Backing up a bit, I had been living in Atlanta with my fiance for two years.
It just wasnt working.
Though I loved him, in the end we decided to part ways.
Credit:Sophie Mendel
What if you move to New York and your life turns out better than you ever thought it would?
I thought about that.
Could I really do it?
Sophie Mendel
Could I really move across the country and start my life over?
They thought I could.
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So I did.
Sophie Mendel
I booked a flight to Vietnam.
While I have taken many trips alone, this one was special more important, somehow.
I wanted to remember that I was strong and capable and could face this alone.
Sophie Mendel
I knew it would be the first step on a long road to healing and self-rediscovery.
What if I didnt make friends?
What if people were unfriendly and I spent the entire trip feeling sad and lonely?
Sophie Mendel
After a redeye flight and 10-hour layover in Istanbul, I finally made it to Vietnam.
The honking, beeping, and complete chaos awakened something in me I hadnt felt for a long time.
I arrived at my hostel in Hanois Old Quarter and went on a walk through the area.
Sophie Mendel
Though I had been to Southeast Asia before, this was completely different from anything I had ever experienced.
To me it seemed like the perfect snapshot of everyday life in Hanoi.
I thought to myself once again …but what if you do?
Sophie Mendel
Without the need to pay heed to oncoming traffic, I rode leisurely through the streets.
And in a city as hectic as Hanoi, that was certainly the case.
We stayed out most of the night, visiting Beer Street and ending with late-nightbanh misandwiches.
Sophie Mendel
It was the perfect introduction to Vietnam.
Bao Khanh, Hang Trong, Hoan Kiem, Ha Noi, Vietnam).
It helped me come back to myself and remember who I was and who I wanted to be.
Sophie Mendel
Next up on my jaunt through northern Vietnam was Ninh Binh.
Ninh Binh was breathtaking.
Finally I made it to the top, climbing up to the very peak on all fours.
Sophie Mendel
When I eventually allowed myself to gaze out at the view, it was sensational.
We cruised through the bay, astounded by the otherworldly limestone karsts jutting out from the water.
They were people I never would have met otherwise, doing anything else.
We couldnt have been more different, but we were all connected by the here and now.
A young Irish couple told me to romanticize New York.
Itsthecity; anything can happen there, they said, encouraging me to get excited about my fresh start.
Others told me to be patient" and that whats meant for me would come in time.
Vietnam had been good to me, I decided.
It was good to have some perspective and to step away from the stress of my everyday life.
However, I also acknowledged that at times throughout the trip, I felt bitterly alone and afraid.
There were moments when I felt despair and sadness about losing the life I left behind.
Finally, it was time to make the journey back from Ha Long Bay to Hanoi.
My trip to Vietnamwas the perfect transition from my old life to the new one.
It allowed me to get back out there and reignite my curiosity and excitement for the world.
It brought me home to myself.
Now Im determined to choose myself and do the things that make me feel happy and whole.
