Where I live.

Well, guess I need a new guardian for my blog. Thanks bunches, Mr. Gecko.

The little comedian. I don't snore, btw.

So, for this one, I thought I'd show you where I live. Yes, I live in Cambodia, but that's not what I mean.

Remember this place?

You see, there are many who, when I told them where I would be living, they immediately thought to themselves 'Ryan is going to live in a grass hut'. This was followed by, 'He's nuts!'.

Well, yes, I am a bit crazy. Then again, some of the best outcomes have occurred because someone did something that was just the slightest amount of crazy. How's that working for me?

You've read my posts by now. You already know. ;) What's more, and more important, Aidan is happy here. Yes, my son, who was well on the path to geeky stay-at-homeness is flourishing here, all the way on the other side of the world.

Jess, my wife, is also prospering. She's loving her work with Sak Saum (future post, people! That one takes a bit of time.) and enjoying being with her family.

Ok, now that the survival report is out of the way, come take a look at my home. You see the balcony way up on top there? That's where I live.

Office space. Yes, we have a red stapler to go with it.

We have a large, open living room/office, and Aidan's and Our bedrooms.

It's worth noting, even the ritzier homes don't look like this normally. Cambodians don't really know how to build, for the most part. They got the whole stonework/woodwork/architecture thing down, but when making a house, they sometimes neglect important things...

...like actual living space.



No, this is a result of my Father in Law working closely with the landlord to build a mini-paradise (he's a master carpenter and former home builder. Not really former if you knew how extensive the work done here.)

Reading area, to the right of the balcony.

We can come home after being in the village, or markets, or somewhere, and feel like we can rest. It's beautiful, and peaceful.

Like I mentioned before, Aidan's schoolroom is between the flights of stairs on the landing. The kitchen and the geckos (that big one? yeah, there's actually 2 of those.) are downstairs.

The great room up here will be used for team gatherings too, not just to provide a place for us.

The PS3 stays hidden when not in use, but it's there.

We just got the furniture in, and the TV installed. Installation is cheap compared to America, but the TV was just as pricey. As you can see, I have a place to write now that isn't on the laptop, but I still like stealin... er... using my wife's anyway.

Well lit too. I had no lights on.

As I mentioned, the Khmer are just truly beginning to learn about building cities and homes. Their architects go to school abroad, and come home with new house designs and layouts. Proper use of natural light, plumbing, and quality constructing are still somewhat new to them. Remember 40 years ago, they were more concerned with staying alive than whether or not the drain pipes were big enough.

Our bedroom. It looks a bit like a spa. Yes, that's an air conditioner above the window.

The bedroom used to be 2 bedrooms, and 2 bathrooms too if I am not mistaken. They had to knock down a few walls. The end result was spectacular, and has been a big help in the transition. Trust me, when you upend your life like this, you tend to look for anchors to help hold you in place.

Our cute bathroom.

The bathroom is nice too, although I learned we have a water heater only a few days ago. It needed adjusting to function properly, but we just thought cold showers were normal for this part of the world.

See what happens when you assume?

Aidan has a nice spot to retreat to as well. He's decorated it with Angry Birds, and Pokemon. His accent pieces usually include a night stand, bed, and 40,000 sharp edged legos.

You dads out there know what I am talking about. Moms too I bet.






The house is beautiful and highly functional. Granted, the power goes off at random here, and can stay that way for hours, but you get used to it...

..until you realize the shower runs on an electric pump. Good luck washing the soap out of your eyes. :)

He doesn't use that door. It goes to the roof.

Not pictured, he has a bird living in his bathroom window!

Thankfully, Eric saw fit to put in a generator too. Truly, her parents made it easy to come and live here. It's still a shock, and I am still working through it. But this place makes it a lot easier.

Thanks guys.