Vietnam is a Wonderland

My experience was so special to me because it was the first time I had ever left the United States and the second place I’ve traveled outside of my hometown in Ohio and where my college is located in Chicago. Vietnam defied all expectations. The teachers were caring and truly wanted to create valuable and buildable class discussions. The Vietnamese Student Partners became some of my closes friends in only a few days and I was able to learn so much about the history of Vietnam and it’s outlook for the future. I traveled all over Vietnam
from the Mekong Delta to Hanoi... along the coast in places like Hue, Nha Trang, and Mui Na. Being back from the program I have realized how much I appricated the study of other cultures and I have began studying other cultural backgrounds and languages. Some of the cultures I am looking into right now are Myanmar, Bangladesh, and India. I find it so important to learn about a countries history before traveling there and my travels in Vietnam has only enforced that mindset. For future participants I would tell them to embrace every second even the bad days because there is always beauty to be seen and opportunities to be experienced. 4 months of course isn’t enough to completely understand another nation, it’s history, and it’s culture, but I challenge all new participants to learn and grow as much as they can in the time they are given. One major tip I suggest for new comers is to keep their phones in their pockets. Of course a picture here or there will not hurt, but being in the moment and experiencing everything without a digital screen between you and the world makes it a more wonderous experience. I promise you that you can live without your phone for a few hours and not miss it a bit. Vietnam truly helped me grow into a person who wants to see change in the world and will stop at nothing to make any impact, even the smallest impact, to help change this world for the better for all its people.