Where has the time gone? As I lay in a hammock on the beach listening to the waves crash I feel a sense of relaxation for the first time in weeks. I thought I was leaving for this trip to escape the 9-5 grind and be schedule free. However, that has yet to happen. Today is the first day which I can say I woke up refreshed after a full night’s sleep, with no alarm at 8 am and spent my morning how I wanted to spend it. Meditating, walking along the beach and really just taking in the last few weeks of chaos and reflecting on what I’ve learned.
When we arrived in Vietnam we were incredibly overwhelmed so our hostel suggested we hop on a tour to feel more at ease in this new world. The price of the tour was far more than we wanted to spend, especially at our first stop on our trip but we decided to go ahead with it because we liked the idea of traveling with a group rather than being three young girls traveling alone.
We traveled 7 days and 6 nights from Hanoi all the way down to Hoi An. What an incredible journey! From experiencing our first overnight bus, touring caves, visiting the war museums, Buddhist temples, playing with adorable Vietnamese children, zip lining, and a jeep tour down the coast of Hoi An, the fun never stopped! I honestly can’t even choose which day was my favourite because they were all so different.
The tour was called “The Buffalo Run” and I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone who is traveling through Vietnam! Our tour guide was a young Vietnamese gentleman who has so much love for his country and a passion for sharing his culture with us. It was beautiful!
The tour was amazing however it was extremely busy! We were on the go for 7 days. After the run finished most of the people who attended the tour extended their stay in Hoi An, so although we no longer had a tour guide we were still hanging out with the same group of people which was great because we had become quite close after spending so much time together and getting to know one another on the tour.
To my surprise, I’ve quickly realized that this hostel life is super overwhelming for me. I used to be a very sociable extrovert person but after the past few years of living up north on my own I have really adapted to a more introverted life. My anxiety on this trip has skyrocketed. Trying to find some quiet alone time is next to impossible when there is music blasting and drinking games happening 24/7. Sharing a dorm room also makes for many sleepless nights as people are coming in and out of the rooms constantly. Some days I feel incredibly homesick which is something I was not anticipating, especially this early in my travels!
Everything came to a full circle with the full moon (surprise, surprise – I love the moon and all its powerful energy)! I participated in a full moon outdoor yoga class on the water and as the sun set I felt completely at peace. Although I am missing home and moving through a lot of emotions I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude as I watched the moon glisten on the ocean in front of me. My focus right now is truly living in the moment and soaking up this incredible experience. Home will be there when I get back.
For now I am excited to take a step away from the hostel life and hop on over to Australia to visit my old home and mates from down under. A shuttle out of the jungle to a bus ride to the airport and 3 flights later, I will be on the sunny gold coast wandering around my favourite town once again.
Vietnam, you were incredible. See you soon Australia. <3
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