Things I Learned to Appreciate While Visiting Southeast Asia

There is something about travel that opens up your eyes to how the rest of the world really lives. Sure we are flooded with images that look like they are out of the pages of National Geographic or we can read articles about how other people live. But there’s something powerful about witnessing it for yourself. About seeing with your own two eyes that resonates deep within you. It makes you instantly humble. It makes those times when you complained about your honestly first world problems seem miniscule. If you follow me on social media, you’ve probably seen me say all these things several times. But it’s the truth. 

Here are just a few of the things I learned to appreciate back at home while we traveled all through Southeast Asia. 

Access to Abundant and Inexpensive Meat & Dairy

If you are a cheese lover, traveling in Asia will be like your own personal hell. Cheese isn’t a thing in Asia and even if you find some, be prepared to pay an arm and a leg for it. Milk? Same thing. Meat? Yep, costs a fortune, which is why it is used rather sparingly in most dishes. You would be hard pressed to find a decent rib eye or other steak over there without paying $50 a steak or more. And that’s in the grocery store! 

Electricity

While traveling in Cambodia, we kept seeing these generators all over the place, haphazardly set in the grass several feet away from a home or building. It’s their source of electricity for many in Cambodia. Only 35 percent of people have or can afford electricity there. Their main source of heat to cook? Yep, wood or charcoal. It was common to see someone with a bundle of charcoal strapped to their back while flying down the road on their scooter. Can you imagine EVERY time you wanted to cook, you’d need to light a fire? Boy, we have it good. Flick of a switch and the heat is instant.

Air Conditioning

Since electricity is rare in Cambodia, you can bet the majority of houses don’t have air conditioning. With temperatures that rise over 100 degrees and 100% humidity, IT IS PLAIN HOT. Literally, you work up a sweat there and it’s like every pore of your body sweats. You are literally drenched within several minutes of being outside. I am sure when you live in it for a while you become accustomed, but it doesn’t change the fact that it is plain HOT.  I think of when we complain here in North Dakota that it’s hot and we have the ability to turn on the A/C. So many people don’t have that luxury. I would never make it.

Clean Water

This one also goes along with electricity. I cannot tell you how many times while driving around the countryside of Cambodia and Thailand even, we saw women and children bathing in the river, creek, lake, or other body of water. And let me tell you, it ain’t clean. It’s murky, muddy, brown water they are washing themselves in. For many, that is their bath or shower and it isn’t a daily occurrence. And for many, that same water is also their drinking water. It is taken inside and boiled so it can be used for drinking water. Don’t forget, you’ve got to make the fire to boil it too! 

Food Safety

For those of you who believe that food is UNDER-REGULATED in the United States, you’ve obliviously never traveled much. Food safety in some parts of the world is non-existent. It doesn’t mean that restaurants are trying to make you sick, it simply means that there is no regulating body which ensures food places are meeting very basic standards. In Singapore, there have been some food safety standards that have been adopted as restaurants are rated on an alphabet scale with A being the best. In Cambodia, street vendor food is the best example of zero regulation. Basically anyone with a cart and a way to cook food can go into business. This seafood was sitting out, in the open, in 100 degree weather. We decided to pass on that one. 

Democracy

All three countries we visited claim to be democracies, but freedoms in the countries are questionable. Singapore does indeed have elections and a prime minister, but the government is still heavily involved in regulation of media and other parts of people’s lives. Things like Youtube and other video channels online are heavily censored and filtered through. Huge taxes are put on alcohol in order to try and limit who can afford it and who cannot. Cambodia is still actually a Kingdom with a King but they also have a governor and a prime minister. It wasn’t until recently that Cambodia had its first elections but the residents say despite the government saying it’s a democracy, it’s still very much a dictatorship. Thailand is much like Cambodia in that it also has a King still as well as a prime minister. Media is also highly regulated. Sure our country has its own problems, but we have a true democracy and live in a place where our freedoms of speech, media, and religion are truly free. That is a blessing so many easily forget about.

Easy Access to Healthcare and Immunization

While in Cambodia, the Hospital for Women and Children was just down the street from our hotel. We passed it nearly every day as we headed out with our tour guide for the day. A couple times we got up at 5 AM and headed out early. There were hundreds of women with their children lined up around the block. They were there to get their children vaccinated and the majority of them have traveled long distances in order to do so. Every single day it was the same thing, women and children lined up. I am fortunate in that our small town of Ashley, ND we have a hospital and clinic and that healthcare is easily accessible to me, even though I live 90 miles from any small town. It doesn’t take me packing up my children and traveling (on a scooter mind you) to the hospital.

When we returned home, we returned with a renewed perspective on how LUCKY we are to live in America. About how much freedom we really are given, about how blessed we are to have technology at our hands, about how our middle class is rich in comparison to some poorer parts of the world.

If you want to have an eye opening, humbling, and life changing experience that gives you a renewed faith in America, travel outside of the country. Travel and experience it with your own two eyes. You will be so glad you did.

Any of you traveled outside the US? What were you thankful for when you returned?