Vietnam Pinterest Board

 All I have to say is: thank God for Pinterest! I have been an addict lately because it is such an easy way to organize my stream of consciousness...especially when it comes to wanderlust. I'm a visual person so writing down places without a picture makes the process of planning more dull and lowers my research morale. So here is my ever-growing collection of places I would like to see in Vietnam:

See on Pinterest here

October 24th, I will be: Sai(gone)

Yesterday, my dad booked my flight! I am officially leaving the evening of October 24. I have a 13.5-hour flight from JFK to Beijing followed by a 2-hour layover and a 5-hour flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Things feel more real every single day. It is going to be an incredibly long and tiresome journey. Luckily, I have three days to recover before I start training for my job. I am very excited that I will be teaching English to young learners. I absolutely love working with children and I can't wait to make an impact on my students.

I've been non-stop reading up on Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam in general. It seems like an absolutely beautiful country, rich in culture and limitless adventure. Unfortunately, my job doesn't allow me to have off on weekends or even two consecutive days off. However, I have a lot of vacation time allotted to me and I will most definitely take advantage of that once I am settled. I'm looking forward to firstly exploring my new home.

Things I'm most excited to explore in my new city:

• Cuisine: I've only had Vietnamese food a few times but I'm extremely open to trying new things and I cannot wait to discover some new favorite dishes
• Vietnamese Coffee: I am a huge coffee guru. I first fell in love with coffee when I traveled to Malaysia with my family 5 years ago. I now love trying coffee from all over the world. I drink my hot coffee black and I like it strong. I've heard Vietnamese coffee is strong, so I can't wait to see for myself
• Fashion: I love experimenting with my style more than anything. All of my friends joke around about some of the ridiculous outfits I come up with. Initially, they don't always trust my purchases but then are usually enamored by the things I come up with (but we all have fashion faux-pas and I'm certainly not an exclusion).
• Exploring the Landscape: Although Ho Chi Minh City is the biggest city in Vietnam, there is still a lot of natural beauty to discover. I cannot wait to cruise the Mekong Delta and see the farmers, the floating markets and the green scenery that surrounds it. I also can't wait to check out the Botanical gardens and see what kinds of exotic plants Vietnam has to offer.
• War History: As an American, it's a little uncomfortable thinking about the brutal history we have in Vietnam (and it really wasn't that long ago). I'm looking forward to seeing the War Remnants museum and reflecting on all the things I've studied about the Vietnam War.
• Beer: It's no Belgium, but as a wannabe beer connoisseur I'm curious to see what Vietnam has to offer in this department. I've also heard it's roughly 50 cents for a pint, so there's really nothing to lose here.
• Spa Trips: $2 manicures? I don't think I need to elaborate on how great this will be.
• Architecture: A great thing about Asia in general is that it's architecture is very different from European/American styles. I'm looking forward to checking out the temples and pagodas, where architectural differences seem to be especially apparent. Yet, on a more familiar note, I am strongly looking forward to seeing the French influences in Vietnamese architecture (like the Central Post Office and Notre-Dame Cathedral).

Travel Inspiration

Holly Golightly

Breakfast at Tiffany's is my favorite movie. Prostitution aside, I see a large part of Holly Golightly in myself. I was born with an enormous sense of curiosity and am rarely phased by anything. For better or for worse, I am such a drifter. The idea of an extremely structured life is unappealing to me--at least at 21. Thus, I am off to see the world, fearlessly grasping onto opportunities that allow me to travel. I have lived abroad before (Leuven, Belgium), however I am in the midst of planning a year in Asia, where I know absolutely no one and will be completely fending for myself. I am an extremely independent person but when it comes to a comfortable lifestyle, I have always been cared for. It will be a ruthlessly exciting adventure to be cut off from my known security and wander into an unknown world.