Krysada Binly Panusith Phounsiri, better known as Binly, is a community builder, systems engineer, poet, b-boy dancer, and photographer based in San Diego, California.

On his second visit to Laos last month, Binly captured intimate photos of daily life in his parents’ hometown and his birthplace of Huay Xai, the capital of Bokeo province in northwestern Laos.

What was your first reaction visiting your birthplace? 

“The first time I went back to my place of birth was 10 years ago. It was surreal to say the least. My mom was in tears. We hadn’t been there for 16 years. I sat where I was born for a little bit and let the ambiance seep in. I felt like I finally connected with the energy I was born into.

10 years later, I couldn’t go inside the house. We don’t own it anymore. This time around, it was a brief visit. I stood outside feeling good. I was almost convinced that I needed to buy this house and the land back. But the thing with my mom is, she likes to move on and not move back to a house with a lot of memories.”

-Krysada Binly Panusith Phounsiri

Peek the full photo set on Snap Pilots here. Meet Binly and other community creatives and builders at the next Lao American Writers Summit this May 27-28, 2016.

-Chanida Phaengdara Potter, editor@littlelaos.org