Filmmaker Philip Buiser of Two Penguins Productions spent two weeks in Laos documenting the opening of PoP schools and profiling some remarkable people in Lao culture.

And finally:

5. Because 98% of the world population will never see this woman drag fallen tree trunks down a mountainside and burn down her rice fields so that she could replant.  I saw it.  And it changed my life.  And I was wearing a conical rice hat through the entire thing, which, if you know me, is both perfect and hilarious.

4. Because the kid I almost drowned in the river forgave me as soon as he was conscious.

3. Because baw pen nyang trumps hakuna matata any day of the week.

2. Because what we call poverty isn’t always poverty, and what we call wealth isn’t always wealth.

1. Because Laos made me feel like a very small part of a very big world, which is what all of us need to feel every once in a while.  I needed it very desperately.  And I will forever be grateful.

Honorable mention:  because of Daak Fai, Ai B, Ai Nim, Ai Sengtong and Noy.  Miss you guys tons.