Getting off the grid. Going to Cambodia.

There's a lot to dislike about Cambodia. Poverty, hunger, and corruption are all rampant. Crossing the border is a pain in the ASS. There's no such thing as health and safety laws. Ground travel is always hard, as most of the roads look to have been built around the late 60's.

But my first day back in my little beach town, I was reminded why I returned. It's hard to explain without sounding a little pretentious, but it's the first place I've been to in a long time that felt real.

What do I mean by real?

Well, I think that in this modern world it's become hard to find something that's not polished and glazed over to resemble everything else. We westerners have a tendency to embrace the facade; we go to a foreign country and then eat only Burger King and Mcdonald's. We visit somewhere exotic, then expect the locals to speak perfect English. We spend so much time and energy getting as far away from home as possible, and then seek out all things familiar.

And so many people encourage this behavior that when you truly want to get away... there just aren't many options left. It's gotten so bad that I find myself fleeing from places with Mcdonald's, and movie theatres, and Disney gift shops. I've run from paved roads, and shopping malls, and women with little chihuahuas inside Gucci handbags. I've run from big screen TV's and people who talk about what embarrassing thing celebrities are doing now. I've run and run and now... I've arrived.