It has been almost three months since Vietnam. I’ve had time to digest it, to re-live it, and I think…I’m ready to unpack it.

Aside from the occasional acorns released via FB/instagram, I’ve been relatively quiet on writersblocktravels.com of late. A big reason was my tying-the-knot in Hoi An, and I made the conscious decision to sit-back rather than document every single moment. It has been a nice break and I’m now looking forward to getting back to producing regular content.

Originally, I had wanted to do daily updates in Vietnam: IG stories, live videos, blogs, etc. but it became clear in the lead up to the wedding that my grand designs were a pipe dream. It got too frantic, and I didn’t want to be distracted from the reason I was there in the first place. In reflection, focusing on the now without an iphone in my hand every second minute was the right call. Not maintaining a Travel Journey was my main regret – even jotting down the day’s minor highlights would have sufficed with my comically awful memory.

I tell myself before each trip that I’ll do a journal but it never happens. NEVER AGAIN! Luckily, we had a world class photographer, Mike Hemus, capture our main events through Vietnam and for that, I’m very thankful.

We took a gamble getting married overseas and an even bigger gamble doing it in a country we had never set foot in, but we could not be happier in how it turned out. It was the best day of our lives, and beautiful Vietnam enhanced our joy in every way we thought it would. If you’re the type of people who enjoy travelling and aren’t for the stuffy convention of traditional weddings – do it overseas. It was the best decision we have ever made. The tropical weather, the vibrancy, the teeming jungle, the incredible cuisine, and the friendly people with big smiles, all contributed to an incredible trip. I haven’t encountered a friendlier people in all of Asia and I have to say it took me by surprise. For all the horrors that the Vietnam war brought to their stunning country it is a testament to their spirit and depths of forgiveness that they welcome everyone, even former enemies with such openness and love.

36 guests felt like 150. The best people on the planet. They partied hard, embraced the destination wedding vibe, and had a heck of great time with cuban cigars going around like candy. Some notable highlights: our MC was bitten by a bat, our photographer vaulted between moving boats for that perfect shot on the way to the ceremony, Anthony Bourdain approved Banh Mi’s arrived just in time for those post dance-floor muchies, and the entire wedding party launched into the pool at the close of festivities. **Massive thanks to the Silk Sense Resort & Spa for allowing that!**

On the travel side of things — The journey through Vietnam was not as extensive as we would have hoped. We were concentrated in the south and had limited time, but what we saw and experienced was fascinating.

The famous French Colonial town of Hoi An was like a fairytale – rich in outstanding cuisine and romantic appeal.

The dawn journey to the ancient ruins of My Son Sanctuary was a personal favourite. History rocks!

Ho Chi Minh City was a steamy mess of scooters, skyscrapers, and roof top bars. Also, Saigon was the gateway for our eye-opening tour up the Mekong Delta and our sombre excursion to the Australian battlefield of Long Tan.

Each location deserves time and attention and I look forward to writing about each of these places in the upcoming weeks.

Signing off.

Credit all photos @MikeHemusPhotograhy