“WATCH OUT FOR TRAFFIC!” – Every speaker at our orientation

As we drive from our hotel to the embassy I see places I recognize. I have only been here a day and there is no reason for me to recognize structures and I don’t really. My brain is making connections with other places I’ve traveled. The yellow of that building combined with the composition of that road reminds me of Costa Rica. The long wall we pass hiding the residential area bears a remarkable resemblance to a street I often passed in Rome. The smell of spices on the street transports me to my mom’s kitchen. Even the humidity contains a jovial familiarity of southern state climates and their beloved residents.

Vietnam is so different than anything I have ever seen, and yet subconsciously I keep reaching out to find similarities. I find comfort in the likeness because in some ways it shortens the distances. More than that though, the common threads allow me to relate to the place, culture and even time.

At the same time, it is hard not to embrace the culture and a whole different way of life. I never would have thought I’d voluntarily walk out in front of moving traffic with the expectation that the dozens of motorcycles, scooters and cars would just move around me. The orientation people told us today that, when crossing the street, we should continue forward at a steady pace without going backward or stopping abruptly to avoid getting hit. (***Time for one of Uyen’s cheesy analogies!***) Maybe that is life.

For now, everything is dandy. My urge to find similarities persists and my embracement* of differences continues. All I need to do now is watch out for traffic. =)

*Microsoft Word tells me this is a word and so does Merriam-Webster, but google doesn't agree. This confuses me.