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Thursday, 10 Jul 08
Lauren Whaley recently took a jump — traveling in Vietnam by herself. Along the way she has learned a lot about herself. Here are some ramblings to friends in an email.
Hi everyone!
I'm in Saigon, Vietnam right now writing from my air conditioned room in Madam Cuc's guesthouse. Today was my first day of traveler's diarrhoea, so I didn't go to the Pagoda to hear the monks chanting or see the "Reunification Palace" where the Vietnam war officially ended when a Communist tank crashed through its gates. Nor did I go to the bank to get some American dollars out for the rest of my travels.
But, until now, wow. I've had an amazing time. And cheap, too. I've been eating beautiful noodle soup and coffee for $1.50 and staying at air conditioned guesthouses for about $6/night. Much cheaper than JH, but just a teeny bit warmer.
I just wanted to write to let you know that I'm thinking about you. That I'm so grateful for this opportunity to learn how to have a little more patience with myself, a little more flexibility with plans and a little distance from the dramatic webs I weave. I'm also a bit lonely here traveling alone, but it's an amazing time to think and also to learn not to think, but be content listening to the honking motorbikes, the playing children and the constant "Hello, how are you?" from street vendors.
If you want to read some of my updates, visit the blog I started to keep my family updated. It's nothing official, like TheSnaz or JHUnderground or even TetonAT, it's just Lauren's personal stuff. It's called www.pleasehappy.com. My dad prefers the other name I started called "dancinground.com." So, I'm still trying to pick a good name. As it's only for friends and family, it doesn't actually matter THAT MUCH; just another thing to think about! Some things from my trip I'll tell you about in detail some day: Learning to meditate — breathing in and breathing out -, taking a motorbike taxi, visiting with tribes in the mountains, going to a Catholic service in a remote mountain village, sitting on an 8-hour bus ride for 21 hours, getting kissed by a drunk 80-year-old, drinking mountain moonshine at 9 a.m. ... I've had a good mix of totally off the beaten track — being the only woman, the only white person and the only English speaker for days at a time - and then reemerging to find myself in "backpacker districts" where I meet other travelers every five seconds!
This trip has been truly incredible for so many reasons. I've been spending less than $10 a day and have learned to breathe in and out and smile! Ah ha. So simple, but so easy to forget (like when things like this morning happen!) Two months is definitely not long enough to explore Southeast Asia. A lifetime would be better!
I've been really taking my time to get to know Vietnam and it's been super sweaty and intimate and lonely. I'm ready to move a bit faster now — as in, see more places — so I'm making some plans. Today, I fly to an island off the coast for some quiet Lauren time for two days before returning to the hills with a friend of my fathers who works with some disadvantaged "ethnic minorities." After that, I think I will say goodbye to Vietnam and explore Cambodia for a few days. Not sure my plans after that. I'd love to get into Myanmar to see if there is anything I can do to help the situation, but I also don't want my camera to be confiscated and, more importantly, I don't want to be a liability to the rescue efforts. But, we'll see.
I fly back to the states on July 15 and will be back in Jackson Hole around July 20 or so. I have babysitting jobs and writing assignments lined up, not to mention the bike race, so I'll definitely be back! Plus, I miss my amazing community and mountains!!
Thank you to everyone for supporting me and listening to all my ups and downs. There will be a billion more where those came from, but I'm hoping to be a little less captured by my emotions. I think it's working. What a slow slow process this whole calming down business is!
From the land of smiles, war remnants, honking horns, juicy mangoes, beaches, shacks, stinky fish, incense, badminton and old ladies doing aerobics every morning at 4 a.m. ...
I love you.
Love, Lauren
Xin Chao: Lauren Whaley takes jump to Saigon
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Lauren Whaley recently took a jump — traveling in Vietnam by herself. Along the way she has learned a lot about herself. Here are some ramblings to friends in an email.
Hi everyone!
I'm in Saigon, Vietnam right now writing from my air conditioned room in Madam Cuc's guesthouse. Today was my first day of traveler's diarrhoea, so I didn't go to the Pagoda to hear the monks chanting or see the "Reunification Palace" where the Vietnam war officially ended when a Communist tank crashed through its gates. Nor did I go to the bank to get some American dollars out for the rest of my travels.
But, until now, wow. I've had an amazing time. And cheap, too. I've been eating beautiful noodle soup and coffee for $1.50 and staying at air conditioned guesthouses for about $6/night. Much cheaper than JH, but just a teeny bit warmer.
I just wanted to write to let you know that I'm thinking about you. That I'm so grateful for this opportunity to learn how to have a little more patience with myself, a little more flexibility with plans and a little distance from the dramatic webs I weave. I'm also a bit lonely here traveling alone, but it's an amazing time to think and also to learn not to think, but be content listening to the honking motorbikes, the playing children and the constant "Hello, how are you?" from street vendors.
If you want to read some of my updates, visit the blog I started to keep my family updated. It's nothing official, like TheSnaz or JHUnderground or even TetonAT, it's just Lauren's personal stuff. It's called www.pleasehappy.com. My dad prefers the other name I started called "dancinground.com." So, I'm still trying to pick a good name. As it's only for friends and family, it doesn't actually matter THAT MUCH; just another thing to think about! Some things from my trip I'll tell you about in detail some day: Learning to meditate — breathing in and breathing out -, taking a motorbike taxi, visiting with tribes in the mountains, going to a Catholic service in a remote mountain village, sitting on an 8-hour bus ride for 21 hours, getting kissed by a drunk 80-year-old, drinking mountain moonshine at 9 a.m. ... I've had a good mix of totally off the beaten track — being the only woman, the only white person and the only English speaker for days at a time - and then reemerging to find myself in "backpacker districts" where I meet other travelers every five seconds!
This trip has been truly incredible for so many reasons. I've been spending less than $10 a day and have learned to breathe in and out and smile! Ah ha. So simple, but so easy to forget (like when things like this morning happen!) Two months is definitely not long enough to explore Southeast Asia. A lifetime would be better!
I've been really taking my time to get to know Vietnam and it's been super sweaty and intimate and lonely. I'm ready to move a bit faster now — as in, see more places — so I'm making some plans. Today, I fly to an island off the coast for some quiet Lauren time for two days before returning to the hills with a friend of my fathers who works with some disadvantaged "ethnic minorities." After that, I think I will say goodbye to Vietnam and explore Cambodia for a few days. Not sure my plans after that. I'd love to get into Myanmar to see if there is anything I can do to help the situation, but I also don't want my camera to be confiscated and, more importantly, I don't want to be a liability to the rescue efforts. But, we'll see.
I fly back to the states on July 15 and will be back in Jackson Hole around July 20 or so. I have babysitting jobs and writing assignments lined up, not to mention the bike race, so I'll definitely be back! Plus, I miss my amazing community and mountains!!
Thank you to everyone for supporting me and listening to all my ups and downs. There will be a billion more where those came from, but I'm hoping to be a little less captured by my emotions. I think it's working. What a slow slow process this whole calming down business is!
From the land of smiles, war remnants, honking horns, juicy mangoes, beaches, shacks, stinky fish, incense, badminton and old ladies doing aerobics every morning at 4 a.m. ...
I love you.
Love, Lauren
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