February 20th, 2014 marks the one year anniversary of our arrival to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. My wife, Mary Beth, and our Welch Corgi, Pukkah arrived in the middle of the night to be picked up and taken to our new home.
It has taken almost the year to get over the shock of selling everything we had, leaving Colorado and moving to the opposite side of the globe to a new language, food, and job. It took more than 7 months for me to even realize that I was in shock to begin with. I thought my experience living in Medellin, Colombia, in 1992 would give me a pass for any major cultural challenges I would meet.
ISHCMC - American Academy is located in District 2 or Ahn Phu Ward right next to the Saigon River. It is adjacent to the International School of Ho Chi Minh City, the oldest IB World school in HCM City. The American Academy runs from grade 6 to 12 and primarily caters to wealthy Vietnamese families that wish to send their children to North American universities and colleges. My years helping to lead schools and programs in Colorado Springs have helped prepare me for many of the challenges. However, some items would have been very difficult to prepare for in the States:
1. DDT being sprayed every Monday night to kill the mosquitos.
2. Snakes dropping from trees on to my head.
3. Walking across the street in a country that has more motor scooters than people and cars combined.
4. Vietnam just made the top 10 list for the WHO's worst air quality.
THE TRAVEL
We've had some amazing travel opportunities over the last year; Bali, Indonesia, Hoi An, Da Nang, and Phu Quoc, Vietnam, Gillie Air, Indonesia, Chang Mai, Koh Lanta Bangkok, and Phuket, Thailand. Coming up we are looking at Tanzania, Africa, Cambodia, Laos, and the Philippines.
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| Floating Temple, Bali Indonesia |
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