While I lived in Cambodia, I had the privilege to learn the language of the Cambodian people called Khmer. As you have probably guessed, since I am writing this, I really like to communicate with other people. As a person who loves communication, I was overjoyed at the possibility to learn a new language and culture. Learning Khmer was honestly one of my favorite things living in Cambodia! When you allow yourself to be dedicated to learning a new language in a new place, you tell the people that you want to connect with them not just in the way that is convenient and comfortable for you. You humble yourself to learn as a child and in that act you show love.
One of the things I learned quickly about the Khmer language is that not many definitions are entirely straightforward. In the Khmer language, the word for adventure translates into more of a picture that anything else. One of my Cambodian friends told me that if you directly translate each word that goes into it, the meaning is “going through the forest with a machete and no clear direction.” I like to think that something in my head switched when I heard this for the first time, like some kind of chemical reaction kicked in that had been dormant for years. To see life for what it is, a wild trek that we all take with some very certain guiding points, but a whole lot of jungle brush surrounding us giving us two options. You can either sit and wait for everything to happen, or we can cut through the uncertainty and fight to find the destiny we have hoped and dreamed for.
Adventure isn’t something that just happens. It is also not just designated for special moments that only happen every so often. I believe that every moment is teeming with adventurous potential and only some people train their eyes to see it. Finding the adventure around you doesn’t require that much extra effort, but it does require a bit of training. To hear the songs playing all around you, to see the beautiful moment that is crying out to be appreciated, to taste the new flavors of a place you have never been, to feel the gentle breeze calling you into a greater moment or to smell the rain on the pavement and remember childhood once again. Adventure is all around, we just need to be aware.
Since the awakening of my own adventurous spirit began, I have done some wild things that may have been reckless, but I want to have a space to share those moments with others. My desire is to create a space where you can read about my adventures, begin to plan some of your own, and share your own adventures here! That this adventurous heart would sweep through you and give you freedom to fully enjoy the wild life that you have!
If you are interested in contributing a story of an adventure you’ve had, send it to me at darek.collard@gmail.com!
Dare To Be Derek 