)O( Reclaiming December )O(

I'm honestly at a loss.  I have been through so much shit in my life with family, friends, people I loved, etc, especially around the holidays.  December used to always be this extremely energy intensive time for me.  I would make the best of it, of course, but it was exhausting, often demoralizing, always triggering, and expensive.  This year was so different from all of those struggles that I am only halfway through processing my experience.
The network I have built here in Cambodia is magnificent.  I have friends all over the city, and due to how people tend to come and go, I have friends all over the world.  Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Kazakhstan, South Africa, England, France, Netherlands, Australia, Indonesia..... the list goes on.  The longer I stay here, the more I feel at home, and the more I feel a part of the international community.  
This year I cooked for 40 people on Christmas Day at my dojo, VIlla Martial Arts.  My friend V was my only assistant, and she's amazing in the kitchen.  We had SO much fun.  Everyone did.  At the height of the party the boys literally did a drunken merry jig.  It was picture-perfect, cheesy, and hilarious.  Every single scrap of food and drop of wine was finished at the end of the night.  
Then on New Year's Eve we hung out at Villa's bar the entire night.  I even sent our gym leader home and took over the bar until 7am.  I did readings for several friends, and it gave me nostalgia for when I was a hired reader at New Year's Eve parties back in LA.  It was so wholesome and fun.  
Can't forget to mention how much fun me and my Kenyan bestie Alvine have been having, every weekend.  He got me this monofin for decemberween and I'm very pleased with it!  Mermaid adventures coming in 2024!
As happy as I am, it is also really deep and profound to see how far I've come from a dark place. My life back in the states was harrowing as fuck, and distance from it is creating perspective.  There are so many everyday things that have changed for me on top of all this wholesome goodness.  It's amazing, and its definitely changing me for the better.  Whew, out of time again.  Stay tuned for the Dragon Year.  I have a feeling I will be getting back to my sexy content and more adventures!