The Journey Begins in Saigon

Hello from Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam! I have safely arrived.

To say the last few weeks and days have been a whirlwind would be an understatement. My brain is still working to process it all. In the last few weeks I’ve left my job of 6+ years, attended 6 family Christmas celebrations, squeezed in several farewell gatherings with friends, crossed off a long packing and travel prep to-do list, and tried to soak in as much love from and quality time with my husband and pups as I could. Ringing in the New Year from my cozy and familiar little corner of the world knowing that in a few hours I would be leaving this easily navigable life behind, definitely brought a new perspective to new beginnings in the New Year.

Let the journey begin. Train from Osceola to Chicago on January 1.

After welcoming 2019, we caught a few hours of sleep and drove to the Osceola train station. Until this point the notion that the Get Busy Living Tour was actually beginning after 1 1/2 years of planning and that I would be gone for the next 7 months was surreal. While hugging Bobby and saying our goodbyes reality hit me like a tidal wave and the tears came and my heart ached as it sunk in. I put on my best brave face, dried my tears and with just my carry-on sized backpack and a small personal bag, I stepped onto the Chicago bound train just after 8:00 am. Wow-that was hard and even thinking about it makes my eyes well and brings a lump to my throat. For the duration of the 7 hour train ride to Chicago my emotions vacillated between being sad and anxious, to relieved and excited to start this journey, to slightly questioning this whole plan we had just put into action. I began my 15 hour flight to Taipei at 12:20 am on January 2nd. After a brief 1 ½ hour layover in Taipei, I had a 3 hour flight to Ho Chi Minh City and arrived around 10:00 am on January 3rd. It took another 2 hours at the airport for my VISA to be processed and to get through the long immigration lines. I ordered a car through Grab (equivalent to an Uber) who dropped me off in the vicinity of my Airbnb, but I did not see my Airbnb anywhere in sight. After wandering for about 10 minutes, a kind young local provided directions down a side street to where I found and checked into my little studio around 1:30 pm. I was relieved and jet-lag soon hit me like a ton of bricks. After a much needed shower, I crashed from 2:00 pm-7:00 pm. With no physical or mental energy to leave my room to find an ATM and food. I sustained myself with Goldfish crackers and trail mix. I woke up for a short period, Facetimed with Bobby and then crashed again from 10:30 pm – 6:30 am waking up to start the day fresh on January 4th.

View from my room and of my private balcony.

As I try to comprehend my surroundings, it seems unreal that 10 years ago this same month (January 2009), I landed in Thailand to begin my semester long study abroad experience. That was my first introduction to overseas travel and Southeast Asia. That semester changed my life and laid the foundation for my love and desire to explore the beauty of the world around me. It exposed and primed me to the dizzying and alluring chaos that is Southeast Asia. Without that foundation, I don’t think I would have had the courage

to start this solo adventure here. Even so, the first couple of days brought self-doubt and fear in my ability to tackle even the seemingly small daily tasks such as figuring out currency, language barriers, ordering food, navigating my way around the city or simply crossing the street while hundreds of motorbikes dodge at you with no intentions to stop. The first couple of mornings I had to psyche myself up to even leave my room to explore the quiet, Vietnamese neighborhood I purposefully sought out for its location away from the touristy areas and therefore more authentic. The trade-off is waking up to less familiar and recognizable sights and comforts. I’ve had to remind myself that I didn’t learn to love or how to navigate Thailand in my first 2 days there either and I had the added benefit of an instructor and other students from my school to learn with and from before I was comfortable traveling the country on my own.

In these first few days I am learning to grant myself grace to tackle this journey at my own pace, and to celebrate each victory no matter how seemingly small. It is okay to not know all the answers and to make mistakes, but it is not okay to not try or lean into the moments of discomfort. In fact, it is okay to allow ourselves to sit in discomfort as it is often in those moments where we learn and grow the most. In sharing with my family and friends about my upcoming journey, I never romanticized it because I knew doing this solo would be incredibly difficult, but also so rewarding. As each day passes and I learn to lean into the discomfort and to trust myself more, I can feel my confidence growing. I am starting to fall in love with Saigon. I can feel the brave, adventurous spirit that has always been a part of me awaken and damn it feels good!

I look forward to sharing more of my adventures with you soon.

Get Busy Living!

Anna

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