Final Thoughts

For our final post, we asked each member of the GIEU team a question about the service , what they learned, and the overall experience to wrap up our final thoughts on our experience.

Community service:  "Transforming a cement courtyard into a beautiful memorial garden, not speaking the language but feeling so welcomed and connected by the end of our stay was when I felt closest to the work." Bailey

"I love doing service work when traveling because it allows you to give back to the community while being a tourist. I enjoyed working with locals and the range of work we did. It was great to work with kids because we'll have a lasting impact on their lives, but I also really enjoyed working in the garden because you can immediately see the effect of your hardwork." 

"The service work we did here was a challenging, and fun learning experience for me.  It was fun trying to communicate in ways other than language with the locals.  Even though the work was difficult at times, seeing a transformation was awesome. It was also rewarding to see how grateful the other workers, the children, and the family were for our help." Christina

Vietnamese culture: "During this trip, I have learned that Vietnamese culture is so much more than what we learn in class about the Vietnam War. I was surprised to learn abut the 54 ethnic minorities that inhabit the country and their relationship with the educational and political infrastructure here. I also was interested to learn about the major religions of the country, and I found that many of these faiths promote similar moral values and a positive way of living."

American culture to a Vietnamese student : " open, easy to acclimate, easy to express the emotion. Big love, warm hug, sweet smile". From Linh Fish. 

Learn about yourself: "During this trip I've learned how much I really appreciate and love having alone time. During my alone time on this trip, I've had a lot of time to self reflect, and think about everything and everyone around me. This time has also given me a chance to reevaluate my life and purpose here on Earth."

Regarding his GIEU Vietnam experience: "I have no idea what I am eating, and that is OK." Casey

"Regarding the Vietnamese culture, I was impressed by the Cham community and their rich culture. I felt so small when the more I tried to learn, the little I know. But life and the universe are unlimited. Therefore, we always have to keep learning and discovering until the last breath." Thu Duong

"I learned that it is difficult for me to be myself in large groups. However, as my GIEU experience went along, I became so comfortable and close with my group that I didn't have to think about how I was acting because I knew my group accepted and loved me for me. I will be forever grateful for that." Caroline Hickey

"There are so many things that I have learnt from both (the American and Vietnamese) cultures that I would like to continue with more trips in the future so that I can share with other groups. And I am sure there will be more to learn." TA

" To decribe GIEU Vietnam in one sentence, in my opinion, would be doing a dis-service to such a life changing experience. However, this program has shown me that love and the basic human need to connect cannot be stopped by history, language, or even distance. Love, friendship, and service is universal. Thanks for everything GIEU Vietnam." Marissa.

" GIEU is beyond my imagination and my expectation. I did not think that my personal time and space would be limited like this. On the other hand, I did not think that I would learn this much, work and help people this much, and that I would have opportunity to know lots of people and their life stories" Ha.

People response's about their favorite site:

" My favorite site was the old city of Hoi An. I enjoyed exploring the quaint of the streets and shops on our own and ending the night by setting paper lotus flowers adrift from a boat onto the river" Grace

"My favorite sites were Vinh for the community service work we did there and Ha Long Bay for its beauty! It's a real challenge to capture the atmosphere and emotions in photos for both of these places." Betul

" Bus departing on time with all GI EU members aboard (15 minutes delayed reluctantly accepted" . Our humorous guide, Truc. 

"I learned the meaning of peace. At home, I am an advocate of peace. Standing in harmony with the U.S. and Vietnamese students is an experience that I will hold on to forever. " Emily Rheaume

 What she learned about herself during the trip: "Endowed with a perfect digestive system: never get stomachache so far and poop every morning" P.C.T. Linh

"It's impossible to describe a long and action packed trip in one sentence, but I'll give it a shot: GIEU is a dynamic, exhausting, annoying, exciting, new, old, up, down, enjoyanble, hilarious but most importantly life-changing and meaningful." John Downes

"My favorite site was the fishing village at Ha Long Bay. The scenery was breathtaking, the village was peaceful, and it was humbling to see such a unique way of life." Lina Lu

"I connected with the community service work by using each project as an opportunity to learn. Whether we were visiting an orphanage for a couple of hours or spending a few days doing manual labor, I learned a lot by connecting with the Vietnames people alongside us. Such connections will last for years to come." Ellen

We would like to thank Thuy'Anh, Truc and Emily for everything they did for us. Without them, this journey wouldn't be possible. Last but not least, thank you for following our adventures on this blog! Look out for more posts once everyone reaches their destination.