When our overnight train rolled into Hanoi at 6 a.m., we had zero plans for our last day. Three hours later, however, we were in a car on our way to Halong Bay for a whirlwind trip.
Once we arrived and realized we literally "missed the boat" for all of the small cruise lines for group tours, we were at a loss. In a last-ditch effort, we agreed to pay $35 per person for what we assumed was a tour on a tiny boat. Turned out, what we actually paid for was a 4-hour sailing excursion with a captain and two crew members aboard a two-story party boat reserved solely for us. Call it serendipity, call it luck, call it language barrier -- whatever. We just called it unbelievable.
Previously, I blogged about moments in life that are so impactful you can never actually forget the exact scene. I can probably count on one hand all of these moments in my life. No surprise, most have occurred while traveling. Sailing on Halong Bay, surrounded by nothing but natural limestone masterpieces, I felt peace I hadn't felt in a really long time.
(Insert sentimental disclaimer...) My year of post-grad life taught me one of the most valuable, yet hardest, lessons. If you begin to accept a lifestyle you don't want (your job isn't what you dreamed, the place you live doesn't mesh with your personality, etc.) it's easy to fall into a rut in which happiness doesn't come naturally. I was afraid this was happening to me, which led me to book my ticket and head halfway around the world.
As silly as it sounds, Halong Bay restored my faith in uninhibited bliss -- in having a moment in which nothing else matters, and you're just truly, actually happy. There is obviously a reason Halong Bay is one of the seven modern wonders of the world. You just have to discover why for yourself.
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