This is MC 'Nam... until next time...

"Every search begins with beginners luck and ends with the victor's being severely tested." - Paulo Coelho

Vietnam has been a dream come true. Sorry to sound cliche but....seriously, it has. I dreamt about coming for so long, I can barely remember when the idea first sparked. With a starry eyed stubbornness I made the dream a reality. This could be one of the greatest accomplishments of my life so far, mostly because of its revelations that I really do know so little. So little about the world and myself. This is an amazing gift because I will continue to ask questions and, in that pursuit, I'll find that many other "Vietnam's" that await me.

The biggest lesson I've learned here is that it's great to have dreams but it's even more important to know how to deal with them when they start to act unpredictably (you could call it "going with the pho"). For example, I came here hoping to get a job in a restaurant and this didn't really happen the way I'd planned. I was bummed, and I still am, but restaurant work was not what my Vietnam had in store for me. Instead it held experiences like going to hip hop shows, learning how to drive a motorbike (a beautiful one), writing for a magazine, communicating with people without language, etcetera etcetera.

For the first time in my life I'm not exactly sure what's next. Before it was always another a semester of school, or it was another 55 hour week of standing over a stove, or it was chasing the ever elusive "best bowl of noodles" through the bowels of a city on a bicycle in 80% humidity. I'm not sure what's next and I have to remind myself that, while it may be frightening, it's OK. And every time that my confidence begins to falter I think of what's most important to me: Family. I don't want to draw lines between friends and relatives, for everyone whom I hold close to my heart is Family. For all of you who stuck around and read my entries, thank you. For those who didn't get a chance to read but had me in your thoughts, thank you. The words of encouragement and silent messages of love that I have received really really made a difference in my 7 months here. I am so lucky to have people like you in my life. Thank you all so much for coming with me on this adventure.

LOVE, J