A return to Vietnam. Hue, and all the fortunes yet to be told.

I returned to Vietnam a few months ago. Months has passed, I wasn't ready to edit or even look at the photos, that is until now. I got a pang of curiosity and finally loaded my pictures onto my computer.

South East Asia took up residence in my skull 6 years ago and hasn't left.

I didn't have any desire to re-visit the pictures from my last trip. I felt good, like everything I've experienced over there is just fine where it is, in my head. I can go swimming in all things Vietnamese whenever I need. I've kept my pictures at arms length as I didn't need to dive into my picture to re-live or remember. Maybe I just didn't want to overwrite what I already see behind these eyes.

I'm a terrible inconsistent blogger. I just align myself to the 'slow blogging' school of throughout (thank you to Erin from Design for Mankind for educating me on this!)

So just briefly, my return to vietnam was not planned, in fact is was very last minute. I actually won an competition. I entered and immediately got that gut feeling, I would win. I even told people I was going to win and I actually did. It was the excuse I was looking for to return … (thanks to Intrepid! I would be happy for you to send me around the world and photo-document your trips. Get in touch!) The urge to return hit me more like a panic attack earlier in the year. I had just booked flights for a trip back to the UK and felt terrible the tickets were not heading back to Asia. I started googling and found the competition and that was it. The universe made all things better again!

If you're reading this and have dreams about Vietnam … please go. On my second visit it only gets better. I love the chaos, the squat toilets, the dirty feet, the overnight trains, the hard beds, the local beer, the coffee, the food oh my god the food. But I love the people the most. Do it, go to Vietnam.

I'm starting here in Hue. If you do plan on visiting Hue write this down …

Seek out the palm reader on the Thanh Toan Bridge (she's the one rocking the neon pink cardigan above). She read my palm and told my fortune, I can't tell you what she said ... it's a secret.

Until next time.