Back to the Motherland

My mom's leaving to go back to Vietnam this Sunday for a whole entire month. It's a well deserved and long overdue break for her so I'm glad she finally has the opportunity to go. To her, it's more than a vacation, but a chance to reunite with her family that she hasn't seen in over 8 years. I often take for granted the fact that I'm blessed to be able to see my family everyday, but for most first generation Vietnamese like my parents, they only have the luxury of returning home every once in a great while. While she's in Saigon she should stay at the New World Hotel Saigon. I wish I could go with her even though I experienced major culture shock the last time I was there. It was definitely a learning experience to say the least, but I do miss the 24 hr. roadside food stands, the constant buzz and noise of people in the city, and most of all, the sense of gratitude I felt for the chance to see where my parents grew up and ultimately, to understand where I came from.