Column: Study abroad with student reporter in Vietnam

My name is Landri, and I am a Utah State University student studying abroad this semester in Vietnam. To stay connected while I am away, I would like you, dear reader, to follow along with me as I participate in the Heravi Peace Institute’s Conflict, Communication, and Global Peacebuilding program for the next three months.

While we are there, we will be focusing on reconciliation, how to handle conflict, ways in which we communicate and how we can develop peace. It is going to be a crazy time of change, learning, growth and new experiences, and I am so excited for the opportunity to share it with you — starting with how this trip came to be.

The decision to study abroad was not difficult for me. Taking my studies outside of the U.S. has always been a goal of mine, and I have been excited about a trip abroad since I was in high school. Even with all that anticipation, I must say it has not been without its road bumps and stop signs.

Originally, I was set on traveling to Australia — totally different, I know — but the cost of a student visa there rose from $450 to $1,000 last summer. All of a sudden, my planning went out the window, and I had to start fresh with new ideas and destinations.

I looked online, I started various applications and I stalked Instagram for what other people were doing, and it just seemed so futile. I began to debate whether I should just spend the extra money to go to Australia, or if I should keep up this tiring process of deciding what to do.

To be honest, it wasn’t just the money that held me back from going to Australia. I didn’t have a purpose in being there. Sure, the beaches are nice and everyone has a fun accent — kangaroos are a bonus, too — but I couldn’t find meaning in what I was going there to do.

That’s when I stumbled upon HPI’s Vietnam trip. As a last-ditch effort, I attended the study abroad fair, hoping I could find a program that felt right for me. As I was walking around being inundated with program pitches and handed flyer after flyer, I was drawn to a table in the back of the room. It was as simple as talking to one of the program leads and a student who was going to know this trip to Vietnam was what I should be doing. I started an application that night.

Before I knew it, I was getting accepted, attending a pre-departure meeting, setting up my flights and getting packed. You should have seen the look on my mom’s face when I told her I was going to be in Vietnam for three months on a whim — it was a sight to see. However, after I told her about the program, she was just as excited as I was. It’s crazy to think now, after so much time and effort getting this set up, I will be in Vietnam by the time you are reading this. It’s nerve-racking, but I can’t wait to see what this trip has to offer me.

More than anything, I am looking forward to having a part in larger reconciliation and communication, no matter how small it may be. Nothing is insignificant in the process of peacebuilding.

Thank you for following me along in this process, and I can’t wait to share more with you about Vietnam! Be prepared for lots of photos, stories and discussions on what we are learning while we are there — as well as some food reviews, probably. Stay tuned for what we are up to, and I’ll catch you next week with an update from Vietnam. See you soon!