changes on the way

One month down from the New Year, but just a few weeks until the Vietnamese New Year (Tet)! I know I haven't blogged much (well as much as I normally do), but that's because I'm in this weird transition period. You know, that sliver of time before everything changes completely? Yeah, that's it.

So some updates. This year I didn't go to Hawaii as Michael and I had planned with his family, but no worries, or next planned trip is right around the corner with my family: Da Nang, Vietnam and Seoul, Korea. On Valentine's day, Michael and I will be boarding a plane for the long flight. We booked these flights sometime in October, so it's kind of surreal that it's coming up in just two weeks!

The last time I was in Vietnam, I was eighteen, and had just graduated from high school. Below are some pictures my sister sent me yesterday morning to get me pumped up for the trip.
 


 As children we used to use sheets and pretend to make royal garments, so it was a real treat playing dress up when we were in Vietnam.

 


A first for me was riding an horse! They were so big, I'm still kind of scared to get on them again.



Just posting these photos makes me all nostalgic again.








This trip was also the first time I got to meet relatives on my mom and dad's side of the family.





Just around the corner from my Grandpa's house is this cool cafe. I can't wait to go back. The ice cream in Vietnam isn't heavy in cream or milk, it's more light and refreshing!





Sadly, most of my photos of the trip were lost when my computer crashed in college, so I'm glad my sister still had these photos. Even this one below:
 

But other than the big Asia trip that's coming, Michael and I are moving! And I mean right after we get back from Asia. So you see what I mean about everything changing completely?

So come March, we'll be trading the city in for the 'Eastside' (the terminology used for the eastern suburbs of Seattle). I'll miss walking to brunch, or getting a drink below at the bar, and not to mention the coffee shops right outside our apartment building, but I think it'll be good for us. I come from a suburban area so I'm used to it. Michael, however, has been living in the city for almost a decade now, so it'll be a huge change to go back to the suburban life. Blaire on the other hand, will have three floors to run around in instead of two rooms, so I think he'll definitely like the change!