The 11th marked the sixth year since we came! In some ways the six years seem like forever, but in other ways it doesn’t! We are still learning new things everyday, and we still have many firsts! (Monkeys, bats, etc… for lunch)

Thinking back I am flooded with memories. Memories of stepping off the plane and being hit by a wave of warm, humid air and then being confused when everybody greeted us in jackets, shivering, trying to stay warm! The first night, after we got through security and loaded all of our luggage into the vehicles, I was told to climb on the tuk tuk with mom and dad. All the peculiar smells were overwhelming! I was very concerned when the tuk tuk turned right and the rest kept going straight! It’s funny now, but in my little kid mind it was definitely was not a laughing matter, my imagination ran wild! I was sure this man saw this as a chance to make some extra cash, and he was kidnapping us! And I had no idea what dad would do because he couldn’t talk any Khmer. You have no idea how relieved I was when I pulled up to our house, and no one was missing!

Some of the things that come into my mind when I think of the first year are

• Holding your breath when walking through the market
• Being scared to talk to strangers, for fear they would rattle off in Khmer and you wouldn’t understand a thing!
• Always forgetting to take TP with you wherever you go.
• Debating if holding a baby is worth a chance of getting peed on.
• Wishing Market sellers would let you at least glance at something without them asking you to buy it!
• The fact that if you’re a little white kid personal space doesn’t exist
• Getting aggravated at how being on time isn’t important!
• Walking through the market and all you hear is “Hello Madame! Buy something please!” and “Good price for you Madame”
• Loud music at parties being unbearable!
• Eating only rice and soup or vegetables at the village because you’re too scared of getting a bone.

We’ve definitely adjusted to living here, the stench of the market that I used to dread, and try to avoid, I don’t think about anymore. And for the most part, we don’t have to worry about not understanding people. And now we’re the ones that bundle up for 70 degree weather!

People often ask “When are you moving back?”. Right now we are the only family here, so that makes it hard for kinda to leave. Dad says that if we’d leave right now, he feels like we’d let a lot of people down. So at the moment, only God knows. However Ryan has decided that it’s time for him to move back, He’s planning on leaving in March. It’ll certainly leave a big, empty hole here!

Another question we get asked frequently is “Do you miss the States?”… Of course there are times when it would be amazing to be closer to family, having people to spend the holidays with. There are times when all you want is youth aged people, people that share the same culture and language that you were born into. But there are times when I can’t imagine living back in the states, not living close to these people we’ve grown to love! And not being here to watch the kids grow up! We’ve learned so much, and have been so blessed with this opportunity that not many other people get! Honestly, its home, and I wouldn’t trade having lived here for anything!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

~Heather for the Helmuths~