Transition period

I've been travelling for a little over 2 months now. My time in Vietnam has come to an end and tomorrow I get a 6 hour bus to Cambodia from Ho Chi Minh city where the contents of my backpack is currently strewn all over the floor of a private room (a treat to myself after weeks of shared dorms and disturbed sleep.) As soon as I arrived in Ho Chi Minh a sense of realisation settled, a little sadness, not because I don't like Ho Chi Minh, but because it's the end. This isn't the end with a capital E, I'm still travelling, I still have over a month left and after that a new beginning in Australia, but the final few days in each country and the preperation to leave for a new one brings an inevitable heaviness in my heart.

I feel like most long-term travelers will be hardened to this, they will have adjusted to constantly moving and saying equally as many goodbyes as greetings. I'm definitely not there yet and I can't imagine myself ever being there this early on in my journey. Even though I've felt a little flatness before leaving countries before it's hit me harder this time. Vietnam has been where we have ran into so many familiar faces from Thailand and Laos as well as making a lot of new friends and we've made the journey from north to south in under 4 weeks due to us crossing over a few days late from Laos, so the whole few weeks have been fast and fun - filled.

Before I came away, 3 months sounded like plenty of time to backpack South East Asia. It was all ahead of me with only the next destination to think about, and here I am, 2 months later and 3 countries down. It has absolutely flown.

I know that with each ending comes a new beginning. A few days into Cambodia the sadness will subside and I'll be fully immersed into exploring somewhere new. Until then, goodbye Vietnam, you've been a blast, here's to the stillness and peaceful mist of the Sapa mountains, the breathtaking limestone islands of Ha Long bay, skinny dipping in the ocean of Cat Ba, the wonderful mazes and craziness of Hanoi, lush green plains and amazing caves of Phong Nha, buying beautiful wares and lantern lights in Hoi An, sunbathing and partying in Nha Trang and ending it all in rainy Saigon, enjoying the last days and revelling in the wonder of it all, the excitement and freedom of backpacking. 

Grace xo