Vietnam Photography Gallery

When I booked my trip to Vietnam I had no idea what to expect.  Here I am going to a country which has such negative connotations for Americans.  When I explained to friends or family I was going to Vietnam there was a fifty-fifty chance I would get a negative reaction.  "Why would you ever go there?", "They killed so many Americans", and the list went on.  The truth was we were going there primarily to support a charity we had donated to which helps orphaned children with mental or physical challenges, but I would be lying if I said we didn't go for the opportunity to expand ourselves... intellectually, culturally, photographically, and in ways we never imagined.

Vietnam challenged every preconceived notion I had and forces me to challenge others who only know her from decades ago.  Capitalism thrives in a place where communism rules.  The Vietnamese idea of service would make any JD Power and Associates award-winner look pathetic.  If you want a dress made today, consider it done!  You need your laundry back in 3 hours and delivered to your hotel before your flight, without question.  But for me, the most powerful message I took was that the Vietnamese don't think of the "American War" as Americans do.  They could care less about our countries' conflicted past.  In fact, they love America... the music, the sports, the cities, and the dream that comes along with it.  I was bombarded with questions about our country and to see the enthusiasm and curiosity pouring from the Vietnamese was paradigm shifting to say the least.