Vietnam- the very beginning~

     Sitting in my apartment, all things more than familiar, the past two weeks have seemed unreal, they passed by far too quickly. I did so many things, discovered new places, reconnected with a wonderful and dear friend; it all flew by. Nearly two weeks that felt like merely a day. I'm genuinely already missing Vietnam, and more so Ani!
     Ani is a beautiful and stunning soul who entered my life about two years ago...through yoga!! A while back she sent me a message sharing that she moved to Hanoi...two yogis across the world, far far away from green mountained Vermont...our paths were destined to intertwine!I'll be honest, I didn't (and still now don't) know very much about Vietnam. It has always been a mysterious place to me...but I'm always down for adventure, discovery, and wonderful souls! When my vacation rolled around, visiting Ani felt right and...just perfect!


     I flew with Vietnam airlines and it was a PACKED plane. I sat next to the bubbliest Korean Vietnamese girl who kept wrapping against my arm everytime she heard the engine make a noise (breaking that plane ride cherry.) The vegan meal they served was gnocci with steamed broccoli and carrots plopped with some canned tomatoe, a roll with dairy-free butter, a wimpy salad, smoked almonds and some pineapple.

chopped salad, pineapple, roll, smoked dry almonds, gnocci and mushy veggies. (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     I'm thankful for the wide range of options but quality wasn't there, hey what do you expect with plane food.

      Landing in Vietnam, I felt an instant rush of excitment and giddyness...and that was soon hit with the humidity. I packed super light (thankfully) but...this sweating deal...tank tops are for soaking that up guys!

     I had a driver get me at the airport and bring me to Ani's place, her last day of work was the day I arrived so I kicked it over at Highland's Coffee and decided to have my first Vietnamese coffee...(Phil and Laura RAVE)!

Highland's Ice black coffee (photo taken by VeganBeats)

     Strong, some body- in my head I was hoping Phil and Laura weren't lying. I later discovered that Highland is a chain place and in terms of bomb coffee, this joint doesn't fully represent (phew).
     When Ani and finally reunited there was nothing but anticipation, joy, and genuine happiness! My entire being felt at peace, an energized calmness...let the adventures begin!