"You are so obviously Hue"

Robert Hunt was right. Piglets are bricks of energy! haha This is at my uncle's boar farm.

Where do I even begin with this post?!

There are so many things running through my mind. I don't even know what sentences to start with. It's just words left and right. Language, landscape, waist line, food, family, HEAT...My mind has been racing since.. since I boarded the plane at SFO. I've been journaling this whole time in various sketchbooks.. and there are loads of details that I'd like to share on this blog, but it'd make the post FAR too long! So I will try and keep things short. Maybe when I return home, I'll try and throw a little party so I can let it all out in one giant ramble haha

I have been going through so, so, SO many different emotions and states of being since I flew in on the 25th (or was it the 26th? I can't even remember!) Traveling here alone with no watch, phone, or computer, I felt like time didn't even exist. All I was consumed by was excitment and nervousness for the full 20 hours of travel. It was lonely at first, but.. In a way. I'm glad I'm doing this alone because I'm fully experiencing this trip instead of checking social media or worrying about money or other things back home. So far, I've been taking in all that this country and my family has to offer. The smells and sounds.. the streets and the beautiful greenery.. reflecting on the lives that exist here in comparison to those in the United States. I've been having dreams about friends and family back home while building new friendships and relationships with those in Vietnam. I tear up some times and get angry and frustrated during others. It has been a whirlwind.

Despite the mess of emotions I've been going through, I'm grateful. I'm extremely lucky to have one side of my family living in the city of Hue and the other living in the countryside of Hue. I chated with other art students at the University of Hue, and saw the countryside trees made famous in American theaters. And I have to make a note, that I'm glad I'm traveling here as an adult instead of as a kid or teenager with my parents. Things are really different when you have freedom and moxie. I also have to remember to not cling too closely to my western inclinations. Seeing poverty here is tragic and enlightening.. (we, in the states, really are so lucky) and I'm trying to soak it all in with no judgements.

My cousins here have been extremely generous and thoughtful. I love em to bits and pieces and they make me miss my siblings. I'm making my way through the language barrier and learning a LOT more vietnamese, which is so great!! There are so many things I've failed to communicate with my parents.. hopefully with the help of my cousins I can lessen the cap between us. Ah, again, there is so much to say but I don't want to run this post too long or go off on too many tangents. Plus, the longer I sit here in front of the computer, the less time I get with family (..and there's a little kid next to me who is really eager to play computer games and wants me to finish up! haha)

I'm glad a student at Hue University said to me, "You're so obviosuly Hue". Apparently I have a thick Hue accent! It was really assuring and shocking at the same time because I've always been self concious of my vietnamese and other viets in America can never understand me. But thats because my dialect is rare, especailly in the states! So my viet isn't bad, it's just different! I really needed that confidence boost. My cousins are also teaching me how to read and write viet, so we'll see how much of a language pro I'll be at the end of my 3 week stay. All in all, Vietnam so far has been wild, fun, heartbreaking, and inspiring all at once. Enjoying it all. 

Sending everyone much love! xoxox

On the way to my cousin's university!

I had to take a picture! Yay!