For my first post I’ll just go into how I’m currently viewing the trip in a broad sense. Several years ago I would’ve never considered going to Vietnam or Laos, and if you told me I would be going I wouldn’t believe you. Since then I’ve heard so much about Vietnam as a tourist destination, and everything I’ve heard propelled Vietnam as a must visit location for me. When I saw that there was a Vietnam/Laos study away opportunity, I knew it was exactly the kind of trip I’ve been wanting to go on. While Vietnam seems to be getting very popular (just found out that it’s the third fastest growing tourist destination), Laos is just as exciting for me, but for the opposite reason. I can’t wait to visit and explore a country that is not usually considered as a tourist destination, especially here in the US. Visiting Paris on top of all of this has me excited in a way that’s hard to describe. I’m very much looking forward to experiencing the culture of Vietnam and Laos, then topping off the trip with yet another trip to Paris and experiencing the culture there as well, all without being back to the states. There are so many things in Paris that I’ve always wanted to see. I’m not sure I’ve every been more excited for anything before.