diary.lucy

Do you typically bring back souvenirs when you go on trips? When I first started traveling, I would always think about bringing little items back for friends/family/coworkers. But as I started traveling a bit more, sometimes the thought of picking out souvenirs just becomes more taxing and stressful. And also, in some places souvenirs are pricey! These days I'm less inclined to bring back souvenirs unless I see something really cool and worth getting.  In Vietnam, we saw a few cute items and thought these would make great souvenirs. Here are some souvenir ideas if you are looking for them: 1. Journals 2. Plushies 3. Weasel Coffee 4. Fun Tshirts  5. Keychains

Lanterns. Lights. Beautiful. These are the three words that come into mind when I think back on my trip to Hoi Ann in September. My bf and I were only there for three days during our trip to Vietnam and I wished we stayed longer.  We originally only planned to go to Hoi An to see the Lantern Festival and we didn't think to stay longer as we were cautious about the weather being the start of their rainy season. The rain and a bit of thunder did come; however it didn't really disrupt our trip.  We stayed at  La Charm Hoi An Hotel & Spa  near Ancient Town and I really enjoyed this hotel. The staff/service was incredible, the location was perfect- such an easy quick 5/6 mins walk to the Ancient Town markets, restaurants, canals, and we highly enjoyed the free breakfast buffet and free bike rentals. I can't say enough good things about this hotel and would highly recommend.  Hoi An has a special place in my heart, I really enjoyed just walking around the streets ...

My bf and I had the chance to visit Hanoi, the Capital of Vietnam for a week in September/October and we were amazed by the hustle and bustle of life in the Old Quarter. It is a vibrant area filled with many homes, businesses, streets vendors, motorbikes, and locals mixed with tourists.  It reminds me a bit of SF Chinatown but instead of seeing large crowds of people walking around you, there would be huge crowds of people driving around in motorbikes. Most streets in the Old Quarter does not have street lights and you would just have to take a leap of faith and cross the road with confidence against the motorbikes riders.  Thankfully, the locals driving on the motorbikes would just weave around you even though it feels like they would hit you when crossing. Eventually I started getting a hang of crossing the street even though it was stressful everytime the road was busy. One of the nice perks of traveling to Vietnam is getting to try all the inexpensive food and drinks you w...

Happy New Year!  Let me just say thank you next, 2020, and hello 2021! 2020 has been a year like no other, an emotional roller coaster ride filled with more downs than ups, but Im thankful to have made it through this year still relatively healthy + covid free and so are my close family and friends. Truly that is all I can ask for. Now for 2021, Im hopeful for the world to beat this pandemic and for life to resume normally.  For the new year I like to think about my resolutions even though Im part of the 90% who doesn't always follow through with them. lol Im not going to put too much pressure on myself but I like being conscious of the areas that I can improve on whether its healthy habits, personal development, career growth, small changes, etc.  Here are some of my new year resolutions for 2021: 1. Cook thirty new recipes - I have been really into baking lately and neglected my cooking skills. In 2021, I am aiming to cook more.  2. Travel to one new destination (J...