When I moved to Viet Nam, I faced many challenges. The hardest part of the transition was being far away from my friends and family. There were times when I felt very lonely. I was also sad to miss holidays with my family back home. I do not speak Vietnamese well, so making friends was difficult at first. I relied on the kindness of people in my community to help me feel welcome and learn my way around. While there are still moments when I am sad because I miss my friends and family back home, I now have friends in Viet Nam I can rely on to comfort me in these moments.
Here are some of the ways I have built friendships in Viet Nam:
Playing Ping Pong:
One of my favorite activities each week is playing ping pong at a local club in my community. I found the club while I was walking around my neighborhood. The kids at the club invited me inside to play, and I have been going there ever since!
Before coming to Viet Nam, I did not know how to play ping pong. Luckily, the coach, Mr. Sang, has been very patient and helpful. Mr. Sang is also a teacher in my community, and we have become good friends.
