Ride Photos

Graduation Announcement

Asia Trip-- Travel Home

Leaving Hanoi was so bittersweet. This has been such an amazing trip, and we’ve had some incredible experiences. It’s been a wonderful holiday, spending Christmas and New Year’s together as a family. It seems like so long ago that we started planning this trip, and now it’s come to an end. We are so lucky that things went smoothly. Even with the Norovirus (Bird), an ear infection (Dad), and puking (Mom), we had a great trip—one for a lifetime. We even made it with only taking carry-on luggage. The way home was very long. We flew from Hanoi to South Korea and had a long delay in Seoul, but it was fun because Korean Airlines gave us vouchers for food. The options were very limited in the middle of the night since most restaurants were closed, so we essentially bought mini-mart groceries—fruit, nuts, snacks. Bird was good because Nam was awake back in the U.S., so he chatted on the phone. Mei was exhausted and found a row of seats to sleep. We finally took off for our Trans-Pacific flight, which went well. We landed in San Francisco and had to spend the night at the Hampton Inn by the airport. We were all so tired and jet-lagged. We ordered Wendy’s through Uber Eats, and it tasted amazing. We fell asleep early and got up the next day to fly through Dallas-Fort Worth and then finally HOME. I say this every time we finish a vacation, but I would not want to spend this length of time with anyone else. We’ve come home to a new year and a busy spring semester. Our big two are returning for their final semesters of high school and college, and we start the new calendar year with anticipation. 2024 was an amazing year. It was good to this family. We look forward optimistically to all that 2025 will bring.

Asia Day 23-- Last Day in Hanoi

Today was our last day in Hanoi. It’s hard to believe that this wonderful vacation is coming to an end. We decided to just spend our last day right in the central part of the city. We had a lazy morning and spent some time packing, mostly to see how much luggage space we would need. We consolidated our Dong so we could spend it before leaving and walked around the hotel after breakfast. We went down the elevator and toured the Hanoi Hilton (which is attached to our hotel). We then went to see Ho Chi Minh’s Palace and Mausoleum. Spencer and I had been there back in 2008, but we didn’t get to go inside the mausoleum. Today we were able to go in and see the body. The grounds of the palace are very pretty, and it was nice to walk around. Cam showed up in shorts that were too short, so we had to purchase $3 pants for her to wear. Afterward, we walked back into the Old Quarter and found some last-minute souvenirs and magnets. This afternoon we went to the Water Puppet Show, which was great, especially since we had to leave the show early when Camdyn was a baby. It was nice to see it properly this time. Bird slept through most of it, but the rest of us enjoyed it. After the show, we did some major shopping. Mom loves to barter, so she had a great time working the prices. One of the vendors even called her a "Tiger Mom," which was hilarious. We got a lot of North Face and Patagonia items, including jackets, shoes, backpacks, and duffels. Then we went to a well-known pizza restaurant where Mom immediately got sick, vomiting five times in a row. Thank goodness the restaurant had a very clean bathroom. Dad walked her back to the hotel while the kids stayed to finish their pizza and then made their way back as well. By the time we got back to the hotel, Mom was feeling better. We ordered Dad some room service pizza, and the kids had picked up a few more souvenirs. While packing all of our shopping loot, we realized we would need another large bag to check for the trip home. Bird and Cam went back out on the town and bought one more North Face bag for about $18. Once they returned, we finished packing and headed to bed. It was a great last day. We are so sad to be leaving Hanoi, a place that is so meaningful in our lives.

Asia Day 22-- Trang's Visit

Tonight, Mom and Dad were in bed, getting ready to sleep, when Camdyn came in and woke Mom up She said, “Hey, Trang is messaging me and wants to drop off a gift—she’s on her way to the hotel.” Cam felt like she needed to tell someone, just in case she had left our hotel room and something happened. We were glad she did. It was so worth getting up and getting dressed because sweet Trang had heard Camdyn mention she was looking for an Ao Dai, and she had brought one from the store where she works. It was very special, and exactly something Cam would have picked out for herself. We got to sit with Trang and talk for a while, with the help of Google Translate. She is such a lovely person. So generous. She loves her family, and it’s clear she is just as kind as Cam. She stayed about an hour, and then we got her a Grab bike to take her back to her apartment. It was wonderful to see her once more before we leave. It really has been special to have this connection, even while we’ve been in Hanoi. It was unexpected, but such a wonderful connection. We will certainly miss her, but we’re so glad we have Facebook to keep in touch.

Asia Day 22-- Conical Hats and Incense Village

This afternoon we did a half-day excursion outside of Hanoi. We met our shuttle and drove to Chuong Village, a Vietnamese village renowned for its traditional conical hat (nón lá) craftsmanship, a practice passed down for generations. Located about 30 kilometers from Hanoi, the village is known for its centuries-old hat-making traditions. The guide took us right into a family’s home, and we sat on mats in their living room while they showed us how they make the hats. Their dog came over and laid in Mom’s lap, which was hilarious. Then, they sat us in their kitchen and we painted our own nón lá hats. It was such a funny experience, but we were glad we got to do it—and it’s nice to have hats to take home as souvenirs. After that, they took us to the Quang Phu Cau incense village, a place that has been producing incense for over 100 years. We walked through the factory and then took pictures in a beautiful courtyard covered in colorful incense. When the tour ended, we asked to be dropped off at Train Street, which was really cool to walk down and see up close. From there, we walked to KOTO Restaurant, which stands for “Know One, Teach One.” KOTO’s trainees come from poverty-stricken and at-risk communities across Vietnam, including orphans and members of ethnic minority groups. It was our most expensive meal so far, but Dad and Cam had what was basically a seven-course meal, and our total was still under $100 USD, including drinks and dessert. The food was amazing. On the walk back to the hotel, we had to stop (again) at Mixue, which is Meili’s favorite. They have a chocolate sundae for about $1.50 USD and even put it in a bag to go. She loves it, and it’s a great way to keep her motivated when she’s tired and we still have a walk ahead of us.