Busy streets, bamboo huts, food vendors, exotic smells, long bus rides and gorgeous landscapes dominate my thoughts as I sit in a small internet cafe in the Laotian city of Vang Vieng. So much of what we take for granted is not present here, but happiness is certainly commonplace. As I have mentioned before, I am on leave for thirty days, and chose to visit here instead of home in Virginia. Even though I do miss my family, I am quick to jump on the opportunities that arise in my life. I am currently on day seven of my adventure, and I have already seen two countries (Thailand and Laos) and four cities (Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Luang Prabang, and Vang Vieng).
My days have been varied and interesting as I have seen numerous temples, decorated from golden opulence to understated elegance. I am having fun and meeting new and interesting people, mostly tourists like myself, but also some locals. I have jumped off of a waterfall, gone running through the early morning streets, and browsed at numerous local markets. The things I will see and do here I will take with me as I go forward in life and continue to appreciate both what I do have and remember to try and be happy with whatever I am doing.
I still have a lot left to do in the 23 days remaining of my vacation: more of Laos, then Cambodia, Vietnam, and Singapore to finish up the trip. Each culture of the various countries and cities are unique but similar to western eyes. I will try to post again soon, maybe with an interesting story, but either I haven't had anything that interesting happen or I just need to practice telling it in person before I want to put in down on paper. So we will see.
My days have been varied and interesting as I have seen numerous temples, decorated from golden opulence to understated elegance. I am having fun and meeting new and interesting people, mostly tourists like myself, but also some locals. I have jumped off of a waterfall, gone running through the early morning streets, and browsed at numerous local markets. The things I will see and do here I will take with me as I go forward in life and continue to appreciate both what I do have and remember to try and be happy with whatever I am doing.
I still have a lot left to do in the 23 days remaining of my vacation: more of Laos, then Cambodia, Vietnam, and Singapore to finish up the trip. Each culture of the various countries and cities are unique but similar to western eyes. I will try to post again soon, maybe with an interesting story, but either I haven't had anything that interesting happen or I just need to practice telling it in person before I want to put in down on paper. So we will see.
