I remember...

I remember weeks ago on that lengthy  bus ride to Vietnam my feelings of apprehension, worry and fear. I had no idea what to expect upon my arrival or what to expect of the country either. I had not heard great things about the country or the people and heard/read many horror stories from tourists. My experience has been full of every emotion you can think of and has been unforgettable, leading me through various challenges and personal discovery. 

I remember writing in a past blog post,  "I don't feel like this is where I am supposed to be"     Now... I don't want to be anywhere else (I don't even want to travel down to HCMC or move on at all for that matter) . The people I have met in Vietnam have created so many memories for me and the people of my organization have made me feel like family. I care for them very much and I am so SAD thinking in less than 7 days time I will be leaving them behind :( 

This is the hardest thing about travelling- saying goodbye to all the amazing people you meet along the way and wondering if you will ever see them again. We all have good intentions to plan a trip to visit but it's hard and our "normal" lives get in the way. How do you say goodbye knowing or not knowing if its forever? 

It's so interesting to reflect on my frame of mind entering Vietnam and my frame of mind as my volunteering comes to a close. I have found my calling in life-I want to be a Volunteer Coordinator!! I have created some great relationships and I Will be more than sad when I have to move on. This place has truly been my most challenging and my most rewarding. Change only helps you grow and challenges only push you to your limits. I have learned We can do anything when we have no other option and change our frame of mind to one of acceptance and positivity. I chose to embody a resilient attitude and refused to give up. I knew times would be tough on this trip and I chose to define my experience by pushing through.  This is where my greatest personal discovery and growth has come- in Vietnam. 

Did I not call that in a blog post a few weeks ago?!?