Kristina Ekman

Student in Athens, Georgia

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My name is Kristina Ekman, and my heart belongs to a boy named SoPheak Tra. I never thought my adventure-driven heart could be tied down to one place. I was too used to the fast-paced lifestyle of San Francisco. My mission trip to Cambodia was meant to be a one-time adventure, after that, I would be onto the next country and exploring the next culture.

Maybe it was the way he adored his faded blue soccer jersey too much to care that it was never washed. Perhaps it was how he played his guitar to cheer up the other orphans. It also could have been the way he laughed giddily when I tried to speak Khmer, or how he found pleasure in the simple game of chop sticks. Whatever it was, I knew I could learn so much from him. His selflessness, joy, and compassion was something only a few people have mastered.

Just two weeks after meeting SoPheak Tra, I felt as though I had improved for the first time. I was more interested in learning, rather than getting "good grades". I started to understand that it's even more rewarding to help others than it is to help yourself. I began to enjoy my time with my friends- without any adventures planned. I was interested in what my surroundings offered me, instead of venturing elsewhere for happiness.

I am now planning my fifth mission trip to this beautiful country over summer, and desperately awaiting to see what SoPheak Tra will teach me this time.

"The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less" - Socrates