that night.  Fundraising has been so uncomfortable.  I hate asking for money; it's not my thing.  But as much as I'm saving from my own salary, it will not be enough for a whole year abroad so I'm fully dependent on the support of others.  It was such a successful night, but would not have been possible but for my community and the new friends I met that night.

So if you were there or you've given prayers or financial support, please accept my deepest gratitude.  Your money is going to bring light into some of the darkest places in this world.  It's literally going to save and protect lives.  Thank you for being faithful to God's leading and believing in me.  It means more than words could ever express.

Love each of you.

Here are some photos from the night.  Enjoy!

Decorations by Blair.

More decorations, so fun and beautiful.

The Ladies with Nathan Angelo and Steve Means

Phi Mu Rho Iota Ladies: Kelsey and Shelbie

Photo Booth Fun.  With my Dad and oldest brother, Kenny.

Rocking my sweet new Nathan Angelo t-shirt the next day.  He's amazing! Check him out on iTunes and Spotify.

FUNDRAISER THIS WEEK: On Wednesday, April 2 (11 am until 9 pm) at the Todds Road Buffalo Wild Wings location.  Come support IJM.  Tell your waiter you want to support IJM/Ashley Morgan, and I will get 10% of the proceeds!

Cambodia…A Place I'll Soon Call Home

Soooo……(!!!!!)

That's right.  You read that correctly.  On June 25, I will call Phnom Penh, Cambodia, my new home for at least a year! 

Micah 6:8 is powerful, profound, yet so simple and straightforward.  Pursue justice.  Love mercy.  Walk humbly with God.  Three commands, a handful of words, but a statement of faith that requires a life of total surrender to accomplish.  If you’ve met me, you have probably noticed the small, cursive writing on my left wrist, Micah 6:8.  It’s my motto, the verse in the Bible that pierced my heart, and seared its message into my soul.  My faith and my calling are so intertwined, coiled together like strands of DNA, that in order to love God, I have to love people.  I have to care about humanity; I have to care about what’s happening on the other side of the world.  It has always been my dream to work in the trenches combating human trafficking and other human rights abuses. 

So as previously stated, I will be MOVING (!!!) to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in June of 2014, to spend a year working for International Justice Mission (IJM) as a Legal Fellow.  I will be assisting the office as they plead the cases of those who have been bound into sexual slavery.  

IJM is a non-profit organization composed of attorneys, social workers, criminal investigators, and support staff.  The IJM staff in Cambodia work on the frontlines to bring rescue and relief to victims of sexual violence, including women and children, and to prosecute their perpetrators.  IJM carefully investigates situations of abuse and partners with local officials to free victims from their immediate situations of danger.  After the victims have been freed, IJM seeks to address the root of the problem by prosecuting the perpetrators in local court systems and empowering communities to make structural changes that can prevent such abuses in the future.  IJM also works with aftercare providers to help the newly freed victims adjust to a life that is very different from their past oppressive experiences. 

I'm very excited about this opportunity, but of course, am very sad to be leaving my friends and family as well as nervous to move to a unknown place full of unknown people, food, noises, sights, and sounds.  In the next few months, I am going to be terribly busy spending as much time with friends and family as is possible, hosting various fundraising events, and just preparing to close this chapter in my life.  I am excited for the challenge and ready to start truly pursuing my dream of living in another country working within the human rights sector of law.  

In the next few months, I'd love to have your support as I fundraise for IJM.  Here are some upcoming ways to support me financially. 

--**THIS WEEK**  Nathan Angelo Benefit Concert: Thursday, March 20 at Natasha's Bistro and Bar in downtown Lexington.  Tickets are $20.  All proceeds go towards my work with IJM.  Check out Nathan Angelo and Steve Means in the meantime, and join me for some great music, food, drinks, and a good cause! 

--Buffalo Wild Wings: Wednesday, April 2, at the Buffalo Wild Wings location on Todds Road in Lexington, KY.  Come have dinner and a portion of the proceeds will go to me. I will be passing out flyers at the event, so present that to your waiter or just let them know that you are there to support IJM, and I will receive the proceeds!

--Boot Camp: Saturday, April 19 from 10-11 am. My friend Marlene Nall, a certified personal trainer at Body Structure, has volunteered to teach a boot camp at Woodland Park (if it rains, the class will be held at Woodland Methodist Church).  The class fee is $10 per person, and all money raised will go towards my work in Cambodia.  

For my out-of-town-supporters/people who want to continue to support while I'm gone, you can donate online!  Click Here to donate to my cause.  You can choose to give a one time gift or a monthly gift, then choose my name from the drop down menu, then put in the amount that you feel inclined to give.  This will be possible for the entire duration of my Fellowship.  All money donated directly to IJM will assist me, but it is all tax-deductible.  Please let me know if you have any questions/problems/concerns! 


As the move date gets closer, I will be added to the blog.  This will also be the best place to keep up with me on my journey.  I'm so thankful to have so much love, support, and prayers as I prepare for this big transition.