Vietnam Reflections

Reasons I fell in love with Vietnam

1) The food – I am a big foodie, and the Vietnamese food in Vietnam will not disappoint. What I found so amazing about the culinary scene is that it changes from North Vietnam to the South, and there are certain dishes. like cao lao, that you can only get in certain cities. Try a banh mi in the North, Central and South and you will see what I am talking about… everything from the meats, sauces and toppings are all different. There are also so many dishes in Vietnam that you don’t hear about in the US, which makes it fun and exciting. You can also try delicacies there like frog (I tried it and it was actually so good), duck embryo, and even goat (tried this too, was not a fan).

2) The activities – I am an adventurer at heart, no doubt, but I knew I needed down time as well. Vietnam offers so many different activities and can really suit anyone. You can enjoy the bustling city life in Hanoi or Saigon, relax on the beach in Hoi An, go on a mountain adventure in Phong Nha and much more. I felt like I had such a great mix of activities… I am not the girl to sit on the beach for a week – I need exercise and adventure and Vietnam’s activities and different landscapes throughout the country are truly spectacular.

3) The people – I would be lying if I said I didn’t get ripped off once or twice, but overall, 9/10 people were extremely nice and helpful. The people in hospitality and tourism in Vietnam are really something else. They make you feel so special and are definitely willing to go out of their way to make sure you are happy.

4) The safety – I never once felt unsafe. I walked around every city alone and never did I feel uneasy.

5) The prices – There’s nothing better than going to a country where you don’t feel like you’re spending an arm and a leg. I am in between jobs (means no paychecks) and I wanted to be conscientious of my spending and in Vietnam, the USD goes a long way. I got $30 2-hour massages, $10 manicures, and custom boots for $95. Not to mention, almost all my meals were under $5. If you want to be healthy, don’t worry…there are juice stands everywhere and for $1 you can get a fresh juice or smoothie.

Questions from others....

Why did you want to go to Vietnam? What lessons from your travels do you want to carry forward with you? Were you lonely?

One of the biggest teachings that I learned while traveling around Vietnam was that you don’t have to have the most of everything to live a happy life. I know that seems like common sense, but in US society, there is propaganda and billions of dollars spent in advertising across all media channels to tell us that we need to have a certain thing or look a certain way in order to be happy. I watched my homestay family’s children play… with NO toys. They didn’t even have any in the house. They just played among each other. It was such a stark contrast to American kids where they have a room solely designated for toys. Hong’s kids were so happy just playing together, and it was so beautiful to watch.  I have gone through phases in my life where I felt like if I had that specific thing, then maybe I would be happier. But, what I have come to learn as I have gotten older is those things create a split second of happiness and don’t bring you everlasting joy. Lastly, I am not saying that either one is right or wrong re:toys, but it was a good reminder to myself that I don’t always need to everything to live a fulfilling life.

This leads me to my next topic - authenticity. It was one of the reasons that I wanted to travel to Vietnam in the first place… because so much of the country – its food, people, countryside, etc – are still authentic. It’s also my theme of 2018 for myself – remaining authentic to who I am and owning it. While tourism is picking up in Vietnam, it’s no where near the level of Paris or Rome and it's really amazing getting to explore in a country where everything is still in its natural state (for the most part/comparatively speaking). This made the trip challenging due to language barriers or lack of signs, but it also made it more gratifying and rewarding. The country was in it’s natural element, and I loved every bit of it. There was peace in chaos.  This trip forced me to step outside my comfort zone. I had to listen more carefully, and accept that everything wasn’t going to be perfect.

The last theme from my trip is gratitude. There’s no doubt that when I travel I am always grateful to have the time, energy and money to do so. Traveling to a country where people make as much in a month as you do in a day is always eye opening. We tend to get comfortable and forget how blessed we are with all the luxuries we have, and my travels to Vietnam were a great reminder to always be grateful whether it’s a bad day or a good day. 

Was I lonely?

Not once. I didn't mind traveling by myself at all. Frankly, it was quite relaxing. I could take a nap when I wanted to, go on a tour when I wanted, and make my own schedule. I am a firm believer that until you are content on your own, that you can't truly love another person. Having self-fulfillment is really important in my opinion. It's an amazing thing when you learn to venture around a country alone. It forces you to step outside your bubble and meet people and ask questions and I love bringing that mentality back to the states. Everything in the world is made up of energy, and if you emanate positive energy with a sense of openness to people around you, beautiful things come out of it.  Traveling alone is awesome, because you end up talking to random strangers and meeting people from all over the globe. From my travels in Vietnam, I now have new friends who I could easily contact in the US, Australia, Dubai, and of course, Vietnam. Just because I traveled alone doesn't mean that I was living in a shell and didn't speak to people. If anything, I spoke to more people. And when you're traveling solo, you often meet other solo travelers and then link up to do things together. It's amazing to hear everyone's stories. I love self reflection, and this 3 week solo trip really allowed me some mental space. I am so busy and social all the time in the US, having a break to myself and adhering to my own needs and wants was so humbling and gratifying (if you can't tell by this sentence I am clearly a people pleaser, which very much needs to be balanced with doing things for myself). Don't be scared to travel alone. Take the risk. You will be surprised what stepping out of your comfort zone will teach you about yourself, humanity and another country.