Cambodia and Vietnam

We all have times when we just want to travel to relax or lie on a beach and do nothing. But I believe the trips that really stay with you are those where it’s an adventure, where you don’t plan everything. The trips where you leave room to be spontaneous and you witness another way of living. These are my favorite trips. The trips that open your eyes to a life so foreign from your own that it makes you question your priorities. 

Posts about my travels around Asia are beyond delayed. But in a way, I am thankful it took me so long to share these with you. Waiting has allowed me to cherish those memories in private, just a little bit longer. Caleb and I took a month and traveled around Cambodia and Vietnam, and to say it was magical would be an understatement. While I appreciated the trip then, I look back on the trip with such fond memories and a new perspective. Reminiscing has helped remind me of what is truly important and what I learned on this adventure.

If you’ve followed me for some time, you likely know I am a planner. But on this trip, we mapped out our destinations and the essential hotels/flights, but left the rest open. We gave ourselves the freedom to stay in each city for as long or as short a time as we would like. {We even stayed with local families for some time in Hoi An and Sapa- but more on that later.} Through this, I was pushed out of my comfort zone and we met some of the most beautiful souls. In my opinion, this is what travel should look like. Travel should stretch you and remind you that most of the daily things we worry about are trivial. 

The week after we returned from Cambodia and Vietnam, I accidentally deleted every photo on one of my disks- so I am not 100% sure how many photos I will have of certain events. But be prepared, the upcoming posts of Cambodia and Vietnam will be filled with color, culture, love, whimsy, and magic. I wish I had taken a beaucoup of videos on the trip to share more of the culture, but sadly I did not. {guess that just means I need to return again!} Stay tuned- photos and stories from Siem Reap, Hoi An, Hanoi, Tam Coc, Halong Bay, Sapa, and Hue are to come! {Posts about Bali, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Koh Phi Phi and Bangkok will come later too!} Until then, here are a few photos from Vietnam!