upcoming visits

I am so incredibly lucky.

Technology has helped immensely in making me comfortable being half a world away from my family and friends. I've also made some amazing friends during this adventure over the past year + ...and looking at this year ahead (well... just 9 months now! Oh my...) I have AWESOME travel plans coming up with some wonderful people in my life who are making the trip to Vietnam.

• First up... I will be the visitor in Ben and Mel's house on the North Island of New Zealand! I leave HCMC mid-December and will stay and travel in New Zealand through the New Year. Ben is a good friend of my brother Lenny's from his time living in NZ. I'm really excited for the visit and to be able to spend the Christmas holiday with them and their family. AND... Ben and Mel are expecting their first baby while I am there!

• Patrice flies in to HCMC from Shanghai at the end of January! Patrice is a good friend of mine from AIS last year. I miss her so much this year and am really excited for her to be back in this city with me for a bit! We are thinking of taking a weekend trip to Phu Quoc or Hoi An while she's here.  :D

• Shannon, Tim, and Heather fly in from NY and DC mid-February! Shannon is my cousin... Tim is her husband... and Heather is one of my closest friends from college. I am so, SO excited for their visit during the Tet holiday! We plan to go to Thailand and travel from Bangkok up to Chiang Mai by train.

• Lenny flies in to HCMC from Denver, CO mid-March! My brother Lenny just booked his flights for a two-week stay... one week we will travel (probably along the coast of Vietnam) during my spring break... and the other week we'll both be working but then enjoying HCMC in the afternoon/evenings. I hope my brother Sean can make it for this trip as well!

• Tracy plans to visit mid-June... and travel with me until the end of the month... and the end of my time in SE Asia! Tracy has been a great friend of mine since first grade! I'm stoked to have her visit and to adventure and travel with her before my time is up in SE Asia. We are thinking of going to Bali and Hoi An.