My Cambodian Adventure
I recently settled back in England after living in Cambodia for 8 months. What an experience, I was very sad to leave. It was a transformational period for me. Marking a move away from fast fashion suppliers and into more fulfilling areas. Everyday was a learning experience, about my own capabilities, it’s amazing to see what you can achieve when you commit to something new and believe in yourself.
Living abroad had been on my life goals list for some time, so I was really happy when the opportunity came for me to work and live in a place like Cambodia. I took the leap of faith to consult for an ethical garment manufacturer based in Phnom Penh. They needed someone to create tech packs for them and help their clients develop range designs.
Creating tech packs and designing is something I have become specialised in over my years spent working in suppliers, so I felt very comfortable taking on this role.
I met with some clients to talk through ideas, others we chatted via email and text. It was a joy to grow those relationships. This is what I love, real connections that last, beyond your project.
On top of this I also taught weekly pattern cutting, sewing and colour theory lessons at Raffles International Collage. As a teaching newbie it was challenging, I have a major new found respect for all teachers.
Most of all I can't believe how much teaching, taught me. I had to always keep that one step ahead, and tap into skills I‘d not used for a while. Sometimes getting through each lesson felt like an achievement, but when a class went really well I felt elated. I got emotional when it was time to say goodbye to my students. They made so much progress in 6 months, I felt very proud.
It’s nice to be back to a bit of normality at home, but sometimes I have to remind myself that it all really happened. There’s a lot of things I miss about Cambodia already. The people we met there and the food mainly.
I’m happy to have made new connections half way across the world. I am happy to also still be working closely with the ethical manufacturer, just from a little further away.
Cambodia has given me the confidence to fully launch my services, and for that I will always be grateful.
