This is my last night in Vietnam. I have traveled an entire, beautiful, wonderful country in 30 days. Pretty cool.

Sapa. The Orient Express. Hanoi. Bai Tu Long and its towering limestone karsts. Phong Nha with its stunning natural caves and mud pits. Hue and ladies’ night. My favorite, Hoi An, with morning shotguns and where I can see myself living. Dalat. Mui Ne’s bioluminescent plankton. Ho Chi Minh City. And finally, the Mekong Delta.

Whew.

I’ve made new friends and eaten fascinating things; hiked mountains and scaled waterfalls; slept on beaches, got tan; visited temples and palaces, and spent more hours on busses than I care to count.

I love this country and am so glad I’ve gotten to traverse it on my own.

It’s strange to be moving on, but I’m looking forward to new adventures in new countries.