There were many people who helped us at home during our year in Cambodia.

Bryan, Whit, Trev, and James checked on our house while we were away.

Scott and Carter checked on our house and took care of our yard every month, and sometimes multiple times per month.

My mom checked our house every month AND took care of Simon while we were gone.  Simon was too old to make the trip and hung on until Annika and Phaedra made it home. It was such a relief to know he was being loved and taken care of while we were gone.

Thanks for all the prayers and the gift box from friends at church.

Thanks to my coworkers in the US who accommodated my remote work and all of my last minute requests. Working on a great team with a great manager allowed us to do some good things.   Thanks Anil, Scott, Brian, Sean and Chris.

Thanks to Rose, Jennifer, and the Cleveland’s for taking care of animals while we were gone.

Thanks for Dr. Dixon and Pelham school for all the work that allowed Annika to do virtual school.

Thanks to all of our Cambodian friends who helped us there.  So many little things that are unknown when we first got there.

Socheat, who was so unselfish with his time with us. I helped him with his website, and he refused to take any money from us throughout the entire year.  You help me, so I help you is what he told us.  It was great to give him my moto on my last day in Cambodia.

Thanks to Sahai and Srepouy for our home and all help that was given over the year.

Thanks to Jeremy, Danielle, Sam, and Vivian for taking care of Caesar for us and answering all of our where/what/how Cambodian questions.

Thanks to the Eulers for taking care of Caesar so we could make visa runs.

Thanks to Philip and Joanna for helping us get started in Phnom Penh.

Thanks to Abigail, Angela, and Theresa for welcoming us into your groups and allowing us to help along the way.

Thank you to Channy who not only taught us some Khmai, but helped us in many ways.

Thanks to Esther for translating for the girls whenever we came.

Thanks to Julia, Taylor, and Halle for giving us your time in Singapore and showing us around.

Thanks to the hundred of Cambodians that we interacted with daily and welcomed us into their country.

Thanks to the Cambodian families that would welcome us into their homes with so much generosity.

I’m know I missed some and even some people that helped that I didn’t even know about.

Thanks for all the prayers from all everyone.

From Me, Phaedra, Annika, and Caesar,

Thank you all

We left Phnom Penh at 11:00 PM on Thursday night.  I walked Caesar for about an hour and a half all around the airport, so when it was time to leave he was exhausted.  He stayed happily in his carrier under the seat for the entire 5 hour flight.  He has never stayed in his carrier for more than 10 minutes without crying and having to be comforted by having me put my hand inside and petting him.   He was awesome.  Definitely an answered prayer.

We make it to Seoul, Korea with 2-3 hour lay over.  We walk the airport for 2 hours, and Caesar gets a snack and some water.  They were at least 20 people who came up to Caesar to pet him.

Our next flight left around 10:00 AM and was a 13 hour flight.  That was the real test for him.  After an hour under the seat, he got anxious and started crying.  This happened on our trip to Cambodia, and it made everything miserable trying to constantly comfort him.  Korean Air doesn’t allow you to put the dog in your lap, even while staying in the carrier, so bending over for hours petting him to calm him down is exhausting.

While on the way to Cambodia, we had a single flight attendant who was vert strict with that rule. So for this flight, I tried anyway and I put Caesar in my lap and cover us both in a blanket. This was not very comfortable, but definitely more bearable than bending over for hours at a time with my hand in the carrier to comfort him.  We do this for almost the entire flight – 12 hours. Even while landing, he’s in my lap.  Such a huge relief when we finally get to Washington, but the flight was fine and a huge improvement.  He did great again.

The ENTIRE reason for staying in Cambodia for a month was for paper work for Caesar to enter the US.  Rabies shots, 28 day waiting period, export permits, import permits, several other vaccinations.  We get to the US and….

NO ONE LOOKED AT ANY PAPERWORK FOR CAESAR. NOTHING!

Thanks to Delta, while re-checking in our bags, I was told that the fee for Caesar did not cover our last leg of the flight.  I will handled this later with Delta, but YES it should cover the entire trip, as it did before.  At this time we have spent almost an hour and a half going through passport controls with huge lines and “Customs” (that another story), and our flight leaves in a few minutes.  Instead of paying another fee, and going back onto a plane with an un-walked, anxious Caesar, I decide I’m done.  At this point, we have been in airports or airplanes for 30+ hours.  I rent a car for an 11 hour drive home.

Two hour plane ride vs 12 hour car ride.  Sounds like a bad choice, but it was such a huge relief to not go back on a plane.  We had FREEDOM now!  

I got on airport WIFI (I had no US Cellphone plan) and sent Phaedra and email. I knew she was about to leave for Atlanta to pick us up.  I checked out cameras at the house, and saw she was still home. Through the camera, I told her to “Check your email”. Caesar and I went to get a rental car, and started the easiest 12 hour drive ever.

Home

Here is Caesar seeing Annika for the first time in a month, and barking at me.  I’m sure he is just saying thanks for all the things I did for him!

We opened Christmas presents around 1:00 AM on January 10, and we were all home.

 

Caesar and I are taking off now. Little guy is exhausted so he is sleeping right now.

Until next time Cambodia. You will be missed.

January 8, 2019 we all leave from Birmingham to Cambodia.  January 9, 2020, Caesar and I are on our way back.

After a month of missing my family, working full time, packing, repacking, eating a Christmas diner of chicken nachos alone, moving 3 times, 4 visits to the vet for Caesar, 4 long calls to Delta getting Caesar on the plane, realizing they didn’t do it right and starting the process over, doing a few cool things, and 1 near viscous dog attack while walking Caesar, we are leaving Cambodia today.

We leave from Phnom Penh tonight for South Korea, then Washington, then Atlanta where Phaedra will pick us up.

Caesar doesn’t like moving. It makes him nervous.

 

Found this little item in a shop half way between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh.

It’s been karaoke and fireworks here for the past few hours.  Caesar got a fresh new haircut today.  All of his grooming today cost $30 – cut, nail trimming, teeth brushed, etc. All of that would have cost over $200 in the US.

We got all of Caesar’s paperwork for travelling started today.