A return to some sort of normality!

Chris and I returned from our lazy weekend in Mui Ne on Sunday evening. Monday was his last day in Vietnam. During the daytime we went into town for Chris to do some last-minute shopping; he bought two dirt-cheap North Face jackets from Saigon Square (knock-off brands central) and a leather cabin bag, or 'man-bag', as he needed additional space to take home all the things he bought here. We had the man-bag with us when we went to another shopping centre for Chris to buy parting gifts for Jessica and Thuy. The girl who served us was very friendly and chatty; she spotted the bag and asked if we were flying home today. "He is", I said, and explained our situation to her. "Ooh!", she said, "I have a boyfriend too, but I'm always with him, I don't want to leave him!". She was moved enough to discreetly hand us a little gift of a pair of fridge magnets- a girl and a boy in traditional Vietnamese dress. It was very sweet.

By some miracle Chris managed to pack all of his stuff, and after a farewell pizza together he was gone. I felt very lost and lonely to suddenly be by myself after five weeks of his company, but I suppose things are back to how they were before. I've had a very long holiday and now I have to get back to work- a bit of a shock to the system! Luckily, my best friend will be here at the end of the week. Jessica and I will be taking her to Thailand for a week on the beach, and then we will travel to Myanmar.

This morning I had an informal meeting with Jessica to review what I have yet to do for my project. I still have seventeen book reviews and thirty interviews to complete, and I must also organise twenty hours of charity work. I have spent today updating my accounts book from the past month and adding photographs to my blog posts from December, very tedious work! In our meeting Jessica reminded me that my blog should serve as a medium for reflection as well as a diary, and so I have been reflecting on the busy past month that seems to have flown by. I think it will take a while for everything I have seen and done this past month to sink in; looking through the 2,000 or more photographs I've taken since Chris arrived reminds me of everything I've done- seeing much more of Vietnam, visiting the wonderful Angkor temples and spending precious time with my family and boyfriend for the first time in three months. I was so happy to be with them all again and it was painful for me to say goodbye, knowing it will be another long period of time before I next see them. But it was easier to say goodbye this time than when I first left for Vietnam, now that I've already been through the experience of living far away from home. I hope this is a sign that I've become stronger. I've certainly learnt how much I value my friends and family from this experience; something I hope I will never take for granted.