Hitting the road

After 16 months of living in Vietnam, I am finally ready to move on. My time has been exquisite and challenging, thrilling and exhausting, beautiful and humbling. I have grown very much as an individual and citizen of the world and have seen, smelt and touched more in this vibrant country than I ever would have imagined was possible.

Here I had many firsts and I want to share a few with you...

I touched down in Asia, drove a motorbike, broke my foot on a motorbike, taught English as a Second Language, held down my first 9-5 job in a profession I had never considered entering, experienced a world of silent chattering where discourse is abundant but I barely understand a word, experienced poverty on a level unparallelled by anything I have ever seen, seen joy amid poverty, a humbling experience, tasted food that is enriching to the senses, watched people eating food that would shock and horrify those with weaker tastes. In all I've led an independent, furious and enthralling lifestyle that will end in one hour.

I leave Saigon with my boyfriend Mike and another friend. Together we will bus our way over to Cambodia where we'll explore a wholly new culture, see the Ancient Temples of Angkor Wat and visit a friend who lives there.

Goodbye Saigon! To those I'm leaving behind and those that left before me, I wish you all love and thanks for helping me live 16 exquisite months in a wonderful country.