Something I've struggled with for as long as I've been traveling is having it all: both a close relationship with my friends and family and the thick skin required to travel the world solo. I find myself justifying my extended jaunts because "no one really notices when I'm not there" and that … [Read more...] about Can You Have Roots and Wings?
Lured Into the Charms of Hoi An
If Hue was a stopover, Hoi An was the place I could have spent a week. I'd heard so many great things from my fellow travelers about the historic town in middle Vietnam, but I still wasn't sure if it would seem too Disney-esque for my liking. But my concerns were unfounded. Hoi An is as … [Read more...] about Lured Into the Charms of Hoi An
Photo Friday: Hue, Vietnam
Where am I? Wandering over the moat and into the city walls of the Imperial Citadel in Hue made me feel like I was walking through turn of the century China, rather than modern day Vietnam. After an overnight train from Hanoi and a day spent recovering from the heat and exhaustion, … [Read more...] about Photo Friday: Hue, Vietnam
The American War Legacy in Vietnam
War is brutal. That much I knew. But seeing images of the destruction of both Vietnamese and Americans during the war at Saigon's War Remnants Museum, I wanted to know why we went. Was it to support our allies the French in the South? Or to fight the dreaded spread of communism? I didn't live … [Read more...] about The American War Legacy in Vietnam
27 Things to Do Before Turning 27
Today is my 26th birthday, thus ushering me into the age known as "late twenties." My 25th year was one of personal growth and physical fitness. I learned to accept my figure, but despite that lost weight and gained muscle after two a day workouts many days of the week. I ran my first half … [Read more...] about 27 Things to Do Before Turning 27