Reflection from Europe

As I've been parading around Europe spending excessively despite trying to save, my parents have been delving deeper and deeper into Burma - a country largely untouched by tourism and western influence of the 21st century. I've been traveling with my good friend Brandy Ma. Before we met up in Madrid, I knew she would be a great travel partner. She left this morning, and I'm only beginning to grasp just what a joy it was to travel with her. She never complains, knows when silence is the best conversation, and is persistently strong in spirit. From reading what my dad has written about Mom in their travels, the two women are very similar. Fortunately for me, I too will get the chance to explore the third world with a great traveler at my side when Brandy comes to Cambodia.

 

This trip has been really great for me. I was a little skeptical how much I would get out of it, as I had already been to all the places we saw. Traveling with Brandy (who is an avid museum fan and advocate of the touristy sights), it was like seeing completely different cities from what I saw before. Now I've seen both the cafés in the back streets of Paris as well as the Mona Lisa at the Louvre. I've been able to do a lot of reflection (nothing new for me, but always satisfying) and some solidifying of beliefs and goals. Not bad for three weeks' vacation.

 

Tomorrow I leave for Bangkok, where I'll meet with my parents (who arrive a day before I do). They're coming from Burma, land of the oppressed, and I'm coming from Amsterdam, one of the most liberal places in the world. To meet again in Bangkok. Then back to Cambodia. Bittersweet return.