While I was in Vietnam I was in a full-time internship, but on the weekends I explored many provinces. I was living in Ho Chi Minh City which is constantly bustling with people and practically has any activity you want to do. The local cuisine was very diverse as well as the international food choices. I am originally from Nashville with a population of around two million, while Ho Chi Minh has a whopping population of nine million. Additionally, it is typical for Nashvillians to live in suburbs that allocate individual space for a family to live which masks the chaos of the constant city experience. Ho Chi Minh was completely different from this, typically only affluent families could own enough plots of land for a backyard.
The title ‘The city that never sleeps’ does not lie, in Ho Chi Minh there was always at least one street vendor hustling in the corner, or friends playing sports together. In the morning any public patch of grass is full of mothers completing their daily stretches on communal exercise machines or guided by an instructor. The accessibility to community enticement filled my heart with joy. While the density of the city makes it hard to destress and sleep at night with traffic noises, it builds character. There are fewer physical and digital barriers to genuine connections with others. Additionally, every alleyway is filled with family businesses, it was difficult to scratch the surface of Ho Chi Minh even though I was there for two whole months. This gave this city an endearing quality, a sense of adventure always a street away.
The provinces I explored varied greatly. There was Nha Trang, a simple beach town full of wondrous shopping destinations. Not to mention amazing seafood. Next was the countryside of Dong Nai, where I spent the weekend in a treehouse surrounded by nature. My favorite part was the home-cooked food from my host family. After this, I visited the Mekong Delta which is the major waterway in Vietnam, and learned about fruits local to the country. The following weekend I traveled to Da Nang and Hoi An. These are both provinces in central Vietnam which have significant differences in food and accent. My favorite food I tried is called Mi Wang which is a turmeric egg noodle with your choice of meat. I loved how light and airy the food was in the central region. I found the lanterns on the river in Hoi An to be especially magical.
For the last two trips, I went on I went to northern Vietnam, and was warned that Americans must be especially courteous there since many northerners do not like Americans. I visited Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam which I found to be more slow-paced. Finally, I visited the indigenous people in Sa Pa which taught me some of their practices. It was amazing to see how well the culture of the Indigenous people was preserved by the country.
From this experience, I have gained infinite confidence in my ability to overcome my anxiety and fears. Traveling to a new country, especially one as different as Vietnam was something way out of my comfort zone, but I knew that I would be rewarded from my experience. I have a newfound appreciation for all the technologies we can freely use in America. Although sometimes I find America to be a very isolating place, when I remember Vietnam I am inspired to work hard and connect with my local community.
Sky High (BS Biology, Pre-Professional) spent the Summer 2024 semester studying abroad in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam through WorldStrides. Sky had the following to say about studying abroad, “Vietnam is a great country to visit if you aren’t sure of what you want to see because it has it all, mountains, beaches, high end malls, bargain street vendors, craft workshops, jungles, museums, and more!“
Share this post:
Leave a Reply