I’ve tried to write this blog before. I mean, we were in Vietnam in July for goodness sake. And I’m just now getting to it?!? Every time I sat down to blog, it looked something like this.
“Vietnam, hmmm… we were there… and well… I mean, stuff happened. There was a coffee shop and lots of motorbikes. So yeah, Vietnam.”
Unless I’m mistaken, this doesn’t make for a very good read. I’ve been racking my brain on how to blog about this month and make it sound awesome, or at best, decently successful. However, it wasn’t. We didn’t have that much to do. And what little we did involved meeting new people every single day. We practiced english with locals at a coffee shop. It took an hour on the bus to get there. Crossing the street meant walking in front of a sea of oncoming motorbikes and trusting they would go around you. It seemed every other day there was a new miscommunication with our host. My teammate Stephie went home to spend a few short weeks with her dying father. That’ll knock the stuffing out of your team right there. And after she left, our team relationships slowly but surely disintegrated. To top it off, I had a terrible birthday, like the worst ever. Nobody likes a crummy birthday.
That was my month in a nutshell. But there were also bright spots. Like riding home from ministry on the back of a motorbike. Spending a weekend visiting the beach and the highlands of Vietnam. Really nice beds with soft mattresses (extremely rare and all the more precious). Delicious fruit smoothies just down the street.
Now that you know all the facts, perhaps you understand my pickle. How do I write about all that and make it sound glamorous or exciting or adventurous? It was none of those things! Which brings me to my next question. Who am I trying to impress? I mean, I’m real. I like myself and the way God made me, so I’m not too bothered by the opinions of others. And when I blog, I want you to see the World Race as it truly is. No gloss, drama or silly Instagram filter. So why then, would I not be real now? I think it’s because I want my friends and family to feel I’m doing something worthwhile. And maybe I want to be “featured” on the WR website. Maybe the truth of what happened in Vietnam is harsh. It is a stark contrast to what I expected. And yet…
It was one month out of eleven. It didn’t diminish everything else I’ve done. And since when have I cared about being “featured”? Um, never. So I’m going to keep being me. I’m going to document this whole “World Race” thing how it happens. Who cares if it’s a little rough or messy or boring. Life is all of those and then some.
PS. This catchy blog title is for all you who know and love the game. If you’ve never played In A Pickle, go do that. Now. You’re welcome.
I’ll leave you with two pictures. The first, the view from our hostel window in Ho Chi Minh City. The second, the highlands on our way to DaLat.
