Vietnam - A Year Ago
A year ago I was ringing in the Year of the Snake on the rooftop of the Majestic Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City , watching thousands of people as they celebrated Tét in the square below. What an amazing trip. In fact, it was a life-changing trip…for John.
He sat at home. I would post photos each day and chat with him each night about the amazing time I was enjoying.
One photo did it. There I was, astride a water buffalo with a big grin on my face and my arms out wide. John suddenly realized that memories are the only things that matter. He decided then and there that he was done letting “reluctant” steer his life. He had been asked if he would like to cycle around Sicily with his buddies. He booked that trip. I said that I would like to snorkel in Belize. Boom. We booked a trip to Belize. We are off to Mexico in April. We have plans to get to Haida Gwaii and to Denmark and Scotland later this year.
Moral of the story: sometimes all it takes is one goofy photo of you on a giant animal in a foreign country to topple the dominoes of possibility. Pack a camera. Ride a buffalo. Book the adventure.
The photo that changed John’s perception of travel.
Here are some of my favourite pics of my Vietnam adventure.
Ho Chi Minh City
Hanoi
Ha Long Bay
Hoi An
Mekong Delta
These are just a very few of the MANY photos I took during my Vietnam adventure.
February 17, 2026 brings in the Year of the Horse. It is a year of optimism and opportunity. The year of the horse brings themes of new horizons, vitality and forward momentum. I will be embracing it fully.
