Achoo!

Last night on the way home from the airport I did NOT feel good. My head felt like it was going to explode! Alexis (my new friend on the boat) had an awful cold, and I think maybe I caught it. Or it’s a mixture of that and back to the oh so clean Ho Chi Minh City air!

I woke up this morning not able to breathe out of my nose, my head throbbing and a sore throat. After sneezing about 3,248 times, I figured it was not a good idea to go to the orphanage.

I slept in for a bit, which isn’t like sleeping in at home, but it still felt nice. I spent the morning just lounging around and taking lots of medicine. I did manage to get myself in the shower before I headed out.

I walked around a bit and bought a few things, but as much as I dislike the city in general, it is WORSE with a head cold. Every noise seems to be exaggerated!

I came back to my QUIET room to have PB&J for lunch..my comfort food! I then went back to sleep for a bit on and off..but it was one of those disturbed sleeps with strange dreams that make you all confused!

I managed to drag myself out again to go mail my postcards AND go to a grocery store! My goal was to find orange juice. I found a refrigerated bottle that I bought so I could drink and walk and some juice box versions of OJ. The bottle was GROSS. It was a mixture between orange soda and orange juice. Not ok.

I met Jemma, Trinh, Khaly and Matt at a market place for dinner and ordered OJ there..but of course they came over with the same thing with a PILE of sugar at the bottom. Ugh I tried! Dinner was fine (although I made sure to take pepto with it..) but it was SO hot out and that combined with the heat of the stoves was not pleasant.

The boy from the bus (when I was sightseeing with Long) still texts me and has called me a few times. He also texted one of Long’s friends and told him how beautiful I am! What am I going to do when I come home and don’t have 17 year old boys falling in love with me? Anyway I had to break his heart and tell him I was off to Cambodia!

I was thinking today about how I am a little worried to come home and experience the reverse culture shock. Beijing wasn’t awful. Very westernized and granted the area by the school wasn’t wealthy by any means, but the kids had clothes and food and an education. But, Vietnam is so different, especially seeing these kids at the orphanage. The lack of..everything..medicine, dentist, doctors etc. I feel like I will never complain again about going to the dentist because these kids have never even seen one (and if I do complain..kindly remind me how lucky I am to have that privilege). I just think about all the petty things I complain about and I have NO idea how most of the world lives. Now I am NOT, by any means, trying to guilt trip anyone or make it seem like I have this new found knowledge that I am trying to impose, but I just really have been thinking about how blessed I am! I hear people complaining about a root canal and now I think..well at least you can have it done! Most people in the world would have to deal with the pain until their tooth falls out. Or I just think about all the things “Americans” (yes I know I shouldn’t generalize..) complain about..or aren’t happy with and I feel like when I go home this is going to drive me insane. I feel like I will want to yell out, “YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT I HAVE SEEN..YOU DON’T KNOW HOW MOST OF THE WORLD LIVES.” I find myself feeling almost guilty..like what did I do to be able to enjoy the lifestyle I do? I don’t know..I guess I am babbling on..but I really have been thinking a lot about how my life will be after this experience and how it will change me. Part of me is worried I will come home and fall back into my “normal routine” but I truly hope that doesn’t happen. Honestly, that would be easier for me and more comfortable, because I know when I am back home it will be hard to remember how my little boys are still here..living the same day over and over again. But I hope I will carry them in my hearts and think about them and all these people day to day.

So I apologize because I already uploaded new videos! I actually wasn’t planning on doing it THAT soon..but I messed up when trying to figure out how to add new ones and I deleted the old ones!

Pictures are STILL coming! I am assuming the wireless is only going to be worse in Cambodia..but it literally takes a day to load 10! I’ll work on it though!

Hugs and kisses from a sick Julie!