After a combined total of 14 hours in the air, 8 hours of uncomfortable airplane sleep, two relatively decent meals, and two movies, my journey to Vietnam is a success! The first thing to hit me was the humidity, which we could feel seeping through the connection terminal from the airplane to the airport. The day was relatively clear when we arrived, but the minute we stepped foot outside we got a dose of the bipolar Viet weather in the form of a flash thunderstorm. The rain came down in buckets as we stumbled our way onto the buses, and once I was properly drenched, I made myself as comfortable as possible for the long ride ahead.
As we went from the bustling crowds and traffic-riddled streets of Saigon to the more rural, countryside area, a lot of things ran through my mind. For one, I was finally in Vietnam, rolling along the same dirt roads my parents used to walk on when they lived here. The grass huts and metal-roofed structures we passed could very well be home to friends and family I didn’t yet know. The stories I remember being told were finally coming alive now that I could see their setting for myself. It was definitely a surreal experience.
Most importantly, though, I was excited to finally be here. I’ll be interacting with doctors whom I one day aspire to be and patients who hold a special significance to me because they are my roots. If circumstances had been different, it’s entirely possible that my family could have been part of the communities we were planning on seeing. Food for thought, huh?
I really hope to learn a lot in the coming two weeks, both about the field of work I want to go in and also about my language, culture, and heritage.
Onwards, to Ben Tre!
-Stina
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