Gratitude

Last weekend, I was trapped in a taxi. I use the word "trapped" because there seemed to be a lot of complaining going on around me. I don't know if complaining is even the right word. Suspicion, maybe, or just a general air of "Vietnam is out to get me". It upset and disturbed me. I know we haven't been here long and I'm not saying that I don't understand how life here can be hard some days, but we are loving our experience here. I came home from this outing feeling heavy and burdened. In processing with Andrew later in the night after I got home, we agreed that if we get to the point where we cannot stay mostly focused on the good things about our life here, it will be time to move on.

A few days before this taxi ride, I was on the public bus. Struck by how lucky I was and wanting to make sure that I remembered this feeling, I had started a list of the things I love about Vietnam. This seems like a good time to share it.


Things I love about Vietnam

• How friendly and helpful the Vietnamese people are
• Trying to speak Vietnamese
• Extravagant thunderstorms with super sharp lightening and hard bursts of rain – especially when I’m indoors
• Sun, sun, sun
• Wearing tank tops and flip flops in the rain
•  Flowers in November
• Crazy, crazy traffic
• Riding my bike and walking most everywhere
• Not having a car
• Café sua da
• Cha da
• Ice
• Outdoor swimming - year round!
• Open air, open every day markets
• Tropical plants
• Starlight Bridge at the park near our house
• The public bus
• Good-natured bargaining
• Velvet and silk
• How diverse the kids’ school is
• Getting caught outside in a huge downpour, kicking up our feet in the insta-puddles and LAUGHING out loud
• Flocks of dragonflies
• Naming the Geckos in the house
•  Hanging our laundry outside every day
•  Kids saying “hello!” to us in English with great enthusiasm
• Beaches

Do I love these things every day and every moment (see crazy, crazy traffic)? No, of course not.  But,they are experiences that are new and different and valuable and I don't want us to forget them.