Preparing everything for a trip overseas can be nerve-racking, especially if your destination has more complicated entry requirements than a standard passport. But, unfortunately, we Americans live with a reality that few other countries can boast save for European nations and close political allies.
Our passport alone often affords us the benefit of quickly crossing international borders. This is not always the case. In just over twenty-four hours, I will be boarding a plane for Da Nang, Vietnam. My first trip to Southeast Asia and a communist country. It has been much more than I expected. My passport alone is not enough for me to gain entry into this beautiful country. It required a Visa, which I needed very specific information for. Names of people I’m visiting, addresses of places I’ll be staying at, next of kin, and an assortment of additional information. It is quite different for someone used to showing a passport at a nation’s port authority and walking in.
After many crumbled-up versions (apparently, they’re sticklers for having your paperwork perfectly in order) I think I’m ready to go. I’m almost packed, and everything seems to be in order. I’ll let you know how the experience goes, getting through customs and ultimate entry. but not until I complete twenty-three hours of travel. That’s right, 14 hours to Doha, Qatar, a four-hour layover, and just over six hours to Da Nang. Oh, and I also lost an entire day of my life, which I will never get back! : ( I leave Atlanta at 7:00 p.m. on the 23rd, travel for 23 hours, and land in Da Nang at 4:00 p.m. on the 25th. What happened to the 24th? A day that will never exist for me. Hey, I’ll sacrifice a day for a lifetime of memories any day.
Update 10/5/2021
Where do I start?
