Location: Vietnam, Southeast Asia
“Goooooooood morning Vietnam! It’s 0600 hours. What does the “O” stand for? O my God, it’s early!”
In case you’ve missed the last few posts, I’m in Vietnam! I’ve now been in the country for about 2 weeks and have yet to write a ‘story’ on the blog. And you might be wondering why that is. The reason is actually quite simple: I’m having too much fun!
Before this whole adventure was ever a serious possibility, I had never given much thought to visiting Southeast Asia. However, it became abundantly clear that this corner of the world was THE destination for backpackers and budget travellers alike. So I figured I would do the backpacker trifecta: Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. In truth, I had mixed feelings about visiting Asia: while the Google Images I pulled up looked amazing, it didn’t ignite a spark of curiosity within in me. Vietnam, however, was the only country in the area that had a glimmer of interest for me: visions of locals in conical hats, savoury dishes & exotic landscapes danced in my head, a nostalgic reel of days gone past. I have Hollywood to thank for that, really.
I’ve had a lot of time this winter to reflect on my travels, where I’ve been and where I want to go. One lesson I learned pretty clearly: only travel to places that excite you! It may seem like a simple concept. However, it’s surprisingly easy to get swept away in the idea of a destination versus the destination itself.
So I made an executive decision and revised my vague concept of a travel plan: I would skip Thailand and Cambodia, visit Vietnam for a few weeks before heading back to Europe.
As I sat in the plane, I had butterflies, something that hadn’t happened for quite some time on this trip. AS we got closer, I was starting to get excited. I just had a feeling about Vietnam. I couldn’t quite explain it. But I just knew. I knew it was going to be something special.
And look at that, I was right! Vietnam is simply wonderful! It’s completely different from anywhere I’ve ever visited. Traveling the country isn’t easy; you need to work at it, it’s challenging, often frustrating. But that makes the rewards even more sweet. This country is anything but boring.
Long story short, Vietnam is a wonderful surprise and I’m having a blast! I promise, more details are coming!