Never Say "Goodbye", Say "See You Soon"...

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam

June 25, 2007
N 10°46.071
E 106°41.665

Note: Marc and I will most likely have parallel stories until we are back together on 7/5.

As with most things in life, all good things come to an end, and that includes the American Family Vacation. The five of us traveled in a pack for the last 19 days; Marc, Elise and I for the past month and I think all of us enjoyed every minute of it.

Marc, Elise and I boarded the bus for Saigon at 8:15 AM, leaving Bob and Teddy behind in Dalat. Bob and Teddy are heading to Luang Prabang via Hanoi on the 27th, Elise is heading to Cambodia via the Mekong Delta, Marc to Phu Quac Island and me to San Diego, California for my best friend’s wedding.

We all had so much fun together that saying goodbye was pretty difficult, which is when I reminded everyone to never say goodbye, but to see you soon. We will see everyone again in just a few months when we celebrate Joel and Lisa’s wedding (Marc’s brother).

There were even talks of our next family vacation, hoping more of the family would make it if we gave them plenty of time to save for the trip. The most likely destination for the next trip…South America.

We had one more night with Elise in Saigon; having heavy discussions around what is next for her, a recent college graduate. Marc and I both gave our opinions and reminded her that she has input from plenty of people, including her big brothers and sister-in-law, for any required career counseling. Luckily, she is bright with a good head on her shoulders and will excel in whatever she does.

As the three of us sat around at dinner that night, we realized we are all in the same situation. No jobs, no real commitments and endless possibilities in front of us. I think at this point, our parents just hope we make it home some day soon. If not, everyone else will have to meet us on the road.

For now, we will just say… see you soon.

Love,
Marc and Laura