As an SPC student, I am honored to have a part of this experience with USF Tampa and USF St. Petersburg. Hanoi, Vietnam is a feast for the senses, hundreds of cars and motorbikes zooming by you driving fast and slow all at once. Our group of 14 students and 3 staff take adventures every day ensuring everyone is accounted for.

A visit to the US Embassy was symbolic of the growth from a tumultuous past and bright future. Exploring the North of Vietnam has included car rides, bus rides, and even overnight bus rides to Vihn. At Vihn we were greeted by  eager students who woke up at 5 AM to meet us. We have shared meals and ideas and the program will conclude in a group project addressing subjects both parties are interested in. We have eaten a wi de variety of cuisine from frog legs to Chicago style pizza. Between conversations in the classroom or coffee shop I have gotten to know the depths, struggles, and ambitions of US and Vietnamese students alike. I have come to realize our intricate similarities and differences in an amiable environment which I cherish.

Today we are off to our next adventure…caves.

Arriving in Hanoi on July 11th with two of eleven USF students on our connecting flight was comforting and exciting. It’s a sensory overload as you are welcomed by a cloud of humidity. A drive through the streets of Hanoi is full of bustling mopeds, cars, and pedestrians and vendors.

The people of Vietnam are warm and welcoming ,ensuring you’re taken care of. Mornings are bustling with a generation used to communal exercise as early as 5 am. The patriotism is felt in every corner, in the cuisine, and, like most countries, in their beautiful landscape.

Ha Long Bay is an oasis that allows you to forget the rest of the world. The rock formations, all 1,969 of them, rise from the waters with resemblance but individuality; each distinguishable from the next. After a night train ride in a sleeper train, we met eager resilient students in Vinh City. And this is the culmination of our anticipation – the connection of 14 students from USF Tampa, USF St. Petersburg, and SPC with 14 students from Vinh University. The burst of similarities and intrigue of differences makes for an extraordinary two weeks of class and adventure.