Good morning, Vietnam!!

Okay, so the title of this post is a bit corny, but I couldn't help myself!! We've been in Vietnam for four days now, and today is the first day I feel a little more like myself. It's been so surreal. Sometimes I have moments when I literally think, "Oh my gosh, I'm in freakin' Vietnam!" I'm not sure if those moments will ever pass, but at this point I don't really mind. Where we ended up is wonderful...(except for the heat, but I'll get to that later!).

I don't even know where to begin. I have experienced SO many new things in the brief time we have been here! I beg your forgiveness in advance, because I'm sure there will be points throughout this blog where I will bounce back and forth between different experiences! I feel as though it's impossible to capture how truly wonderful and strange this place is, but I will do my best!

I suppose the best place to start would be on our journey from Portland to Vietnam. Saying good-bye to my family was difficult, but I expected that. I have to say thank you to my family, because without their support I know I couldn't have made the decision to leave.  Love you guys soooo much (okay, this is one of those moments when I lost focus, but you'll get used to it)! Well, our flight was scheduled to leave at 7:15am, but due to the weather in San Francisco our flight was delayed until 10:00am.  Of course I sat and waited patiently, because that is just the kind of person I am... and if Luke says any different, just ignore him! ...But really, it was a long wait but one that was bearable only because of what awaited us!

Waiting at PDX

                                                                       
We boarded our flight and were greeted by a wonderful staff of flight attendants who were funny and welcoming! One man in particular was my favorite. He was almost as excited as we were when he found out that we were moving to Vietnam! He was very kind and gracious (and hilarious, too), while he told us about how his partner is from Vietnam and how it is one of his favorite places to visit! This helped calm some of my nerves as we took off. For the rest of the flight he entertained me and some of the other passengers with his constant talking and story telling. One of my favorite parts about traveling is the people that you meet along the way, and this was a promising start!

When we arrived in San Francisco, we had just enough time to eat and then catch our plane to Tokyo. Our flight was to be a little less than 11 hours, but I wasn't worried about it. I have always loved flying, so I was looking forward to it in a way! Little did I know the kind of restlessness that could overtake me 5 hours into the flight. Luckily they offered movies to watch, but there are only so many time I could watch Hunger Games. (Turns out 3 is the limit for this girl!). I was only able to sleep for an hour, and that was some of the worst sleep I have ever had! We were lucky, though, because we were both able to have our own rows as the flight was only about half full!

By the time we made it to Tokyo, I was so tired I could barely see straight! Warning to anyone flying for that amount of time: SLEEP as much as you can!! We only had a short time before our next flight, so our time there was very brief. I did, however, discover something I never had before...in the airport bathroom! There was an instruction sheet for how to use the toilet- and I was highly amused (my amusement was mostly caused by lack of sleep)!

 I was able to sleep for a few hours on the flight to Ho Chi Minh City, but when I woke up I did not feel refreshed at all. When we got off of the plane in Ho Chi Minh City, we were greeted by a man named Thuc and his wife who were some of the nicest people I have ever met! They took us to our hotel and then we passed out.

We spent the next day (Sunday) staying inside watching the Discovery Channel and Animal Plant (two very random channels to find in Vietnam)!! Jet lag hit us pretty hard, as well as the heat. While many parts of Vietnam are breathtakingly beautiful, Ho Chi Minh City is not. I spent the two days we were there in a daze. Adjusting to the bustling business and  crazy driving were a bit much for me. We did see a wonderful old church after eating lunch on Sunday, though we didn't get a chance to explore it.

The biggest shock for me when we landed in Ho Chi Minh City was the traffic. Luke and his family had tried to warn me, explaining that the motor bikes would go where ever they wanted to, and that there seemed to be no rules other than to honk...a lot. They also carry everything and anything on their bikes!! Need to move a refrigerator? No problem- they will just strap it onto the back of their bikes and you are good to go (true story)!  They are so creative with the uses of their bikes! It was as overwhelming as the difference in language. The only way to truly understand how bizarre it is is by experiencing it yourself. But, because I know that most of you will never make it to Ho Chi Minh City, I uploaded a video of the traffic onto youtube! Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1jSucsbepQ&feature=youtu.be

Ho Chi Minh is very interesting and different! The streets are packed with people, making it difficult to meander down the sidewalks. The soundtrack of this city is the whoosh of cars and motor bikes as they pass you, as well as the consistent honking. It is impossible not to be fascinated by Ho Chi Minh City. 

We ate at a famous restaurant that President Bill Clinton ate at! 

A night market! 

Our walk through Ho Chi Minh City!

The electrical wiring along the street...

Closer look at the wiring AND the traffic...

I hope they never have to replace a wire! 

So, those were my adventures traveling to and staying in Ho Chi Minh City!! While it was different and interesting, the fun really began when we landed in our new home: Tuy Hoa...:)

Good-bye Oregon

My whole life I have always dreamed of traveling. I would imagine visiting places such as Ireland, Australia, Sweden and even Africa. One place I never envisioned myself visiting let alone LIVING in was Vietnam. Yet, Vietnam will be my home for the next year. How did this happen? Well, I happened to fall in love with a world traveler who has an equally adventurous family. When the opportunity presented itself for us to move to Vietnam, how could we say no? So, this blog is the story of our adventures and misadventures (hopefully not too many of those)!  I hope I can do justice to the amazing journey we are about to begin!

I should also explain the title of my blog. I love Oregon. It has always been and will always be my heart. When we made the decision to move, I must admit I felt a bittersweet joy. First off,  I would have to leave my family and friends behind. Those of you who know me well know that I don't do well with change, but especially not when it impacts those I love. Change is a good thing- I know. It's not always easy, and it's not always fun; however, it is something that will help you learn and grow into the person you are supposed to be. So, I know it may seem as though I've digressed a bit, but I haven't. The title of by blog is "She Flies with Her Own Wings." For those of you who don't know, this is the Oregon Motto. (If you didn't, don't feel bad- I found it out by accident!). I find the motto appropriate for this next phase in my life for obvious reasons. Anyway, I am running on little to no sleep and I have to "wake-up" in less than three hours. So, I guess this is good-bye Oregon. I'll miss you, but I've got things to do! :)