Jennifer L | Blue Wave Studio

My first visit to Vietnam was with my father 11 years ago. It was his first time returning to the country since war drove him and my mother away from their own home.

I was shocked at the streets of Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) because it was extremely crowded with motorbikes and cars with no real sense of order including lack of traffic lights and crosswalks. You wouldn’t be able to cross the street if you don’t trust the drivers on the road nor have the confidence to get to the other side of the street, slowly moving forward and never backwards through cross traffic. I was frozen with fear of getting hit, but eventually learned to cross the street.

The craziness that is the streets of HCMC (from 2007):

If you look closely, you can see a man carrying tires on his motorbike wave at the camera.

Three years ago, it was my second visit to Vietnam, but that time, with my mother. I will always remember the time I saw a little girl crossing the street as it will remain etched in my memory forever. Seeing that she was about to do such an impressive feat which to her
was probably routine, I got my camera ready:

I then realized that she was headed for me and our taxi, her eyes asking for money with her open palm. That’s when I saw me.

I’ve always wondered what my life would be like if my parents had never made it to the US. What if I had been born in Vietnam and grew up there instead? What if I had different parents? What kind of things would I not have the privilege of seeing, tasting, smelling, touching, or
doing? How much of my life would be similar to this little girl? They say that favorable social circumstances has more to do with your opportunities and future and I believe that notion more and more. They also say that you don’t know what you’re missing until it’s gone so maybe for the little girl, that was just life as she knew it.

I wanted to give the little girl some money, but I was taken aback by what had happened that by the time I had a chance to absorb it all to react, the taxi driver had whisked us away.

I think about the girl and wonder where she is now. The optimistic side of me wants to believe she’s on the way to do great things.

This year, I am spending my birthday in Vietnam. And no doubt I’ll get a new perspective on life and myself (one of the reasons why I love to travel the world). Vietnam, I’m looking forward to what you have to show and teach me.

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