Xin chào fellow learn-it-all 👋

Greetings from the most populated, congested, honk-happy and hurried city I’ve visited in my life:

Ha Noi, Vietnam

I just counted 103 Wireless Internet options around me.

There’s such utter chaos here. And yet I walk across the street, and I don’t get hit. With each six-way intersection, without any stop light or sign, somehow I haven’t witnessed a single collision among a motorcyclist, pedestrian, car, biker, or wagon biker. it’s quite miraculous. There is order to the chaos.

An outside like me just doesn’t feel it yet after being in Vietnam about three weeks.

Speaking of timelines, I’m ending the chapter to my Southeast Asia travels today. As with most of my endings, I’m happy and sad at the same time.

How the heck has it already been eight months?

I got a manicure and pedicure for the first time (and last time) yesterday. i found myself getting sentimental about my life and all the highs, lows, and buffalos.

I still shock myself that I actually did this damn thing. I flunked geography in world history class my freshman year of high school and never even knew where most of these countries were until I booked flights to them. Using my curiosity as a compass and following some word of mouth references.

A synopsis of my Southeast Asian adventure in four simple bullets:

• Five months teaching English in Chiang Rai, Thailand as a formal introduction and deep dive into the culture while living at a boarding school with Thai teachers
• An unfortunate visa run to Laos while it was heavily polluted. About fifty days later, another visa run to Cambodia, with a stunning sunrise at the seventh wonder of the world that got me questioning the history of civilization at Angkor Wat.
• Two months exploring the rest of Thailand informally via travel to other parts and experiencing truly their way of life; highlights include Thai massage school in Chiang Mai, ecstatic dance party at Koh Phangan, James Bond tour with my parents in Phuket, my Hawaii friends and the Koh Tao hospital reocviereing me from dengue fever, and my meditation friends who fed me in Bangkok.
• Three weeks wandering about the country of Vietnam, going on a walking tour, attending my friend Bao’s histroy talk, creating a lantern and silver ring, swimming in the ocean with my teacher friend Liv, dropping my jaw for three days straight on my easy rider Tutu’s bike on the Ha Giang Loop.

Anywho, I have a flight to catch in a few hours and I’m writing through some more personal intimate writings that I’ll share some of in the future. I’ve got a date with my last massage before my 16 hour journey up in the clouds off to my next dream, in the Netherlands! More on that another time.

🌟Quote to inspire

"Worrying about the future is like watching a leaf fall and trying to predict where it will land. Stop trying to guess where the wind will blow and get to work.” —James Clear

📸Photo of the Week

Breathtaking views while on the Ha Giang Loop.

The cherry on top finale for ending my chapter in Southeast Asia. Such stunning views. My ears would pop and equalize at least three times a day with all the elevation changes.

🙏Shoutouts

• to my easy driver Tutu from the Cheers hostel tour. He only went to primary school and we spoke a bit of Dutch and French; he knows English so well. One of the best speakers I met during my stay in Vietnam. Our laughs at the chickens and water buffaloes crossing the road made these three days enjoyable.
• To Liv and Bella, the other two Americans I met at the start of my Southeast Asian adventure eight months ago. They got me sentimental and inspired by their love of creating junk journals and travel bucket lists.

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I appreciate you reading this!

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Keep on learning 🤓

Jen

PS - in case you missed last week’s letter on 🌧️ Monsoon May in Motion

PPS- if you’d like to read my favorite letters, the best way to encourage my work is to buy my book on Amazon here.