The mist clears

Been a tad manic here. Boring but manic stuff which I really dont want to have to deal with, but such is life. Even if I dont find the time to write my own blog, I always find time to read others. I am keeping up with a few blogs written by expats in VN. I enjoy seeing what other people write about their time in VN, and I find many little things trigger memories of my own time there..

Just now I was reading about someone's trip to Sa Pa. Although I have read quite a few posts about Sa Pa in various blogs, this time I actually remembered something I felt when I was there. It has nothing to do with the town itself, or even VN for that matter, so I wont be describing mist on the mountains or dye-stained hands!

The memory I have is of 'freedom'. I had been to Sa Pa before, but this trip I went as a 'single' amongst couples. It was the first trip I had been on in VN as a 'single' actually, and it was the first time since becoming a single that I felt a sense of contentment.

I remember as I walked up the hill towards the markets, I suddenly (and finally) felt that I was in control of my own destiny, and although I was alone, I wasnt lonely. I felt my senses awaken, and I knew I could gain as much, if not more, from my experience of exploring Sapa on my own, as what I would having someone by my side. Not that I am saying having someone to share your journey isnt a wonderful experience -because it is. But there are times when some journeys need to be made alone.

For me that was one of those times, and remembering that journey reminds me that when you least expect it, one chapter closes and another one opens.