Mystery of Places

The sun shines a lot brighter today and the heat is beating down my face, I am on my way to my parents house to visit them for the first time in nearly six months. They swing the door open with joy as I lug two incredibly huge black suitcases into the living room. I suddenly realize I am no longer in Vietnam. The air conditioner softly gazes my face with it’s cool breeze. I’m greeted with warmth and food from my parents and my nieces and nephews shower me with questions about my life in Vietnam. Suddenly, I am rushed with the thought that I had to be at work the next day. The office is a mess, there are tons of emails to reply to, and no one knows how to speak to the account lady at VTN. I’m panicking thinking how the hell I was going to get back in time to Vietnam to make it to work! 

I get off the airplane and greeted by a handsome yet familiar face. He smiles at me and walks towards my direction at the pick up station at the LAX airport. We spoke about life and everything else in between on the ride back home to his apartment. Although my stay would be short, I know it would be worth while, we’d waited for this moment for so long. The next morning, I frantically pulled myself out of bed and quickly stuffed my belongings into the small suitcase. I then realized I had only purchased a one-way ticket from Vietnam to Southern California and had no idea how I was going to get home. The traffic noises and hustle of the city flashes before my eyes as I sit at his door steps utterly anticipating the moment he comes back home with my return ticket in his hand. 

Then suddenly the sound of bulldozers, hammers, chainsaws, and Vietnamese workers peak through my bedroom window. I slowly open my eyes and realize it was all just a dream, I was in my bed in district 4 of HCMC.

I can’t seem to figure out why this has happened twice to me. Whether or not I enjoy my stay THAT much here in Vietnam, the states is still my home. My comfort of living, family, friends, and what used to be my life. I can’t seem to figure out what my life really is anymore. Rather, I’m just trying to figure out what I want to do in life and hopefully everything else will fall into place. The most valuable thing living abroad has taught me is that, while the world is spinning and everyone else around you is moving fast (or slow), you have to always live at your own pace and be in the present with yourself. Planning for the future is great, needless to say I’ve done way too much planning for myself I sometimes forget what it is I really want to do. Live it all right now while you can. I’m not going to be all cliche about it, but there are just too many great things to do in life (now) then to put it off till tomorrow. And there are also too many great things to see than to sit back and watch the world pass you by, right?