01

A Cambodian Sunset, Where the Journey Began

The first thing that struck me after landing in Siem Reap was the color of the sky. The air at the end of the dry season was so clear that the sunset behind the temples reached all the way to the water’s surface, turning the entire world a deep orange. I remember just standing there, camera forgotten, unable to do anything but take it in.

But looking back, what stayed with me most wasn’t the grandeur of the temples themselves. It was a few minutes I spent with one child, further along the trip.

02

“I Don’t Need It”

This happened in Kampong Phluk, a floating village on the edge of Tonle Sap Lake. One day, I gave a hamburger to a local child. Back in Japan, I’d assumed a kid would just dig in on the spot.

This child was different.

“I’m taking this home to my mom.”

And with that, they cradled the burger carefully in both hands and headed home. The wish to feed their family came before the wish to eat, right then, themselves. Watching that moment, something in my chest tightened.

Maybe wealth isn’t measured by how much you have — it’s measured by how much you think of others. That’s what this small moment left me with.

03

“You change. We change.”

The flooded forest of Kampong Phluk

This is a phrase I came across in Cambodia. Small, individual actions ripple outward — they change the people around us, and slowly, they change society.

It’s not a call to volunteer. It’s about offering a smile. Respecting local culture. Paying a fair price when you shop. Thanking the people you meet along the way. Small actions like these, repeated, become part of someone else’s future. Both the traveler and the community they visit can change each other — for the better. It was a genuinely hopeful message.

04

Not Aid, But Connection

Before visiting Cambodia, I’ll admit I carried an image of “a country that needs help.” But the people I actually met welcomed us travelers with warmth and genuine smiles, again and again.

It felt less like I was giving something, and more like I was the one being taught something important. There was a kind of happiness there that convenience and material wealth simply can’t measure.

05

Travel Changes You

Even now, back home, I can’t forget the sight of that child carefully carrying a hamburger home. And “You change. We change.” has stayed with me too.

Travel isn’t only about seeing the scenery. It’s about meeting people, encountering different values, and letting yourself be changed, just a little, in the process. If you ever get the chance to visit Cambodia, don’t stop at the famous temples — talk to the people who live there. I’m certain you’ll bring something meaningful home too.