Wednesday. The longest day.

I’m writing this in the Seattle Airport where we just realized we accidentally consumed a third breakfast.

I know the International Dateline exists to avoid confusion, but flying back in time has completely muddled my jet-lagged brain.

We grabbed a quick breakfast in Hanoi Wednesday morning before catching a noon flight to Seoul. Then we had another breakfast on our long Seoul-to-Seattle flight. When we landed in the U.S. the flight info said it was 6:30 a.m. local time, so we stopped at an empty airport coffee shop for breakfast after clearing customs. 

But when I reset my Fitbit I was startled to see it was actually 3 p.m.

Wednesday. 

I’ll have some thoughts Friday on our visit to Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum and to Hoa Lo Prison - the infamous Hanoi Hilton - after I figure out what day it is and eat something besides pastries. 

In the meantime, here are some scenes from Vietnam. Someone on Facebook this week called the country a “shithole.” 

It isn’t, I assure you. It’s a lush country with a war-torn history that’s full of industrious, friendly people. The cityscapes are splashed with vibrant colors and unexpected, manicured parks.

I’ll never forget a very old woman that I saw pedaling a bike through Hanoi one morning heading for the market, her basket brimming with fresh-picked herbs. Or the couples ballroom dancing at dawn one day beside a lake. Or the little boy doing his homework while riding on the back of his daddy’s motor scooter.

I’d like to go back. Ten days was not long enough.