[jackbl]

My New Year resolution: Travel more in Vietnam
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In just a short day, 2011 will officially be coming to a close and 2012 will begin. Many look to this special occasion, myself included, as an opportunity for a fresh start, to try something new, or to break a bad habit. A popular tradition, that I always take part in, for those who share this outlook is making a New Year’s Resolution, or a commitment that someone makes to themselves to accomplish a goal in the New Year. This year I’m trying to stay away from the standard, ‘eat healthier and exercise more’ resolution and go for something a little more specific.

I’ve now been living in the country for over a year! Although my time here seems to have flown by, during my stay I have been able to find time to enjoy many things about the country; my favorite of which is the food. For the past year I have tried a seemingly endless number of dishes, either on the street, in markets, or at restaurants. I was even brave enough to try things I would have never thought of eating before, like crickets and hot vit lon! Even though the food is wonderful, and I can’t seem to get enough of it, sometimes I feel lazy for eating out as often as I do.

For this reason, my first resolution for 2012 is to learn how to cook some of the Vietnamese meals I love so dearly. Specifically, I will learn how to cook at least one traditional dish a month. This way I will not only feel less lazy but when I return home, to visit my friends and family, I can share the dishes with them as well.

One of the reasons I initially left home to live abroad was to give myself the chance to travel. During my year here I have had the opportunity to visit several of Vietnam’s neighboring countries, such as Indonesia and Malaysia. Unfortunately, as I have visited other areas I have somewhat neglected Vietnam. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had my fair share of adventure in Vietnam. This year I got to canyoning, where you rock climb down waterfalls in Da Lat, I kayaked in Ha Long Bay, I snorkeled in Phu Quoc, and I even got to attend a Vietnamese wedding in the countryside! I had a great time but for me it hasn’t been enough.

So, for my second resolution I will visit more of Vietnam. For example, I haven’t found the time to visit Hue, and taste its great food, or learn how to make a lantern Hoi An, but I desperately want to go! I want to take the train to Sapa! I want to lay on the beach in Con Dao! To do this I vow to visit at least one new Vietnamese city every month! Not only will it be great to see the country but I could also use the vacation!

There you have it, my resolutions for 2012! I’m going to do my best to make sure that my goals are met but sadly, an overwhelming majority of New Year’s resolutions, around 80%, fail for one reason or another. But now that I’ve written them down and told you about them I think I’m more likely to succeed! Now it’s your turn, make a New Year’s resolution for yourself and write it down, hopefully you’ll have as much fun with yours as I’ll have with mine!