Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!

The photo below is of my branch president, his wife, Thang, and I on my birthday. I can't express how thankful I am for them for being such amazing friends. They have welcomed me into their home to eat delicious ice cream. If any of you live or are going to visit Hanoi, I would highly recommend their ice cream. It's to die for! Check out the many delicious and unique flavors they have, link! They have helped me eat the most amazing and interesting food here in Vietnam and keep on coming up with more for me to try! I love it! They also have the cutest four year old daughter who has so much spirit. I'm so grateful for their love and their friendship these past few months. THANK YOU! I have enjoyed getting to know their family and story.

I'm very grateful for Thang, he has helped me so much in seeing all that I wanted to see in Hanoi. We have had so much fun these past three months. I'm going to miss driving or riding his motor bike basically everyday. A lot of the adventures have been his ideas and he has helped me accomplish my bucket list for my time in Vietnam. My first ever bucketlist I have ever finished! He has been my translator, drove me all over the city, and has taken me to eat amazing food. Thank you so much! I couldn't have done anything in the church especially family home evening with out his help. My time in Vietnam would have been entirely different without this friendship and I will never forget any of it.

Thank you so much to everyone in Hanoi who made my time in Vietnam very special. I will always remember my time in Vietnam. It really was a life changing experience for me especially this trip being my first time really out of the Unites States. Moving and living across the word when I'm 19-20 years old is a big step! I know that I have written about all the fun I had but it wasn't always easy in Vietnam.  I have grown and learned so much because of every single thing I have seen, participated in, and heard. I’m very grateful for everyone in the church who has taken in into their branch family. I have truly feel like I was meant to meet the people in Vietnam in this time in my life for a specific reason. They have changed me and made me into a better person.  

My aunt is amazing and has taken me into her home with open arms. I’m so grateful for her kindness and hospitality in what used to be a new country, language, and work. I have loved watching movies, introducing me to new restaurants, and going to church together. I have learned so much while in my time here and will never forget any of it. I have learned how a business works especially overseas. There are so many factors that go into a business that before working in my aunts company I had no idea it existed. I have learned so much about design and how much goes into every single design. I have also learned so much about how the products are made in the many different factories that my aunt works with on different projects. The factories are amazing and I think it’s amazing how they run each one, they are all different. I have loved getting to know the people who work at each one. She has done so much for me and has taught me so much about Vietnam and her business. It’s not always rainbows and butterflies but when does life every work out the way you plan it. I have loved getting to know my aunt more and her life here overseas.

I really love these two photos of this older man (I have 20 pictures of him) because I never saw his face the whole time I was photographing him. I think it makes him more mysterious and tells a story. I have loved sharing my passion of photography will all of you and will miss talking so many photos in Vietnam.

I have learned to be excepting of different cultures that I wasn’t use to before coming to Vietnam. I have expanded my knowledge about how the other side of the world lives. It’s great to finally understand why certain people act the way they do because of their upbringing. I have learned to be more open and to trying a whole range of things from food to motor bikes. It’s amazing how different someone’s thinking can be because of the culture around them. I have loved everything that I have participated in and will in the future.

There are so many people that come from so many different back grounds that have come together in Vietnam. I really feel like I was part of a family in Vietnam. I have landed safely in Salt Lake City where I will be for a few days before I return back home to Chicago. Thank you everyone who has read my blog and for everyone's support while in Vietnam. I can't wait till I can go back and see everyone again, I'm sure it Vietnam will grow so much in the next few years. It's great to see my family again and to see all my friends again. I already miss the busy city life and riding on motor bikes. I have a quote that I recently came across, "I'm not the same having seen the moon shine from the other side of the world." Vietnam you will be missed!

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