When my mother and I were looking for vacation spots this summer, Vietnam was definitely not on the top of our list. However, we were long overdue for a trip back to our motherland and visit some family members that we haven't seen in 12 years. Plus, we figured what's the difference if we went this summer or next winter? So we hopped onto a 23-hour flight and stayed in Ho Chi Minh City, informally known as Saigon, for six weeks.
The last time I visited Vietnam, I had to bathe using boiled water in a bucket, the electricity would periodically go out, and I had to survive the average 90 degrees weather with no air conditioning. On top of that, we slept on wooden beds that left me with an aching body every morning. I remember complaining about it constantly and asking "why is it so different here?". Needless to say, I was pretty much an ignorant 10-year-old with no consideration that this was normal over there. They were content as long as they had a roof over their heads and more than a couple sets of clothing, which was considered a luxury then.
This time, my trip back to Vietnam was a lot more humbling and eye-opening to a different life than what I was used to.
I got to witness different walks of life in Vietnam and learn more about my heritage. I traveled to seven different towns starting in the South and making my way upwards. To my surprise, I learned that Northern and southern Vietnam were drastically different in terms of mannerisms and lifestyles.
I started in Saigon where my mother was from. It is nicknamed the "New York of Vietnam" because of its high population and the fact that there were always stores open. Some families would open their shops at 4 a.m. just as another family business would get ready to close.
During my second week, I traveled to Hội An, a preserved ancient town in the Quảng Nam province and Da Nang, which was known for their beaches and history as a French colonial port. I especially loved Hội An because it felt like I was walking through the 1700s and Da Nang for the Cau Vang Golden Bridge in the Ba Na mountains.
Then, I traveled north to Sa Pa, a mountainous region where most ethnic minority groups (Hmong, Dao, Giáy, Pho Lu, and Tay) in Vietnam live. Although Sa Pa was breathtaking, I witnessed firsthand the hard life of the villagers. Kids as young as five years old were outside selling homemade crafts and carrying their baby siblings on their backs. Seeing this made me realize how many of us living in America take little things for granted.
The last bit of my trip I traveled to Ha Long Bay, which was home to the "floating mountains." For all the cinema fanatics, this place inspired the island in "King Kong" (2005). Ha Long Bay was my favorite place that I traveled to in Vietnam. My only regret was that I couldn't stay longer and explore the rest of the caves there.
By the end of my six-week stay, I felt like I was a completely different person than when I first arrived. It was humbling meeting people who worked extremely hard for wages that only covered basic necessities like housing and water. Having enough money set aside for wants instead of needs like vacations will never come to fruition for some Vietnamese citizens. This is so sad considering how most people worked from the crack of dawn until midnight.
The beauty of Vietnam doesn't only consist of mesmerizing places like Sa Pa and Ha Long Bay. It consists of the hardships and tears of the citizens who'll open your eyes to a different world, one that'll make you reflect on the little everyday things we all take for granted.
