Differences.

Oh man, who knew that the holidays season would differ so drastically being in Vietnam? Christmas and New Years had a vibe that I was not anticipating. Maybe it was due to me not having exposure to anywhere else but America. In America, we fill the holidays with errands, presents, and celebrations. Whereas here, it is about presence over presents. That is if you get Christmas off. Due to communism in Vietnam, Christian holidays are not celebrated but actually punished for. They will enforce students to go to school that day and have exams be taken to not allow students to skip. For adults, you would be extremely lucky to have that day off, only if you are working for an international employer. I wasn't anticipating this as I was looking forward to spending time with my family assuming they would be off and we would all be at my grandma's enjoying each other's company. Due to the Lack of the holiday spirit, it made me miss home extremely. I was yearning for what I have known - celebrations with friends, attending Christmas mass and listening to holiday music, experiencing the holiday lights. 

This was a prime example of me living inside my bubble and I didn't want to step outside of it and embrace the new. Although I have been exposed to so much during my time in SE Asia, every once in a while it would hit me and leave me nostalgic for home. For my people, my places, where I felt like o had a sense of control. This holiday season required me to let go and let God, and have an open heart to a new way to celebrate. I had to remember the main reason why we were celebrating, which was Jesus's birth. That reminder enabled me to bring peace to myself after several breakdowns. 

I was blessed to celebrate Christmas this year with my grandma, aunts & uncles, cousins and my mom. What a joy it was to fill my grandma's home with so much love and laughter. To know that all of us being there made my grandma happy, filled my heart tremendously. 

Celebrating in Saigon:

Beach trip in Long Hai Christmas Eve:

Christmas Eve mass:

The view reminded me of home - mountain at the top of grandma's house:

Christmas Day feast:

Picking mangos from my grandma's front yard:

26.

As my 25th year came to an end last week, there was so much that happened in the past year to leave me feeling extremely blessed. 

A wise friend once told me on my birthday that 25 will be a life changing year for me. Little did I know or could predict the series of events that would occur.  A year filled with learning what being vulnerable meant and allowing people into my circle of trust so they could help me heal. I gained courage to ask for help from others and accepted the fact that it was okay to not be okay. I let go of being such a perfectionist and having unrealistic expectations for myself. I celebrated the small victories of each day. Soon, I was having more good days than bad days. The sun seemed to be shining a lighter brighter in my life. I wasn't trying so hard to be happy, but it came naturally now. 

After gaining self confidence in myself, I needed to push myself to grow and step outside my comfort zone. I left behind a job that I enjoyed and people that cared about me to pursue my personal goals. I was walking into the unknown. As scary as that was, I knew I needed to make the leap. If I failed, it would be okay. It would be a learning opportunity. 

I would start a new chapter of my life with someone with the intention that a future together was possible. I was cautious in making this decision, but everything aligned itself to make it right for me & I had to go with my heart. He inspires me to grow and encourages me to dream endlessly. He is so gracious & caring, but most importantly, loves me at my worst unconditionally. 

So on the eve of my 26th birthday in Phu Quoc, he asked me to spend the rest of my life with him. I said, yes absolutely. It felt like a fairytale. I could not have asked for a better way to end 25 & start my 26th year. 

Gratitude.

This time of year has me reflecting on how blessed my life is and I am so grateful for all the life events in the past year that has brought me to this point in my life. 

Thankful for my faith that has strengthened my belief that their is hope for a brighter, better future. 

Thankful for my family that have challenged me to love in ways that I didn't know were possible. 

Thankful for my wonderful group of friends who have walked with me during a difficult season of my life  & never gave up on me. 

Thankful for my darkness to help me grow and believe in the lightness in my life. 

Thankful for the endless amount of grace presented in my life. 

Thankful for the adversities that have challenged me to grow. 

Thankful for my partner in life who has shown me what love means. 

Thankful for hope. 

Thankful for 25. What a year it has been. 

Nha Trang:

Da Nang:

Hoi An:

Missing my parents tremendously. 

First thanksgiving abroad. 

Perspective.

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough troubles of its own." - Matthew 6:34

This bible verse has been repeating itself in my head countless times over the part month, but how difficult it is to grasp this concept and practice it fully! My life recently has been a struggle learning to balance living in the presence while not thinking too far ahead into the future. Having a personality that always wants to stay organized and planned has not allowed me to let go of worrying. Slowly I am learning to trust & let go - to trust in the plan The Lord has for me, to trust that every situation presented to me has a reason, so that I may stretch myself outside of my comfort zone and grow better as a human being. 

God has allowed me to experience what it is like to live in another part of the world, and so much I have learned from it! What matter to people in Vietnam are so far different than Americans. Witnessing the difficulties of someone trying to find food and clean water to survive through a day breaks my heart. My heart has been called to help the people in need and support them in any way I can. I have been learning to let go of my own expectations and appreciating what I have. In the end, it's the little things that matter most to me. Being able to make someone smile fills my heart with joy. 

While I am still learning and growing, my perspective on life is slowly expanding. My struggles have been a healing process over the past year, but I have hope & faith that God has a far greater plan for me than I can imagine. 

My time this past month has been in Saigon which has tested my strength & patience because It is filled with people who do not believe in the compassion for others & the environment. All I can do is play my part to make this world a better place and educate others hoping to make a difference along the way. 

While being able to experience what life is like in Saigon, my adventures have been filled with understanding what the domesticated life is like and indulging in all the foods the city has to offer. 

Banh bot loc - my favorite!

Purchasing fresh fruits right outside the house - how crazy!

Homemade lunch at my grandma's - visits to my grandma's are the best:

Fresh logans from my uncle's place!

