Upon waking up on my first morning in Vietnam, I dreamed of having a Banh Mi sandwich. And there it was…on the menu at the hotel’s breakfast buffet. I know this version will not be as good As the ones we can find in the streets, but I am still happy with that selection instead of scrambled eggs on wheat toast. It was delicious! Thus began my three weeks of culinary adventure in my home country.

What can I say, I love living in America and never thought traveling to another country would ever feel like home. Yet for the first time in my life since leaving Vietnam in 1981, I was surprisingly greeted with a rush of sentimental emotions which were foreign yet familiar all at once. I can honestly say I felt as if I finally came home for the first time since leaving Vietnam. I believe it was because I never had a chance to say a proper goodbye to a country where I grounde