Before I departed my home in Ireland, I booked four flights, setting intentions for each destination.
- Hanoi, Vietnam: Reunions with friends.
2. Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam: Embrace the culture and history of Vietnam.
3. Bali, Indonesia: Go with the flow and focus on my writing.
4. Perth, Australia: Start a new adventure with my best friend.
The only other thing I planned was my accomodation, and I was ready to see what awaited me.
Learning to let life and all its weird encounters naturally unfold is a fun game I constantly forget I’m playing. When we travel, it’s so natural to try control your new surroundings hyperfixating on what’s next and what time you have to be where and which restaurant has the most Tripadvisor reviews. When we make these anal agendas, we don’t always allow for natural encounters with strangers, the joy of wandering into a hidden cafe because you feel like it (not just because your aunt Mary told you to). We plan what nights to have what meals even though once Wednesday comes round your stomach mightn’t be able to handle chips nevermind a burger.
Days before my first flight to Hanoi, my plans started to take new direction when I received two emails:
- Hello! Our apartment guests just signed a 1 year contract! Would you mind finding somewhere else to stay? Thanks. (Translated from Vietnamese to English via Google)
- Your Australian visa application cannot be processed without more medical information… Results for these tests could take 8 weeks…
My initial irrational response: ahhhhhhhh where am I gonna stay in Hanoi I arrive in a few days and I booked this months ago why is Vietnam like this and how am I gonna do medical checks when I’m leaving Ireland in two days I don’t have time oh god I’m not gonna get my Australian visa by April and I’ll just be floating around Indonesia for the rest of my life unsure what to do with myself.
My rational response after a few deep breaths: Let’s look at other accomodation options – there are lots of places to stay in Hanoi including my friends’ couches. And I can do these medical checks in Hanoi – they have hospitals there. Even if I don’t get my Australian visa by April, spending more time in Bali sounds like an exciting adventure, and that’s the whole reason I decided to travel.
Since opening those emails two weeks ago, I have hit many more bumps and potholes throughout my time in the north of Vietnam (literally and metaphorically) testing my patience and ability to deal with the unexpected:
- I was greeted at Noi Bai airport (Hanoi) by a random woman smiling holding a sign that read ‘Saoirse Rafferty’. My initial hope that a secret admirer sent for a driver to collect me was soon turned upside down when the woman uttered ‘we lost your suitcase’. Luckily, my case was found and returned 12 hours later with the name ‘Saoirse Fafferty’ across it.
- I was ten minutes into a clay workshop when I discovered my worst nightmare: cutting styrofoam heads with scissors.
- I got a bad stomach bug and spent a whole weekend hanging out with a toilet bowl instead of my friends.
- I nearly lost my hand when a hairdryer burst into flames while using it. The hotel manager laughed when I complained and handed me a new one.
- I had to wake up at 5.30 a.m. and drive to a hospital three consecutive mornings in a row for health check procedures.
- While driving my rented motorbike to a friend’s house, the bike key somehow fell out along the way. I couldn’t understand when I arrived and the engine was still running but there was NO KEY in it. The bike man I rented off had to come save me and wouldn’t believe my story or that I was sober. The conversation went something like: “You are so funny when you are drunk.” “I am not drunk.” “You must have dropped the bike key after parking and forgot.” “I didn’t drop the key.”
- I must have used over 50 wifi networks because I wasn’t bothered about buying a sim card. Because of this, I got lost many times and had to linger outside Vietnamese family homes asking if I could connect to their wifi. Luckily, they were a lot friendlier and welcoming than if I stood outside someone’s window in Ireland.
Though these bumps really tested my patience, I wouldn’t have taken any other route (I KNOW that’s the most cliche nauseating ending to a blog post). But when you set off on an adventure, you need to expect venturing. These unexpected turns have brought me to new experiences and made funny stories. However, I do hope that the roads in Bali are a bit smoother.
A Good Kind of Scary 