Something I’ve always enjoyed is watching the animated shorts that StoryCorps makes from some of their recordings. I’d say that’s the idea behind putting everything up here.
A while ago, my grandma sent me the first couple chapters of what ended up being a six part story about her life. The entire story is here for mostly self-reference, but also in hopes that other people can read it too (because my grandma definitely isn’t the type to go pushing around her life story).
I think anyone who’s lucky enough to have their grandparents still with them should take the time to learn more about their heritage. When you’re growing up, you usually only hear the short funny stories that they tell you to make you laugh, but I think it’s not often you hear the more serious ones since they assume that it’ll be boring or take too long. I guarantee you, though, that you’ll find something you would’ve regretted not ever knowing. In the case of my grandma, that would’ve been a lot—and that’s an understatement.
Foreword
Growing up in Kompong Cham, Cambodia, life was simple yet deeply rooted in tradition. I can still picture the quiet, peaceful days in my hometown, where the rhythm of daily life filled with warmth and community.
For twenty eight years, Cambodia was my universe, a land of profound beauty and rich culture. It was there that I learned the values of perseverance and hope, lessons that would guide me through a life of unexpected twists and turns.
But the peace of my childhood began to unravel as political turmoil began to grip the nation. In the mid-1970s, the Khmer Rouge rose to power, and the Cambodia I knew began to vanish. Families were torn apart, lives were uprooted, and our society began to fray under the unimaginable cruelty. Although I left Cambodia just three weeks before the tragedy, the stories of those who remained haunt me to this day.
When I left Cambodia, I carried with me more than memories, I carried the essence of my heritage. Over the next fifty years, living in three different countries, I would adapt to new cultures, overcome challenges, and discover a world both vast and deeply interconnected.
Spending five years in Africa was a transformative chapter. There, I encountered a culture where many lived in poverty, yet their lives were filled with peace and contentment. Despite residing in small huts with few possessions, people embraced happiness with open hearts, finding joy in simple things and expressing gratitude without complaint.
Moving to the United States brought both freedom and the challenge of forging a new identity from scratch. Life was hard, with language barriers making it difficult to achieve my goals, but I found a land full of opportunities and endless chances to grow. Every step required perseverance, but each success, no matter how small, brought me closer to realizing my dreams.
After nearly forty years abroad, returning and living in Cambodia was like stepping into a familiar yet unrecognizable world. The scars left by the Khmer Rouge regime were everywhere in the faces of survivors, in the broken families, and in the hearts of people who had learned not to trust. The vibrant, hopeful culture I remembered from my childhood had changed. Years of suffering had stripped away innocence, replacing it with a hard-earned resilience. Although in the midst of this transformation, the spirit of Cambodia remained strong, enduring, and determined to rebuild.
This is the story of a life lived between worlds. I invite you to walk with me through the vibrant streets of my childhood, across oceans, and into the heart of a journey defined by joy, loss, and the enduring power of hope.