After weeks of stagnation, things are moving and shaking around here. 

Oh man, I needed to stay still these past 7 weeks! Catching a cold and hurting my foot while in Sydney were loud and clear signs that my body needed a rest. 

Also while in Sydney, I spontaneously bought the book You Are Here by my favorite author, Thich Nhat Hanh. I’ve read many of his books but never this one. I usually avoid physical books because of their inherent heavy and awkward nature in my backpack. However, this one jumped into my hands, and I found myself purchasing it without hesitation. I’m on my second reading of it now, and it continues to speak to me in many ways. One of my favorite quotations is: 

“When you stop, happiness starts to be possible.” 

We stopped in Brisbane, Australia. But after moving so much, I didn’t know how to stop. It honestly freaked me out a bit. I was full of anxious energy. Normally, I’d go for a run or a walk to get rid of that energy, but with a stress fracture in my foot, I was motionless. It was difficult. But eventually, I made friends, I colored at Bar None every Tuesday morning, I learned how to swim, I became more mobile as my foot slowly healed, I cuddled with the dog and cat. 

And just like that, it was time to move again. 

Unexpectedly, one of the homeowners had to return 10 days early. They graciously allowed us to continue to stay at the house, but that was just the motivation I needed to find a plan. The planning was swift and furious. It looked something like this:

• Monday, we had no idea where to go. 
• Tuesday, we had our options narrowed down to five countries. 
• Wednesday, we narrowed our first option to Vietnam, but still couldn’t figure out the visa process. 
• Thursday, I found myself buying plane tickets for Vietnam by way of the Vietnam Consulate in Sydney. 

In 48 hours, we say goodbye to Bullet and Ryder and our home in Brisbane and fly to Sydney. We’ve allowed two days in Sydney to get the visa, but theoretically it should only take an hour. Then, we fly to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – an 8 hour flight – and hang out there for 5 hours before flying to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. We will literally be saying “Good Morning Vietnam” on Friday when we land. (Or trying to say “Chào buổi sáng, Việt Nam.”)

We don’t know exactly what we will do for three months in Vietnam, but that’s nothing new. Martin’s friend is visiting Vietnam for the next month, and we’re excited to tour the country with him. There may be motorbikes involved… What is for certain is that we are arriving just in time for the TET, Vietnamese New Year and a time to generate good fortune. It sounds like a pretty awesome festival.

Amidst all this planning, I have found a strong job prospect teaching English to adults in China. Sometime during our travels to Sydney/Vietnam, I will probably need to deliver a sample lesson to a hiring manager. I am super excited about this opportunity and if things fall into place, I’ll reveal more details. 

When you stop, happiness becomes possible.

I know that some of my posts have lacked the happiness spark as of late. I don’t have this happiness thing figured out yet. But I do know that stopping to breathe and take in the moment helps. (Thank you Vipassana!) I also know that having a few things arranged for the future gives me enough peace to find happiness in the present.