Our first few days in Vietnam have been phenomenal and we have all quickly fallen in love with this country. I’m sure that having just stepped out of the perfect storm in Manila is a contributing factor in that. Regardless, it feels like Vietnam is nourishing both our bodies and our minds. We’re all sleeping…
Month: December 2025
The Halfway Mark: Six Months of Adventure
We have officially reached the halfway mark in our family gap year journey. The surreal feeling of “wow, we are actually doing this” has faded, but still sneaks up on me from time to time. It usually happens during unexpected moments of adventure, like an almost secluded beach on Guam, or riding home in a…
Welcome to Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam
Xin Chào (hello) and welcome to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam! We arrived in the most populated city in Vietnam last night. The lights as we descended, as well as during our ride through the city, were spectacular. Ho Chi Minh City is still commonly known as Saigon, but was renamed Ho Chi Minh after…
Philippines Recap
Our time in the Philippines has come to an end. I think we will all collectively exhale as our plane takes off for Vietnam tomorrow evening. I’m extremely glad we got the opportunity to experience this country, even though our time here was hard. It opened our eyes to new experiences and challenged us more…
Schools Around the World – Manila, Philippines
When I search for schools on google maps around condo complex here in the Philippines, there are eight different schools within a 1.5 mile radius. This includes two public elementary schools, a private university, a preschool, a catholic school, and three christian schools. Alexis did a research paper on school in the Philippines, so most…
The Alexis Angle – Philippines
The Philippines is our sixth stop on gap year and by far my least favorite. From the food to the uncomfortable stares, I’m ready to move on to more personal space and a pool! Here are the biggest things I’ve noticed or experienced in the Philippines. The Food Besides chips, most food I’ve tried in…
Haircuts and Holidays In Manila
As we weather the perfect storm here in Manila, I’m trying my best to be where my feet are. We went to the mall several times this week to walk and completed all of our holiday shopping. Dave and I are working on learning some Vietnamese language and the kids are wrapping up school assignments…
The Perfect Storm In Manila Philippines
Foreword by Jill: I’ve had several people ask me what we’ve been up to lately, and the answer is not much. We are essentially just putting our heads down and getting through our remaining time here in the Philippines. I’ve mentioned before how hard this location has been. Dave is great at articulating exactly why…
The Halfway Point in the Philippines
Yesterday marked the halfway point of our time here in the Philippines, but who’s counting? When I think about living here for two more weeks it sounds a little exhausting. Alexis is always pointing out the positive things about our location and I admire her outlook. Her extroverted side is loving the constant people and…
The Mind Museum – A Field Trip That Wouldn’t End
Today we had our first Field Trip Friday (on a Wednesday) in the Philippines. Traffic can be worse on Fridays and we were all feeling a bit stir-crazy, so we went for it. We visited The Mind Museum, and the day turned into the field trip that wouldn’t end. The Mind Museum is in Bonifacio…