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Josh

The first time I met Kaylie was over a FaceTime when the Duke students were paired up with Stanford students in order to “break the ice” and to get to know each other a bit. From our conversation, I learned that Kaylie had just finished her freshman year, that she played field hockey at Stanford with a girl that went to my high school, and that she had previously been to Vietnam. Since then, I have been fortunate to get to know Kaylie and the other coaches in this program on a much deeper level.

“In week 2, we both acknowledged our desire to get to know each other better and just started talking more on the bus and during meals. We both kind of reflected on the first week of hardly talking as a way of showing us how easy it is to get caught up in a routine and not go out of the way to get to know people.” – Kaylie

Kaylie

I also met Josh for the first time over FaceTime and right away knew he was so friendly and going into his senior year as a diver at Duke. I have gotten to know even more in Vietnam that Josh is friendly, as every time I see him, I am greeted with a smile. In fact, I have given him the nickname “Smiley,” which suits him so well.

Josh

Although Kaylie and I were pals, I found that after about a week and a half into the program that she was the American coach that I knew the least about. Between interacting with other coaches while coaching baseball, teaching physics, or spending time with my “Pink Team,” I had gotten to know and bond with most of the other American coaches. However, Kaylie and I do not coach the same sport or teach the same academic subject, and we were not on the same color team. Therefore, we never really got a chance to bond the way that most of the other American coaches and I had.

“Since that day, we each made an effort to spend more time together and see each other more. Now I feel just as close with Kaylie as I do with the other coaches. Talking the night of the Fourth truly changed our relationship and made me open my eyes in a way that prevented me of getting caught up in the same daily routine.” – Josh

Kaylie

We are now going into our final week in Vietnam. It is crazy how quickly the weeks went by even though the days are slow. In our busy schedules, in fact, Josh and I do not teach anything together. I teach the “Green Team,” English, and soccer while Josh teaches the “Pink Team,” physics, and baseball. It was kind of shocking how little we spoke to each other in the first week compared to people in ACE by the mere fact our schedules did not line up. However, in Week 2 we both acknowledged our desire to get to know each other better and just started talking more on the bus and during meals. We both kind of reflected on the first week of hardly talking as a way of showing us how easy it is to get caught up in a routine and not go out of the way to get to know people.

Josh

On the Fourth of July, the Vietnamese coaches set up an amazing surprise celebration for us. They surprised us with sparklers, a mini BBQ, and a performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” After this, Kaylie and I sat at the same table while we enjoyed the BBQ. We talked about how we really got caught up in our daily routine and that we rarely saw each other. We caught up on a lot and decided to make more of an effort to see one another. Since that day, we each made an effort to spend more time together and see each other more. Now I feel just as close with Kaylie as I do with the other coaches. Talking the night of the Fourth truly changed our relationship and made me open my eyes in a way that prevented me of getting caught up in the same daily routine.

Kaylie

We just got back to Long My from our weekend journey to Can Tho where we bonded over our obsession with gum and karaoke. In the photo above, Josh and I are at the pagoda on our way back today.

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