Jackfruit plants galore in my aunt's backyard: 

Learning how to build bird cages:

Coconut sweet rice!:

Peeling jackfruit!:

Favorite late night sticky rice cart:

Notre Dame cathedral:

Street food in an alleyway in district 1:

Playing cards with Son's grandma:

With my aunt & cousin:

Cutie pup:

Vacation - Part 2.

Apologies for this much delayed blog post - life has been so hectic that I haven't had much down time. Being able to find the balance between being present and planning the future is soooo stressful.  

Who knew how well I would survive going on vacation without thoroughly planning it & being organized about my travel plans? Well, let's say it was definitely a growing & learning experience for me! I am so grateful to be an American and hold a U.S. Passport - the power that it has when visiting other countries make me so blessed. The amount of restrictions I have when visiting other countries is limited compared to so many other nations where they have to go through more loopholes to enjoy the luxuries that I have. Definitely thankful & proud to be an American. 

Phuket, Thailand - 

What a dreamy city you are! Lined with an endless amount of beaches all along its coast, sounds like my type of va action spot! We were able to rent a motorbike and navigate our way through this beautiful island filled with so many breathtaking viewpoints. Being able to travel on our own and not be on a time schedule allowed us to be in the moment and take everything in. 

I learned that September was not a good month to travel as it is rainy season in Thailand and everywhere we traveled to was raining, but we didn't let that stop us from adventuring! Next time I will have to be more detailed about my planning, like how I usually am :) instead of buying a one way ticket on a whim! Not what I am used to. 

Koh Phi Phi, Thailand - 

The clearest blue waters I have seen!! If I could wake up to this view everyday if I could, I would. Everywhere we looked around Koh Phi Phi was purely magical. God definitely spent a little more time at this place to make it a gem. We were able to go on a longboat to go island hopping around the region & go snorkeling with the fishes, which I thought would be scary but wasn't! We fell in love with bamboo island and definitely is a place we would revisit again along with exploring new islands in that region of Thailand. 

The lime stones surrounding Koh Phi Phi made the islands simply gorgeous. 

Chang Mai, Thailand - 

The city with the best foods in all of Thailand!! This was literally food heaven for me. All we did was eat, eat, & eat. We couldn't stop eating because everything was so delicious & inexpensive! I was able to indulge in all my favorite Thai foods - Pad Thai, Khao Soi Noodles, Mango sticky rice, Thai iced tea, papaya salad, & so many more sweet treats! We didn't save enough time for Chiang Mai, and will have to be back to give it more time to explore. We landed in Chiang Mai on the weekend and needed to find a Catholic Church to attend, thankfully we were able to locate one in that entire city! We walked the five miles to attend mass, and God had blessed us with a sun break during our walk to church so we were able to stay dry until we arrived at church. 

Chiang Mai is filled with a tremendous amount of temples, where there was one every block we walked! I have never seen so many temples in my life. It only aspires me to travel to Rome one day to visit the beautiful churches and catch a glimpse of The Pope!

Every Sunday the city holds a Sunday night market where travelers may indulge in all the foods Thailand has to offer along with souvenirs and knick knacks. We walked for five hours that evening along that street and hadn't even finished walking the entire street! It stretched out for so long, that I don't even know if we made it halfway! 

Chiang Rai, Thailand - 

This city in the northeast region of Thailand is near Laos & Myanmar. What a brutal ride it was from Chiang Mai to here, and one that definitely got me sick. I wasn't able to enjoy this city as much as I could if I was healthy & got some decent rest in. This was where all the constant traveling hit me and I learned that the backpacker lifestyle was not for me. I can't be constantly be living at airports, ferries & buses traveling from city to city so often which is so exhausting. I need more than three days at each city to give myself time to rest and enjoy all that is has. 

The places I was able to see here was the White Temple where th entire temple was built with white glass - a sight to see. We visited th golden triangle, where the three countries border along the Mekong river and where the drug trafficking used to take place back in the day. The last place we visited was the Long Neck tribe, where I was able to hear about their story and why they practice what they do. It was so fascinating to learn about it! These women start wearing these coil rings around their neck starting at age 5 years and get switched out a new one every five years until they are 35 then they wear it for the rest of the lives. These coil rings weigh up to 15 lbs!

Siem Reap, Cambodia -

We decided to skip Laos & go straight to Cambodia from Thailand due to me not feeling well so we could return back to Vietnam early if needed. Angkor Wat was on my list of places to see and what a culture rich place it was to visit! Being able to see in person the beautifully crafted temples & ruins, made Cambodia for me. Pictures do not do this place justice. It fascinates me that these people were able to create these temples without the technology and resources that we have today! My favorite one was the Bayon temple, part of Anglor Thom. The faces that people carved, and how symmetrical they were all built. Wow. 

My body was so weak that I needed to head back to Vietnam early and recover. The sleeping bus that we took from Siem Reap back to Saigon, did not help how I was feeling at all. That bus ride was a learning experience for me to not travel by that method again! I had to let go of all my expectations of cleanliness, friendliness, & professionalism. I just wanted to make it back to Saigon. 

Thankfully we made it back after a very dirty 15 hour journey and I was able to rest & revcover to gain my health back. Unfortunately, the trip didn't end the way I wanted it to. 

Overall, this vacation was filled with many wonderful memories and plenty of learning experiences for the next time I travel! There will be more planning added to how I travel next time that's for sure!

Phuket - 

Thai iced tea for 30 baht!

Thailand style ice cream! Where they hand rolled it - amazing! :)

Koh Phi Phi -

Chiang Mai -

Ice cream right outside of church!

Chiang Rai -

Long neck tribe:

Golden triangle:

Siem Reap: