What do you get when you take four volunteers and give them some motos and a day off from work? I'll tell you....you get four "barang" driving two hours out of the city to find the long lost temple of Bung Melea (a.k.a. "the Indiana Jones" temple). Kaoru (my partner in crime), Lena, Isaiah (my san francisco buddy), and myself motoed out to the ruins in the jungle together. However, Kaoru, who drives a scooter back home in tokyo to work everyday, decided to drive her own moto. So, with Lena on the back of Kaoru's ride, and Isaiah and I on the back of our own experienced drivers' motos, we took off in seaerch of adventure. Two hours through the Cambodian countryside is an experience in and of itself. There's nothing like the color green that exists out here in the rice paddies. For me, it never gets old...seeing that bright, vibrant green that I've only ever seen in the most skilled of paintings. Looking back from my moto, I could see Isaiah waving and Kaoru and Lena about a mile or so back with the biggest grins on. When we finally reached the ticket booth, all of our butts were sore. Although, I think Kaoru was on such a high about having driven a moto in Cambodia, that she couldn't really feel anything anyway.
Five dollars and a VERY short moto ride later, we were standing at the entrance to a monstrous pile of boulders and stones that have rested there for centuries. By first look at the temple, it definetely looked like a place that Indy would be roaming inside of looking for buried treasures. We walked in, the four of us and a guide that we acquired (without realizing it), up the first few boarded steps into the temple. Soon after the first few easy steps upward, we began climbing over boulders that were so large, I had a difficult time getting my 5'4" body up over them (what can I say? I have short legs). Kaoru was pretty overcome by fear when she realized how high up we were going. It was not a climb for those terrified of heights (as Kaoru is). But she kept climbing, and with a little help, she made it up and over. It seemed to me that she was accomplishing quite a bit and that she, in fact, is much more brave than she lets on. It's things like that that inspire me....seeing someone, a friend, overcome a fear, or, even more, stare it in the face and just keep going. Because make no mistake, Kaoru is still afraid of heights...just as much as she was before she made the climb. BUT, she made the climb. And she will do it again and again is it means seeing something beautiful on the other side, or experiencing something new.
That's just it. We are all too afraid of the things we don't know. Some people are afraid and they do them anyway...maybe because they're brave, but I think it's mostly because they're a little bit crazy. And some people don't even think twice about ever going through with the change. But change is important. Maybe, the most important thing. I think of all of the concerns I had before coming out to Cambodia, and now I look at myself in the mirror and know I will never be the same. And it was because I took a chance. And if I keep taking chances, maybe I'll keep changing, keep evolving, keep surprising myself at the things I'm capable of. And when I am learning, that is when I become a better teacher. And that's really what it's all about...right? yeah.
