Cliché, yes, but true nonetheless, time does pass by so very quickly. I’ve only 8 weeks left to go! I continue to enjoy my work with PATH and the camaraderie with my colleagues here, and I revel in the fact that I am learning every day, especially about myself. So what have I learned about […]
Author Archives: tommydsmith
September
03
I Didn’t Punch a Bus Today
posted by tommydsmith
When you’re in unfamiliar surroundings and alone, without your support network, the stresses that would normally just roll off your back like water off a duck’s backside can well up and lead to a high jacking of one’s amygdala. That’s the part of the brain that controls the “fight or flight” response. I saw it […]
July
25
One Month in the Blink of An Eye
posted by tommydsmith
Wow! One month working with PATH and living here in Ho Chi Minh City, or HCMC for short, has already gone by. I know it sounds cliché, but the time truly seems to have flown. It’s been a whirlwind of activity, as I have found an apartment, learned where to shop and eat, explored and […]
July
01
Settling In
posted by tommydsmith
After nearly 30 hours of travel I arrived here in Ho Chin Minh City, Vietnam around midnight 22Jun17 wrung out and ready for bed. After a surprisingly sound sleep, I was ready to for my first foray into this booming metropolis. With confidence, since I had done my research, I ventured down to the hotel […]
June
05
Anxiously at peace
posted by tommydsmith
Is that title a bit oxymoronic? I suppose so, but it truly is what I’m feeling at the moment. Two weeks from today I begin my journey as a PULSE volunteer, as I leave comforts of Bloomington, Indiana (population 83,500) and home and head to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, population of 17,000,000 or so […]
