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It’s hard to believe we are already two weeks in to this amazing adventure. Looking back on it, it is crazy to think that just two weeks ago we were leaving from opposite sides of the country with nothing more than a few bags and a lot of excitement. While our experiences in Vietnam will leave a lasting impact on the people we become, it’s the friendships we’ve formed that will truly make this adventure so memorable. You wouldn’t believe how much you can get to know about someone in two weeks. I guess spending 16 exhausting yet rewarding hours together everyday helps.

You wouldn’t believe how much you can get to know about someone in two weeks. I guess spending 16 exhausting yet rewarding hours together everyday helps.

Going into the trip, we weren’t sure what the dynamic between the two schools would be. It’s always difficult to open up to new people, especially when you have the comfort of preformed friendships to defer to. We wondered if the mutual experiences  we had with people from our own schools would prevent us from getting to know the rest of the group. Luckily, that was far from the truth. We immediately bonded over a mutual distaste for cold showers and the seemingly unending mosquito bites, haha. In all seriousness, our shared passion for both athletics and working with kids brought us together and by the end of the first week working at the school, the Stanford-Duke divide was nonexistent.

Just take a look at all the cool stuff we got to experienced together…

Pagoda in Rach Gia on our second weekend trip.

Pagoda in Rach Gia

Sunrises are a perk of 5 am workouts.

sunrise in Vietnam

Attempting to make Vietnamese pancakes and accidentally eating them before the competition started.

Vietnamese pancake batter

Enjoying some fresh picked oranges at the orchard.

ACE Athletes in a Vietnamese  orchard

Teaching anatomy in biology class.

Tara and Madison teaching

So as we are quickly approaching the end of the trip we can’t help but think how fortunate we are to have been chosen for this awesome adventure. And at the end of the day although we may represent two different schools, a boatload of different sports, and come from a number of different backgrounds we have formed bonds of friendship that truly transcend those differences.

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