I have been in Siem Reap, Cambodia for almost a week & already love it. Siem Reap is a big city with a small city feel, which is my favorite type of place.

I am volunteering at Up2U bar, which is right off the famous Pub Street in the heart of Siem Reap. In exchange for volunteering from 8 pm – 1 am 6 days a week, I get a private room at Downtown Siem Reap Hostel (which has a pool & is amazing), free drinks at the bar all night, a bicycle & one meal a day. So basically, it’s a pretty sweet gig.

My new favorite meal- Yellow Noodles with veggies & a fried egg with a glass of Cambodian Beer. Actual cost: $3 Cost for me: Free

For work, the staff & I pass out flyers that offer a free shot to people on Pub Street. In theory, the work is really easy with a high payout. Though for me it has been a learning curve. It forces me out of my natural instinct to be shy. The first couple of nights, I felt really uncomfortable and embarrassed by approaching complete strangers on the street, but then I realized that I am probably not going to see them again & I am offering something valuable (I mean who doesn’t want a free shot?) so it has slowly become easier. Plus I have made a ton of new friends through the job, including other promoters, Cambodian staff, staff at my hostel & expats. The bar is owned by an expat from France, so a lot of regulars come in for a drink.

Here’s a picture of a picture of me & the owner of a reggae bar next to ours.

The Up2U staff took a trip to Phnom Kraom to watch the sunset!

Since I have the whole day to myself, I relax & do exactly what I want that day. Aww the joys of solo traveling. I relax by the pool, read, write in my journal, edit the blog, take bike rides through the city, visit cafes & most importantly- eat the delicious food. It has a small town feel to me because of the large expat community here. As I ride through the city, I am continuously waving & running into people I know.

My wonderful bike. She doesn’t have a name yet, so I am open to suggestions.

I came to Siem Reap committing to one week of work, but I think I will spend a few weeks here. It’s the perfect place to unwind, write & save money.