Home Away from Home

30 hours. It took 30 hours door-to-door. I left my apartment in beautiful Northern California at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. I walked into my room at the Indra Porak Residence Hotel in beautiful Siem Reap, Cambodia, at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 13, Cambodian time. Car, buses, 3 planes, and a tuk-tuk. 4 airports and 15 time zones. No sunsets and one sunrise. And, you know what? It wasn’t bad. I can do this.

My room is great. It’s, well, roomy. A king-sized bed for little ol’ me (for now?), high ceilings, a side room with a desk for my writing and photo work (I brought all my gear. I’m portable now), and a bathroom with a tub and 2 showers (I’ll use both. At the same time. Because I can.), a mini-fridge, and air conditioning (thank you, air conditioning). Oh, and a plate full of fresh fruit and a glass of fresh squeezed juice.

And, the art. There’s a whole display shelf separating the “bedroom” and the “office” area with cool figurines and stuff. There’s a beautiful piece above the bed. But, boy. Oh, boy. The painting beside the bed. It’s a different style, but the content is the same: Angkor Wat, the reflecting pool, the tree on the left, and the distant palm trees on the right. It’s the same. It’s just like the painting in the Donut King. The painting that brought me here. And, it hangs here on the wall. In my room. Because, of course, it does. That’s just how things go now. I’m getting used to it. But, I don’t take it for granted. Thank you (🙏).

I crashed for a few hours and was awakened by a heavy, but distant-sounding, thud on the thick, heavy door. What a lovely surprise. My backpack. 😁Read more