Stockholm → Hanoi

There are so many things to love about October. Especially the lingonberry pumpkin muffins I just made. Although they didn't come close to the cranberry pumpkin ones they were inspired by. 

love the vines changing color on this house!

But this year, Stockholm's October feels like one grey day followed by another. For that, and many more reasons, I'm shipping out. Goodbye damp, cloudy days, hello - well, I'm not sure what hello is quite yet as my destination is somewhere new to me. I'm headed to Vietnam! Tomorrow! I've got my flights, my visa, my vaccinations, mosquito net, and a few dong to hold me over for the next 3 weeks. 

I'll be living with a family in a tiny village north of Hanoi near the border of China. It's a poor, mountainous region about which I know nearly nothing. I'm going to teach English to children there through this organization. I don't know many specifics and I've never taught before, but I'm excited to give it a go and see what happens. I know I'll learn a lot, and I hope they will too. 

Has anyone ever been to Vietnam? Or to the Ha Giang Province? Tha village perhaps? What did you think? Any tips??

I'll try to post from there, but don't know what kind of internet access I'll have, so if you don't hear from me, you will as soon as I'm back in November :) Wish me luck!