Our last day in Kiến Tường/Mộc Hóa let me reflect on the blessing it is to see Uncle Dad and Auntie Mom in their elements. It’s a unique experience to visit a place so markedly different from the places we live now and see people you know in a different context.

After meeting the first set of family members, we had to visit the next. We visited all the family shrines today to pay respect to our ancestors and introduce new members of our family (Jesse and me).

Our Vietnam tour ended, but our marriage tour was just starting. We headed over to Kiến Tường/Mộc Hóa, the Nguyen family hometown, to meet the relatives for the first time.

After our tour, we returned to Ho Chi Minh City (also known as Saigon), and spent a day with Uncle Dad and Auntie Mom.

We traveled to Tam Chúc pagoda, perhaps the most beautiful temple we got to visit. A rainstorm joined our visit, which made it more magical and peaceful than when we started.

Our trip took us to Ninh Bình and Phủ Lý, portions of the country closest to China. We took a river tour and stayed in the fanciest hotel towering over a small city.

After almost 5 years, we finally fulfill Uncle Dad’s request (demand) of going to Hạ Long Bay together as a family. We learned about the mythology and the tension between preserving what’s natural and developing entertainment for profit.

Our family tour leaves Da Nang and heads to Hà Nội. While touring the city, I consider languages, the diaspora, and the opportunities that go along with it.

In the Bà Nà Hills and Hội An portion of our trip, we visited an amusement park while I reflected on what it means to access what is beautiful.

The family took a tour of the Imperial Palace at Huế then made our way to Da Nang. I spent my time there reflecting on history and how its effects echo through our families.

Tam and I went to Vietnam with his family. It’s his first time back in 10 years, and my first time ever to Southeast Asia. First stop: Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon.