Vietnam…it’s mesmerizing. The people, the food, the culture, it’s intoxicating. It’s one of those countries that can cause all five senses of the body to be overloaded, sometimes at the same time. For example: lounging at a table, while eating street food that has a plethora of different flavors, while smelling more street food, holding a green coconut that has just been cut open to drink the water, having conversations with friendly locals, and watching the chaos of motorbikes, buses and cars (mostly motorbikes) that flow so smoothly. It’s like clockwork. I still haven’t figured out how it works, but it does.
Perhaps what makes Vietnam so delightful is the people. They’re amazing. They work hard, they take care of each other, they love their country and they are eager to introduce outsiders to their world. They will invite you over for a soccer game, navigate you through the tables of a potluck meal, treat you like a guest of honor at a wedding reception, even greet you in English as you walk down the streets. This love for life they have is even more impressive when you consider the challenges most of these extraordinary people face on a daily basis. If you never have had the pleasure of traveling to Vietnam and experiencing the kindness and hospitality the people are more than willing to offer, I would encourage you to change that fact. Both you and the people of Vietnam will be grateful.
“Going to Vietnam the first time was life-changing for sure. Maybe because it was all so new and different to my life before and the world I grew up in. The food, culture, landscape, and smell; they’re all inseparable. It just seemed like another planet; a delicious one that sort of sucked me in and never let go.” -Anthony Bourdain
