Spring Conference

Remember how we had a conference for Thanksgiving in November and all of the teachers with ESI got together? Well, we got together again. Last time everyone came to us, and this time, we went to everyone. We flew to Dà Nẳng, where most of the others teach, and drove to Hội An. Both of those cities are on the coast in the middle of Vietnam.

They are really beautiful and have mountains and beaches. I'm not going to lie, it was really beautiful and cooler, less traffic, and my eyes weren't red when I took my contacts out. My skin didn't even shed layers of gray skin like when I'm in HCMC. But, more than that, it was so great to see everyone. Here are some of my favorite things about conference:

Hanging out. Speaking English. Appreciating sarcasm. Laughing. Taking pictures. Our hotel room in Hội An! Steph and I shared a room with two small beds pushed together and a bathtub in the middle of the room. No one else's room was like that. I'm going back some day and requesting that room.

Of course the food was excellent. And I especially appreciated the shopkeepers and peddlers (can I say that?) who would speak Vietnamese with me.

Kristen and Lance. I'm kind of obsessed with them. I HATE that they live so far away and this is only the 2nd time all year that I have gotten to see them. I feel like we have a lot in common and that I've known them for a lot longer than I really have. They make me laugh, and feel right at home.

Suz and Liz. They are hilarious. They wore matching shirts every day. They don't even talk about it; they just do it. They're real and honest, down to earth, funny. One day they let me in on what shirt to wear, and I was excited all morning to show up to the meeting matching them.

This is a toilet that I used while I was there.We played fun games. I can't really explain them. Great group of funny people.I got to ride with Suz and Liz on Liz's motorbike. We rode three people! I haven't done that before and people pointed and laughed at us. I mean, some Vietnamese people do it all the time, but we are bigger than most of them... I'm really not finished listing off my favorite things, but I don't have very many pictures. Steph and the Bakers, you need to hurry up and post some pictures so I can steal them!