Checking in, in real time (Vietnam)

Howdy! I’m currently in Vietnam! We’ve been here for a week now and I just boarded a sleeper bus that is taking me on a 16-hour journey from the mountain town of Da Lat in the south to the coastal town of Hoi An in central Vietnam.

Here is my set up on the bus. I can sit up or fully lay down. I think it’s very comfortable considering I’m on a bus!

This was our last sleeper bus to give you a better idea of the setup

I’m actually making this journey alone because Atticus struggles with motion sickness and opted for a flight. I wish I could join him, but it wasn’t in the budget for me. We’re also using this as an opportunity to spend 2 nights apart to do our own thing since we’ve been together pretty much nonstop for over 5 weeks. I’m already looking forward to our reunion!

I have plans to catch up on my blog posts during this time, but I will say - I had plans to do so the past 2 bus rides and it hasn’t happened due to rough conditions that made it difficult to look at words on a screen. I’m hopeful this will be a smooth ride! It’s been interesting trying to find a balance between being present, thinking ahead about future plans, and writing about where we’ve been in the past. But I’ve really enjoyed getting back into writing and love that this helps me slow down and reflect. I couldn’t be more grateful to be having this experience and I’m so happy I get to share it with anyone who’s willing to listen!

Since my last post, we had another week in Thailand, 10 days in Cambodia, and have been in Vietnam for a week now! 

In my first post, I mentioned that our itinerary would include Laos, but we decided to drop Laos and extend our time in India. When we left for the trip, we didn’t know how long Atticus would be staying, but now that he’s joining me for the entire trip (yay!), I really wanted to have more time in India so I can show him my favorite spots and also have time to explore a couple new spots. So we’ll be in Vietnam until March 11th, then we’ll fly to Mumbai, India where I’ll be reuniting with one of my dear friends for the first time in 9 years! Since we’re going a bit earlier than planned, we’ll also get to celebrate Holi, a Hindu festival that celebrates color, love, and spring! I'm still very interested in Laos and already have an itinerary in mind for my next trip to Southeast Asia lol. I seriously cannot get enough of this part of the world! If you have ever had any interest in visiting Asia, let this be your sign: Do it! I promise you won’t regret it and I’d be happy to answer any questions you have :)

Bus update: It's 6:30am and I've arrived at my destination! The journey ended up only taking 13.5 hours total, which was a nice surprise. I think I might have gotten the duration mixed up after looking at so many ticket options. I slept for about 3 hours and am feeling like a zombie today, but I have no plans today other than resting. I can't check into my room until 2pm, so I'll probably spend the afternoon at a beach. 

Here are some random photos of what we’ve been up to this past month:

Krabi, Thailand

Navigating thick pedestrian traffic in Chinatown in Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok- notice the never-ending line of motorbikes weaving their way through traffic in between cars

Street dining in Siem Reap, Cambodia

Awesome shot Atticus took of a gecko in Cambodia  

Temple exploring in Angkor, Cambodia

Cambodian candy. Wouldn't you expect this to be extremely sour? It was sweet bubblegum lol

Amazing Greek meal I had in Cambodia

Me trying to stay positive after finding out our bus to Vietnam had been overbooked and we were the ones getting the boot since we booked through a third party. We got an unexpected extra night in Cambodia, which ended up being a blast!

Finally made it to Vietnam on Valentine's Day, which called for a pho date! If you've never tried pho, stop what you're doing and visit your local Vietnamese restaurant immediately!

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