If you follow me on the ‘gram, you may have noticed that I made a (very much not) epic return back to the U.S. earlier last week. This was always the plan: to return stateside for a dear friend’s wedding in Ohio over Labor Day Weekend, and make that our official re-entry into reality.
Well, we decided to change our plans and today, I’m flying back to Southeast Asia (Shezaad is already en route) to kickoff one additional month of travel in the region. I know what you’re thinking (because they’re the questions we’re getting most): how, why, and where to next?!
Mosaic of Ho Chi Minh watching over the old post office in Saigon.
The how and why are pretty similar: sometime around the end of July/beginning of August, when we were wrapping up our time in Thailand and getting to Laos, and looking at the calendar to try and map out how to plan the remainder of our time in Southeast Asia, we decided to re-evaluate and think through our schedule and pace. We didn’t want to have to rush through Vietnam: it had been at the top of my list since before the trip started, and realistically, we realized that three weeks would be a little rushed to begin with. We had a hard end date to get to Ireland for a wedding at the end of August and had to book a flight. Our plan had been to make our way south through Vietnam starting in Hanoi, then to squeeze in Angkor Wat, maybe get in a few days on a beach in southern Thailand, maybe even make our way to Bali and/or Malaysia. And — importantly — go eat (or continue eating) in Singapore.
We realized that simply wouldn’t be do-able, even at our crazy travel pace.
And we realized, we have flexibility in our schedules and our life responsibilities, and the ability to continue traveling. And this could be the only time in our lives that we both do, at least for the likely, foreseeable future.
The photogenic tour boat pier in Tam Coc, Vietnam.
The reasons not to simply were far less convincing. Why pressure to get back to reality, be back stateside, etc.? Of course, we miss friends and family a ton, sometimes miss our own bed, and I miss spin class and kale (seriously). But the Internet helps with keeping in touch. There are financial reasons, political responsibilities, a wedding we should maybe plan, and daunting job searches – that will all still be there and still be the exact same in one more month.
But most of my hesitations stemmed from my own silly fears. And one of the main reasons I jumped into this adventure in the first place was to face those fears and prioritize life experiences and travel and dive head-first into new cultures, all while reflecting on personal and professional priorities, exploring passions, considering what makes me happy and fulfilled, and pushing myself outside of my comfort zone.
So, today, I’m flying back to Bangkok (by way of Tokyo! Just a quick airport layover but still hopefully time for some sushi) to reunite with my fav travel partner. And on Friday, we’re picking back up where we left off and diving head first into our fourth and (likely) final month of this grand adventure.
Incredible pho on our last day in Saigon.
And let me just say, it was the best decision to be able to spend three weeks in Vietnam because it is absolutely incredible. It still didn’t feel like enough time but I’ll talk more about that in a separate post.
So what can you expect in our next month?! More annoying travel posts: more temples, more nature, more beaches, more history, more museums, more waterfalls, more motorbiking, and much more food.
Emperor Khai Dinh’s Royal Tomb in Hue, Vietnam.
So what’s next on our agenda? Our itinerary will still be mapped as we start, but our first stop is Cambodia. Angkor Wat has been calling my name and I’m so beyond stoked! Please share any recs.
I promise to try to blog more! Let me know what places or types of experiences you’d like me to share more about, any questions you’re dying to ask us, or what you’re most curious about?!
Anna Logs It 