My Vietnam Travel Partner, KC

Traveling is about getting to know new people, seeing new things and learning something new. I got to know KC on my trip to Vietnam. Here is what I found out about my Vietnam Travel Partner, KC. We came to Vietnam as mother daughter and experienced travelers. We decided to write about my personal side, because, this might be helpful to you on several levels. It’s important for you to know a little bit about KC. I learned Traveling With My Daughter Is A Blast.

My Vietnam Travel Partner KC

Who is KC

She was a good student growing up, had lots of friends and loves sports. Her favorite was track, soccer, and cross country. She’s also an excellent skier. I often thought her sport would be skiing.

KC has her way of doing things. When she was six years old, she announced she had to run in a circle. Kids have a funny way explaining what the want to do. My understanding is she wanted to play baseball. We signed her up for little league baseball and was her coach. Turns out that wasn’t what she wanted. I misunderstood – she wanted to run in a circle, meant, she wanted to run track. We didn’t know six-year-old could run track, but we found a team, Eastside Track Club.

Vietnam Travel Partner, KC

The Happiest Girl in the World

KC loved dressing up as a princess, and loved Disneyland, ‘the happiest place on Earth.’

She played dress up with her best friend Shaina developing a big imagination. As the sports editor for the school paper, the “Most Spirited’ in high school, drama club girl, sports, and fashion are her things.

Sometimes I think we are opposites. KC is a fashionista. I am not. She is an excellent natural photographer. I am ok. She is girlie and sarcastic. Sarcasm isn’t my thing. She knows her geography and capitals. I am still learning.

Everyone wants her on their Trivial Pursuit team because KC knows, sports, Hollywood, history, and geography.

Why We Went to Vietnam

KC went to university. Attending the United State Coast Guard Academy, she met her husband, Al Sowers. She served in the military for five years as part of her payback for her ‘free’ education. Her studies, in my opinion, wasn’t free. It wasn’t free because the personal cost of service, sacrifice, and hard work is a huge price. Military life is the antithesis of KC’s vision of life. Al and KC went on to graduate school via the military. She graduated from Georgetown University in Corporate Communication and PR. He graduated in Computer Science. Our Vietnam trip is a celebration of old times ending, new beginnings, the end of her military service, and completion of grad school. Vietnam is my gift to her for what she has accomplished so far. I am sure the journey is just beginning.

Our Trip

She picked her favorite Airlines, Korean Airlines. I bought her the best class ticket. We were on the road, and the journey was going to be great because we were going to see all the things that interested her.

One little surprise. We booked the ticket in January to go in November. She was now pregnant and had started a new job.

She was never stressed out during the trip. I got stressed out if the room wasn’t right or if the train cabin noise but she never let the small stuff get to her. Maybe because of her military training at the Academy, staying up on night watches, and sleeping on ships the noise and things just didn’t bother her. She is tolerant. Tolerance is just part of her personality. She is a calm person. Sometimes she is so level – I can’t tell when she is excited.

Traveling Together

When she ran track in High School, we took a lot of trips together. Our November trip to Vietnam was the first time KC went with me as an adult. I think the trip changed our relationship in a brilliant way. She used to speak to me ‘as a child speaks to mom.’ During this trip after ‘the attack of the Black Monh women’ in Sa Pa, something changed. Though I know when our communication changed, I don’t think I know why. But maybe it was because we practiced talking a lot.

Relationships Change When Traveling

Here is how things happened. We had a conversation about buying some gifts. I asked her to talk to me like I was her friend. Her feeling was she was talking to me ‘how kids talk to moms,’ and that is just how it goes. “KC, I don’t think so. At some point, everyone decided, that their parent is just a person who does the best that they can.”

On this trip, she decided, I was just a person, not a mom. From my mom point of view that is wonderful and helps our relationship and friendship.

It makes it a lot easier to like someone when you don’t have them up on a pedestal or in a role. From my point of view, what I got from Vietnam is a better relationship with my adult daughter.

Why Vietnam?

We went to Vietnam because I had studied Vietnamese culture, art. and history in college. Sharing and learning about Vietnam together made us closer. We saw new things, experienced hot, hot weather, took nap times in the afternoon, and enjoyed early morning wake up calls. Some of our favorite places were Cu Chi tunnels, other historical sights, and scrumptious food. It seems that the Vietnam location is just the backdrop to the real story.The real story is my pregnant daughter, and I share a lot more in common than we ever imagined.

What we shared in common is photography (but I stop to take to many photos). We share a love of our ‘alone time,’ and together time, and time with other people that we met when we are traveling.

We didn’t have to do everything together. Don’t get me wrong; we love everything together – we know how to find our rhythm. Understanding the other person’s rhythm is what makes her my best companions. I hear from Tour Group leaders that sometimes women have a hard time traveling together. We don’t have a hard time together.

Friendships end, are replaced and lost forever because of travel experiences. You never know someone until you go with them on a journey. This statement is true for me. We didn’t know each other until we traveled together.

Most importantly, I learned she was smart, balanced, thoughtful, and tolerant. Because of these qualities, she will make excellent relationships. She is a beautiful mother, wife, and friend. Hopefully, I can live up to my hopes, her needs, and can be the best grandmother possible. I think the best is yet to come. Stay tuned, more to come I am sure.

Travel tips: Best Travel Considerations -Travel or Not?