It’s been a while since my last post. Quite a lot of things have happened, but I’ll stick with what’s important: my epiphany in Vietnam.
For the first time since I moved to Taiwan, I didn’t go back to Canada for the summer. It wasn’t an easy decision, but I felt like it was the right one. I needed this summer to reset, to restart.
So, after watching a YouTube video about Sapa and hearing my brother describe his trip to Vietnam, I decided to go book a trip myself. I remember making that promise to myself, so I made it happen, seven years later.
(Read about my first trip here)
To be honest, I was both excited and nervous. I had no idea what to expect from this trip. All I knew was that I loved being in the mountains and wanted to see the pretty rice fields. I wanted a quiet, peaceful town and spend my days looking at mountains and breathing fresh air.
To make sure I had a good time, I analysed things that I could change. I prepared myself mentally by taking on a different role. I created a sense of emotional detachment by taking on the role of a tourist that just happened to speak Vietnamese. I also know I’m happiest when I’m busy, so I made sure to plan my days with activities: even if I had a chill day, at least I was productive and accomplished something. And finally, I made sure to stay connected with my loved ones by being present online. I made sure to buy data so I can not only feel independent, but also safe. If anything happened to me, at least it would be easier for me to notify people. Everything went smoothly and according to plan.
Yes, I had a great time. I soaked in the views, breathed fresh air and ate delicious Banh Mi's. I had cheap massages and facials and treated myself to lavish meals from time to time. I ticked all the boxes as a tourist.
 |
| Stopping between villages to admire the view |
Though, I got way more than I ever bargained for. I got to reconnect with my heritage. I had conversations with multiple people from different tribes and their experiences were quite similar to mine. They all felt slightly different from their peers and wanted to achieve something different, lead a different life from what was already paved for them. We weren't so different afterall.
 |
| Sipping beer in the waterfalls after the trek |
