Beauty That Fills the Soul.

There are so many reasons why I travel, but scenic views have to be one of the Top 3.  I am continually amazed by how much beauty there is in this world.  It overwhelms me to the point of tears sometimes.  It is the main reason that I am still here…A quick story without making this too long-winded:  I was traveling in Vietnam about 2 and a half months into my trip and was toying with the idea of staying, but actually, I never really believed I would do it.  There was still so much fear of the unknown and I could feel my family pulling me back.  I was actually beginning to plan my departure when I decided to go on the Ha Giang Motorbike Loop in North Vietnam.  This is a 4-day/3-night trip on the back of a motorbike through native Vietnamese villages with 54 ethnic minority cultures.  Each has their own languages, customs, and spiritual beliefs…And they live more simply; out in the country – farming, living off the land, raising their families.  We spent 1 night in a modest hotel, but the other 2 were spent in Homestays with families.  This means we stayed in their homes, where we all sat at the same dinner table and shared the delicious spread of food that they made for me.  It was humbling and profound.  This was such a different lifestyle than I was used to back at home.  But all of that is not what pushed me over the edge.  It was the last day on the back of the bike, as we were heading back to base camp…The scenery was so beautiful everyday (I swear I took over 1,000 photos just on this trip), but it was like I could feel the scenery in my soul on this day.  I was filled with this immense sense of contentment and awe at how much beauty there is in this world.  Again, it brought me to tears, and in that moment I knew that I couldn’t go home.  There is just too much beauty in this world and I want to see and feel all of it!  These pics are from that day, and they don’t even begin to do it justice.