Today I awoke to the sound of motorbikes honking. They wove past women balancing baskets of limes, ginger, and tropical fruit. Indiscernible chatter in a foreign tongue followed by laughter echoed up the walls to my window.
Good morning Vietnam.
Less than four decades ago my hippie parents sported long hair and peace signs and protested the war that many Americans and Vietnamese remember daily. In fact even the phrase “enjoy your time in Vietnam” sounds foreign to my mother’s ears.
But wandering the narrow alleys of the Old Quarter
eating streetside pho with the locals
and watching tai chi classes at sunset on the lake
Hanoi does not feel like a place tied down by its past.
It feels like a place of possibility.
And here, in Vietnam’s stunningly dramatic landscape with an intensely painful history
I begin the next chapter in my story.
Where I am the farthest I have ever been from home.
Where I do not speak the language.
Where I am traveling completely on my own.
Where I do not know when I will return.
This story has no synopsis.
I cannot predict what will transpire nor how or when it will end.
But that is exactly
what makes it
an incredible
adventure.
Won’t you come along for the ride?
my favorite post yet, Camille. i literally have chills and this makes me want to go back! i am so excited for what awaits you and am so glad that you already are appreciating Vietnam for everything that i knew you would. 🙂
Aw thanks lady! So excited to share more with you!!!
Ah, glad to see you made it!!! Enjoy every moment!:)
Thanks Marissa!
Can’t wait to see what the adventure holds for you. Be safe and enjoy!
Thank you Jada! 🙂
say Hi to Kuhyn, a friend of mine from Vietnam…she would love english books because the government there won’t allow them into the country. They are still a communist country right?
I enjoy your adventures. It would be even more interesting for me if you made a statement ….somehow, someway, of what you believe.
pretty pictures are just that. what underlies your pics.
Yes Camille! You’re there! So happy to be able to be there with you in a sense. Enjoy the ride girl! xoxox
Thanks Bekka I miss you girl!!!
I was in Vietnam a year ago. I loved it. The sights, the smells, the food. I cannot wait to read more of your journey!
Thanks Danielle! Let me know if you have any recommendations 🙂
Great post and amazing photos!
The Vietnam war is present on everyone’s memory, even here in Europe. It’s something very recent and hard to forget.
I avoided Vietnam during my trip to Asia, I’ve hard it’s not an easy country to travel around, but you photos made me have second thoughts.
Thank you Yara, yes it’s true for many backpackers it’s their least favorite country in SEA. Though I think for me it was largely because it was the first country I went to in this part of the world. I wonder how much more I’d appreciate it now that I don’t have the same level of culture shock anymore.
I just caught onto your site her. I went to Nam last year to do a documentary and I am going again with my daughter(at her request) this February. I saw your site while checking things out on Hoi An. You loved it. So did I. I would like to ask some things about our needs for travel if you have time to respond. Thanks.
Thanks Pierre! Please check this page to send me a private email with any travel questions 🙂
https://www.thisamericangirl.com/work-with-me/