Goodbye, Vietnam

In the final month of our travels, we had the pleasure of soaking up our last moments in the beautiful country of Vietnam. This country and its people have moved me in ways I could have never imagined. The abundance of life that pours from every corner and alley is captivating. The chaos and beauty surround you and put you in a timeless trance. Somehow between the endless stream of motorbikes and jumble of lively markets, you find yourself in a meditative state.

Our first few weeks were spent in the southern city of Ho Chi Minh, otherwise known as Saigon. While the density of traffic was comparable to New York City, the aesthetic was far more charming. It is one of the most striking cities I have ever seen. To give some context, Vietnam was heavily influenced by its French-colonial past, while also displaying some of the clear hallmarks of a communist state. The result? Tall, skinny buildings in an array of colors all stacked on top of each other. Long colonial balconies overflowing with flowers, juxtaposed against half-finished highways and brutalist tower blocks. My first thought was Spirited Away. Like a vivid Jackson Pollock, it somehow all comes together to form a beautiful work of art. In amongst this city’s collage of culture, there are long stretches of nature. The building clusters are so spread out that one can see across the river and over the entire city from almost every angle. In minutes on the bike, we go from crossing massive bridges and overlooking it all, to winding far below along the riverbank, feeling the gravity of this remarkable city.

We happened to arrive during Tet, Vietnam’s New Year, which meant that nothing was open and everyone was celebrating with their loved ones (as they should be!). That didn’t stop the hospitality we felt as newcomers. Even with a strong language barrier, we were offered seats in several small cafes and were given a cold drink on the house. Children and elderly couples shouted “Hello!” with grins plastered on their faces as we walked by. It’s always nice to be reminded of how far a smile goes between people, especially strangers.

The modern development of the city was something I did not expect. It was fascinating to witness and engage in Vietnam’s rising trends driven by a very youthful culture. Vietnam has the youngest population of any country, and it shows. For one, craft beer is HUGE here. I cannot describe the joy I felt sipping on an IPA. America has made me a beer snob. Ho Chi Minh’s brewery scene is impressive. The beers are experimental, and the branding is unique and artistic. We really enjoyed being a part of a scene where most of the people drinking were actually young locals, not expats. The biggest highlight, however, has to be the drag show we attended. Unlike Thailand, the drag scene is up and coming and hasn’t been completely exploited. While drag shows had been happening for some time in Vietnam, this was the first time all the contestants were Vietnamese. It was incredible! Located in a gallery space, the ambiance was informal and it was packed with expats and young Vietnamese alike. The show was risque, sexy, and everything you could ever hope for. The coolest part, of course, was seeing the confidence and joy these Vietnamese performers felt on stage and thinking how not so long ago this entire cultural identity just wasn’t a “thing” yet.

And of course, the absolute hardest, but most important experience I had in Vietnam was visiting the War Remnants Museum. It was a surreal feeling...my chest welled up with sadness and even guilt. While I had no direct influence on what happened, it is still my country that committed these horrific crimes. The museum did not hold back, and I am thankful for it. It is so easy to disassociate oneself from the darkest parts of humanity and history when they aren’t in front of you, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t there. I saw photographs that took everything in me to not throw up and weep. Photographs of fear, of death, of innocence. War is the most heinous lie humanity tells itself is a necessary truth.

I am eternally grateful to have experienced and lived in Vietnam, and I encourage anyone who reads this post to travel...travel to places that feel far away from your norm. Because the funny thing is, nothing is that far. People are people, who love, and laugh, and create, and live out each day because it’s what we all do. I started my travels because I wanted to see the world. I wanted to disrupt my norm. I wanted to explore new cultures. I wanted to create my life story, a story that I was happy to tell. And now, at the end of my travels, I feel as though I have come full circle. While I set off to get lost in the wide world, I’ve come to realize that in many ways it is actually quite small, filled with people who have all lived, cultivated, and created beautiful variations of the same things we all love. Though this marks the end of this particular journey, I am now aware that I am at the beginning of what will be many more.

Goodbye, Vietnam. Till next time.