The flight.

Early on Thursday morning Bud, Donna and Lindsay (BJ had school) drove me to the airport to see me off and have a little breakfast. Auntie Jay met us after and walked me through security and waited until she saw me walk on the plane. It was a nice little send-off!

This is an impressively small amount of luggage compared to a) what I normally pack and b) what I actually had wanted to pack

Now for the flight...

I'm not sure how many of you have flown to the other side of the world, but just as an FYI, it's FAR. I don't care what they say about the world getting smaller, my 19 hours worth of flying yesterday is proof positive that the world is LARGE and that Vietnam is far. I was in the middle seat (I know, I should have checked before and requested another seat) in between a very large, white male and a very tiny, Vietnamese male. Now, you would think that the very large, white male would have been the issue. On the contrary, he slept like a baby the ENTIRE TIME. My good friend to my left, the small Vietnamese man, took up more room than I ever thought a 5 ft., 90 lb. man could. So for 13 hours and 43 minutes I scrunched my little body in between these two and watched romantic comedy after romantic comedy. By the third one I was openly laughing and crying, because at that point I didn't want my neighbors to want to be sitting next to me anymore. See, my original plan for my flight was to make friends. By hour 7, I was making enemies. (I may have thrown a gentle elbow in the direction of Hoang (yes, I read his passport over his tiny shoulder)). By hour 13, I wasn't sure I was safe anymore.


I arrived in Hong Kong for my two hour layover and waited with the others who were doing my same trip (yes, that includes Hoang and no, I was not sitting next to him). Nothing to report there mostly because I'm not sure I was awake fully for this part of the trip but somehow I made it to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. When I stepped out of the airport there was some initial shock. First to hit: the humidity. It was like a wall and I ran straight into it. Second, the HUNDREDS of people. No exaggeration, I must have almost tripped five old woman with my suitcases. Third, I realized I could not actually remember what my boss looked like and he was supposed to be picking me up. So there I was drenched in sweat, surrounded by hundreds of people who I didn't understand, and lost without a ride or a place to stay. So I just stood there. I guess I now know that in a stressful, uncomfortable, shocking situation my reaction will be to just simply not react. I haven't decided yet whether that is a good thing but right when I was about to lose hope and actually take up the 'taxi' offer from the guy who had asked me seriously 43 times, I saw a pair of Rainbow flip flops walk passed me. At a second glance, this man was also wearing designer jeans. Nothing says Californian like designer jeans with flip flops. So after much hesitation about how much I wanted to embarrass myself if this wasn't actually my boss, I walked up to him, luggage and all and asked. I shook his hand and he said "Welcome to the jungle!" That's when I may have had my first panic attack.

So, sweaty and exhausted I took a cab with my boss into the city. There was trash, noise, dirt, dust, you name it. I was seriously re-thinking my decision to spend more than a day there. We arrived at his apartment and when we got inside, I stopped holding my breath. There was running water, a flat screen tv, a toilet, an air conditioner, all the comforts of home. Once we got the phone and internet situation figured out, my breathing was almost back to normal. Then, I turned on my computer and realized there was no Facebook. Breathing sped up. Apparently, Vietnam blocks Facebook because it fears that it will start a revolution. I am thinking of starting a revolution because there is no Facebook. (Luckily for all of you, you will be able to keep up with me this way!)

My room at Thao's (my boss) place.

As I laid down to go to sleep (there was no other option since everyone I know was asleep and have I mentioned, there's no Facebook?) I began to think about what I had done. I was seriously going to live in a third world country (is that even politically correct anymore?) all by myself?!? By hour 4 of still being awake, my answer was yes. I was loopy and hungry (perfect time to make serious life choices) and I remembered that the reason I came here was to have an adventure and learn a little something. There really is no way to learn about yourself than to be all by yourself and what better way to do that than in a foreign country where you are the only person you know. I fell right to sleep.