Today I was awakened at 3:50 am not looking forward to the hard start in the morning. My mindset was quickly redirected when we first arrived at Angkor Wat. Although it was completely dark out, and we could barely see the ground we were walking on, the temple's grand figure was hard to ignore. Being able to observe the sunrise just as ancient monks once did truly created a core memory for me. 

In the evening we got to revisit Pub Street and the huge market full of shops, music, and food.  This experience stuck out to me the most because of the kindness that the Cambodian people possess. I had walked up to a stand full of eye catching jewelry with every intention of barging for the best prices. I immediately greeting the owner in Khmer to show respect, and he was overjoyed to see that I spoke his native tongue. When I was trying to get the best prices for the bangles, I was shut down numerous times, the stand owner explained to me that his family handmakes all the jewelry and doesn't get the money they rightfully deserve because of the selling fees they must pay. I could sense that he was being sincere and I knew I wanted to help his family in the ways that I could. I ended up paying for the bangles, and his smile was bigger than the moon! We talked for a couple of minutes, then I said farewell in Khmer to the store owner. As I was walking away from his stand, he stopped me and brought me back to his jewelry. I saw him reaching for a shiny gold necklace and I got confused. I knew I only bought the bracelets, so maybe he was trying to sell me something else. He brought the necklace over to me and told me " This is for you because you support the Khmer people, I give you this as a gift from my heart," as he said that I nearly cried. I thanked him in Khmer too many times to count and I walked away with a huge smile on my face. His kindness has stuck to me ever since that moment and it's taught me that extending grace and respect to people is the key to their hearts. I am very fortunate to be the one buying instead of selling, and these people work extremely hard to make ends meet. I am forever grateful for all I have and the kindness this stranger showed me. 

Julia Swanson