Traverse Beyond

09/10/2026

Of course we checked off some of the big bucket list items. And then there were the special little moments to experience the local culture. 🇰🇭

We stayed in one place the whole time. That meant we got to know the local restaurants and see the same faces over and over. Tevy’s. Haven. A lot of these restaurants have amazing stories behind them. It stopped feeling like visiting and started feeling like home away from home.

I even had a capsule wardrobe custom made at Doon. Doon was created so women can have access to fair paid jobs in good working conditions, where they choose how many hours they work and where they work from.

We visited APOPO, where rats are trained to sniff out landmines. They’re light enough that they don’t set them off, and they’re helping clear land so families can safely farm and live on it again. Rats. Saving lives.

Tuk tuk adventures. 😂

Massages galore. 🪷

Apsara theater tells stories through every dance. Slow and methodical, every movement means something. 🎶

And Phare Circus just felt real. There were a few little mistakes here and there, but it was so fun and full of energy. You could tell the performers were having a good time too. 🎪

Finding the nuances and the energy of a place is what makes a trip really special. That’s what I’m always after. 🦋

Apsara theater tells stories through every dance. Slow and methodical, every movement means something.

And Phare Circus just felt real. There were a few little mistakes here and there, but it was so fun and full of energy. You could tell the performers were having a good time too. 🎪

Finding the nuances and the energy of a place is what makes a trip really special. That’s what I’m always after. 🌿✨

07/10/2026

Angkor Wat. Bayon. Ta Prohm. Today we got to stand in all three. 🇰🇭

It is hard to put into words what it feels like to walk through history this old. To learn the stories behind these places and then actually stand inside them. You can read about it and see the photos, but the energy of it is something else.

Some areas felt like walking straight into an Indiana Jones movie. Roots wrapped around stone, tucked away corners, that feeling of discovering something. And others were so serene I just wanted to stop and take it all in.

Three temples. Three completely different feelings.

This is why I love diving into the culture of a place. The landmark is just the start. It’s the history, the energy and the stories that stay with you. 🌿✨

06/10/2026

Day 4 1.0 in Cambodia. Back at the Kids Play International site for the Let’s Play Fair program. 🌧️⚾

The energy was so vibrant. It was pouring when we got there and the whole area ended up flooded. And the coaches did not skip a beat. The kids stayed engaged, we all stayed in it, and honestly we were having the best time.

The kids had spent a month learning baseball, so we all got to practice together. The volunteers and the older kids played together, brought together by sport. By the end the rain had cleared and memories were made.

Rain, mud and all, it was a wonderful experience.🤍

05/10/2026

Day 3 2.0 - We had the opportunity to visit the Kampong Phluk floating village today. What an experience to witness a lifestyle on the water.

Then it started absolutely pouring on us. Lightning and all.

It made me realize what it would actually be like to live out there in those conditions. They’ve had a lot of rain here lately, so there’s been quite a bit of flooding. For the people who live here, this is just everyday life.

And then the rain stopped and everything opened up.

It was a Sunday. Back home, so much of our life pauses on Sundays. Here, Sunday is just another day of living and working. The locals were out and about, selling items and swinging by their neighbors’ places. Life kept moving.

Such a cool experience. One I won’t forget.

Have you ever had a moment while traveling that made you see everyday life differently?

TravelWithPurpose

04/10/2026

Day 3 1.0 in Cambodia. This one deserves its own post. 🤍

We spent the day at the site of Kids Play International for their Play Fair Community Day, celebrating World Mental Health Day. And the joy. I cannot even begin to describe the joy.

Play is so important. No matter what age you are. Watching kids run, laugh and completely lose themselves in a game reminded me of something I think a lot of us forget as adults. Play is not frivolous. It is essential.

And underneath all of that joy is some seriously important work.

Tracy brings such incredible depth to the Siem Reap community here. Beyond the games, KPI supports education and partners with organizations working on things that matter deeply in this country. A women’s resource center focused on reproductive health. A21, fighting s*x trafficking, which is unfortunately far too common here. Organizations promoting women’s rights. PEPY, empowering Cambodian youth. This Life Cambodia, building soft skills for the next generation.

It is just as important to build a strong mind as it is to build a strong body.

I am so appreciative to be here. To witness this. To see what it actually looks like when an organization shows up for a community with this much intention and heart. 🌍✨

03/10/2026

Day 2. Road trip day. 🚐

Phnom Penh to Siem Reap today and it was so fun to just be on the country roads watching the Cambodian countryside roll by. No rush. Just good conversation and actually getting to see this country instead of flying over it.

So excited for the next few days. We are about to dive deep into the local culture and I cannot wait to share the journey.

More to come. 🇰🇭✨

02/10/2026

Day 1 in Cambodia. 🕯️🪷🦋

Cultural awareness does not always mean sunshine and rainbows. Sometimes it means standing in the truth of what actually happened somewhere, no matter how heavy that truth is.

We went at the Royal Palace. Beautiful. Full of history. And we also went to Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and Choeung Ek, one of the many killing fields where 17,000 lives were taken under the Khmer Rouge regime.

I am someone who feels energy deeply…and to try to describe what I felt today…

At Tuol Sleng I found myself alone in one of the rooms at one point. The heaviness was immediate. So many lives lost. So much hatred absorbed into those walls. It literally sat on my chest.

Then we went to the killing fields. Fragments of clothing still surface from the ground as you walk. And yet somehow there was this strange peaceful serenity around the water. Butterflies everywhere. I kept imagining the innocent souls who never got to leave that place. But the vibration there was different. Softer. I still do not fully have the words for it.

Two places. Both tied to the same dark chapter. And yet they carried completely different energies.

Genocide should never happen. Anywhere. To anyone. Learning about it in different corners of the world is how we make sure history does not quietly repeat itself.

History in every form teaches us something. It connects us to other cultures. It opens our eyes.

As we begin this journey and look toward everything beautiful still ahead of us, today reminded me why I do this work the way I do it.

Connection with self. Connection with others. Connection with nature. Connection with the world around us.

All of it matters. Especially the hard parts. 🤍

29/09/2026

If you are looking to feel safe and confident while adventuring, I’d love for you to join me 🙌🙌

Be prepared when adventure takes you off the beaten path! 🏔️⛑️

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