Not going to lie. Yesterday was a long day. Or two. Or… I honestly have no idea. For all the adjusting I did of my body clock, I don’t know if it paid off. Good, bad or ugly, I woke up this morning in Vietnam, and onward in time and space I will go.
Among other things, including forgetting something at every security checkpoint along the way, when I landed my international calling plan did not appear to be working. I had no data, no phone, and did not want to buy a sim card since I had already paid for the plan.
I realized I probably didn’t have a box checked in settings or something, but I could not get on Wi-Fi to figure it out.
Probably should have taken a hot second to learn how to use my phone before I left, but I am one to hunt, peck, and discover instead of formally understanding anything.
So, that was hard trying to contact my driver. I couldn’t bring up what’s ap to call a friend. I could not get on the internet to check the conversion rate for cash. So, I was trying to figure all that out while I found my luggage and was accosted by what felt like hundreds of drivers wanting to give me a ride.
But it worked out. I knew to go to pillar 10, and a person with my name on a board would be waiting.
Felt like a millionaire or something getting executive treatment. Then I saw the hundreds of name boards and felt common again.
There was no person, he was late, but he came.
Seeing my name on that board (thank god in English) was better than seeing on a check from the lottery.
It was a bumpy ride to the hotel. Not because of the roads, but because again, my phone did not have service. I have no idea what was up with google translate but even though I downloaded the languages in advance in case I did not have service, when he asked my how my flight was, my reply translated to ‘Disney home my legs are.’
I was tired. I might have said that. I don’t think I said that. It was a quiet ride after that.
When we arrived at the hotel, it was closed. Quite literally locked down with a metal roll down gate covering the entire entrance. In fact the entire street was locked down with metal roll down gates and covered in graffiti and it was after midnight.
I will not deny being on the verge of a panic stroke in that moment.
“uh oh” was the drivers reaction.
That did not help my panic.
But, as if he had uttered the magical password to open the cave of wonders, the gate started to rise. They were there, they were waiting, and showed me to my room without pause. Said get some sleep and we would talk in the morning.
I was so tired in that moment I didn’t care if they would have given me a bathtub in the basement. I was over the top that gate opened and I didn’t need to sleep in the back of the driver’s van.
Moral of the story, it worked out. A lot of hassle; perhaps I could have been more prepared, but that is what this trip is about. Learning to navigate the world.
Today I slipped out of the womb of ignorance, got smacked in the butt by Doctor Reality, and yes, I screamed. But right there, in that moment standing next to a stunned local driver in the middle of a back alley at midnight. In Vietnam no less. That was the moment I took my first step. Planned or otherwise, the first step is usually a doozie.
