I found myself suddenly beginning to appreciate so much about this beautiful and resilient country. Every day, I realized just how unbelievably lucky I was to have been born into such a safe and abundant environment in the United States and how lucky I was to be in Vietnam now, during this time of rebirth and rebuilding.
I also realized how incredible the people of Vietnam were and continued to be, and how amazing it was that despite experiencing the occasional act of “unkindness,” the vast majority of Vietnamese people in my life were nothing but lovely, gracious and welcoming people. They were each of these things not because of what they said, but because of what they did. They showed me respect, integrity and openness every single day.
Once I took the time to really see, to look more deeply, I realized just how fresh, open and inspiring the young people of this country were. I realized how much my perspective had shifted and how much opportunity I now had to make a positive difference in Vietnam. And hopefully, I thought to myself, I just might be able to shift a few perspectives in return.
