I have less than 1 month to go before traveling to Vietnam to help with a Food Outreach Program through IVHQ and local organization Green Lion in Ho Chi Minh City. It still sounds crazy when I say it out loud or put it in writing but I think I want crazy- I want out of my comfort zone, I want to tackle something I am freaful of but yet excited about, I want to learn and grown and challenge myself to open my eyes and to be exposed and slightly vulnerable. Someone today asked me what I am most looking forward to and I realize it is so many things although I am trying to go into this without expectations. I am excited to experience a different culture, to travel abroad with a purpose helping others, to interact with people from all over the world and meet the Vietnamese and learn about their daily life. I want to see the beauty of Vietnam and to experience first hand the taste, the smell, the sound, the sights. And I want, in a sense and at the risk of sounding incredibly cliche, see how similar we all are. This decision to go is something I couldn't quite get out of my head and for that reason it feels right. The travel risks scare me, the state of our world today scares me but I believe and want to believe that travel and exposure to others makes for a more compassionate individual and thus a more compassionate world.
Lauren
