While the majority of San Luis Obispo High School students were desperately scrambling to prepare for their finals, senior Kyra Lauritzen was getting a jumpstart on her Thanksgiving break. It may sound like she’s just playing hookie, buy there is legitimate purpose behind her vacation.

“Im traveling to Cambodia with my mom, little sister and little brother to pick up my older brother after two years of not seeing him!” said Lauritzen. In addition to being reunited with her brother, Lauritzen is taking her time to enjoy all the beauty and culture that Cambodia has to offer.

“So far my favorite part has been the lush beaches and the Tuk-tuk rides through the cities but overall everything is pretty amazing,” said Lauritzen.

 While learning from the positive aspects of the Cambodian culture, she also took the opportunity to familiarize herself with the country’s current struggles and war torn past.

“One sad thing is that the history of their people is so sad and long, i.e. the Khmer Rouge & the Cambodian genocide, so their society is very lacking in infrastructure and literacy amongst other things, plus significant corruption within the government,” she added.

Being in the described “happiest city in America”, it’s easy to take for granted the affluency that comes with living in such an advanced nation. Even though she’d only been there for a week, Lauritzen noted the striking cultural differences between Cambodia and San Luis Obispo.

“It’s a third world country so life here is quite different than the tidy lives we live in in the United States. One thing I love is how helpful and united the Kmher people are, as well as how happy they are with so little,” she said.  

While she couldn’t be here to experience the glory of finals week, Lauritzen is no doubt getting access to an alternative form of cultural and historical education.

“I definitely recommend people to travel to Cambodia because it’s so beautiful and the culture is so different. It really grants you new perspective,” she said.