A Letter of Thanks to Halong Bay, Vietnam

 

Dear Halong Bay,

I don’t know if its appropriate to ‘thank’ a place. But to me, like many of my loved ones, you hold a special place in my heart and your memories make me a better person.  I met you a year ago, when I was lost and hurting from a relationship gone terribly, horrifically sour. I had traveled from Sydney to Vietnam to escape my demons and attempt to repair my soul.

It was initially hard to shake my looming pessimism. The dock at Halong Bay doesn’t reveal much about the archipelago paradise that lies no more than an hour boat ride away. Somewhat scrappy, tarnished Junk Boats bob at the moor, waiting to pick up hundreds of eager passengers, waiting beside their luggage sporting excited perspiration in the stifling northern Vietnamese humidity. I’d seen the postcards and friend’s photographs of Halong Bay but never really taken much notice. Photographs, as much as they open our eyes to unknown places, only provide a droplet of a view, an atmosphere and an experience.

An hour later, I found myself situated in a bright red junk boat, in the middle of the calmest, tranquil blanket of sapphire ocean, archipelagos of various sizes dotted all around me, witnessing a sunset that was cascading a million sparkles on the water.  I was transfixed in awe by the overwhelming beauty that surrounded me from every angle. I stood at the front of the junk boat, the setting sky illuminating slowly transitioning shades of yellows, oranges and pale pinks. I marvelled as the heavens opened up to perform nature’s greatest pantomime, it felt like it was just for me.

It turns out that travel doesn’t repair your soul. Only you can do that. Your thoughts and attitudes are 100% your own. But positioning yourself somewhere you can find peace and beauty, whether around the corner from your home or half way across the world, you will feel the little pieces of your soul slowly tessellate back into place. It took 30 000 kilometers of travel and a whole lot of hard earned money to learn that, but the beauty bestowed upon me that day made me appreciate the beauty in aspects of ever other day I have lived in since… and that is worth more than anything in the world.

The tremendous magic of Halong Bay restored joy to my heart once more, and from then on, every sunset I see, every boat bobbing on the ocean, even something as simple as a crisp droplet of rain tumbling down a leaf, no matter where I am, I feel another piece of my soul come back to me, and I grasp it fiercely with joyful might.

 

Thank you Halong Bay, I am surrounded by beauty. I am forever grateful.

Thank you for reading and commenting. Please enter the Gratitude Travel Writing competition and tell your story.

Gratitude Travel Writing Contest

We hope you enjoyed this entry in the We Said Go Travel Gratitude Writing Contest. Please visit this page to learn more and participate. Thank you for reading the article and please leave a comment below.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

We Said Go Travel