Monday, December 19, 2022

2022 - A Year in Review

New Year's Day

Fitness

2022 was an active year for me. I started out the with a New Year's Day run around West Lake and continued my running program all the way into April when I ran the Tay Ho Half Marathon. I knew back in January that I would be leaving later in the year, and had decided I wanted to run a full marathon. My training was going well and I may have been ready for a 26-mile go of it, but the race I signed up for was cancelled for foreigners leaving me with the next best thing, a half marathon. After running the "half" I know in my heart I would have been hurting after a full 26 mile run. I still had some hope I might be able to get into a full marathon before I departed Vietnam, but that hope was shattered when I pulled something in my lower abdomen back in June that didn't heal until just recently. Between the lingering injury and all of the anxiety related to my permanent change of station move, I find myself ending my year in the opposite shape of how I started it.  But, with a new year comes new hopes, goals, and dreams. Hopefully I will have all of my gear that I shipped almost literally on a slow boat from China before the end of this year, and I will develop a program that falls in line with my work schedule and fitness needs. 



Just under 2 hour finish!

Thanks to an office colleague I got in the race

Health

I got COVID in February and passed it to Diep. Fortunately, the quarantine period had been greatly reduced and we were allowed to stay in the apartment. We had both been boosted just a little over a month prior, and though I don't want to get in a debate over it, I am skeptical the booster did anything to ease the symptoms.  Needless to say, February wasn't my favorite month of 2022.

I'm positive, but not absolutely sure

2022 was also a time of intermittent fasting (IF). I got great results from IF losing over 20 pounds, but gave it up when we were getting ready for our move from Vietnam. Just too many farewell parties, and then the anxiety of moving and - finally - all of the delicious food I had missed for four years in the U.S.  The plan is to get back on the IF train in 2023.

The last two months in Vietnam were super stressful for reasons I won't get into here, but I can say the new job in DC is super low-stress in comparison and I feel so many years younger in just the two months I have been back.

Travel

Though not as much as the pre-pandemic days, I traveled quite a bit this year. I started 2022 with a trip to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) to celebrate the Lunar New Year - the year of the Tiger - and Saigon did not disappoint. People were finally out and about after the roughest part of the pandemic was arguably over.
The Tet Festival Resumed on Nguyen Hue Blvd

Dragon Dance in Front of the Caravelle Hotel

Stayed two nights at the Park Hyatt with mi amore

We also took a little side trip to coastal Vung Tau City via water taxi

Masks were still a must on public transportation - Greenlines Water Taxi

Coconuts and Lobster (not shown)

Vung Tau City Beach

On the Long Tau River

Saigon River

Greenlines at Bach Dang Port

In  early April I traveled to Quang Nam and Da Nang City for work. A quick trip for a site visit. Not much to it, but it was a trip and nice to get out of the office.

A Site Visit in Quang Nam Province

After that short jaunt, I was back in Hanoi when I ran the half marathon, and in early May I was off again but this time to Honolulu, Hawaii. After a week of work, Diep flew out for a week of vacation. She hadn't been in Hawaii for 20 years, so it was nice for her to visit the Waikiki area.

Historic Hickam Air Force Base

Waikiki along the ala wai

Waikiki Beach

Waikiki Beach and Diamondhead in the background

Kaneohe Bay on the other side of the island

View from Diamondhead

In May, I was back in Da Nang seeing the teams come in and head out to their sites for the 22-3VN Joint Field Activity.

Da Nang International Airport

Shortly after that, I also got some time in Hue City and the Ashau Valley during a Senior Leader Site Visit

Senior Leader Site Visit at Det 2

Ashau Valley (A Luoi)

Hue Citadel

Leeches in the Ashau are no joke

In June I went on a whirlwind tour of Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Saigon and Da Nang during a field forensic review and redeployment activity. I don't remember much of it now.

Thanh Hoa Province


Ha Tinh Province

Dong Hoi City

Saigon Skyline

Saigon Buildings

Saigon at Night

Hyatt Regency - Da Nang

Da Nang City

Pagoda in Da Nang

Da Nang Repatriation

My counterpart

Megan and her friend visited us in July and we were off again. Diep and Megan headed out first and I caught up with them in Da Nang and then we traveled to Saigon, again.  It was a great pleasure to see Megan back home, even if for jus a little while.

Megan arrives in Hanoi

Cha Ca Thang Long in Hanoi

Da Nang Beach

Hoi An Japanese Bridge

Hoi An Town

Fishing for Prawns in Saigon

Saigon Riverfront

Saigon

Tan Dinh Catholic Church in Saigon

Family Dinner in Saigon

Cousins

Old Friend meet up in Saigon

In August I took some leave to the U.S. where I visited Megan in DC, Dad in Alabama and Sis in Austin. It was also a whirlwind travel, but great to see family in the States. Regrettably, Megan got COVID just as I arrived (I was still resistant from my February infection so I didn't get it again), but I did suffer a bout of gout on the latter half of my visit to Austin all the way back to DC. 

Megan got COVID on Arrival

Dad Veteran Photo

Canoe Ride with Sis and BIL

One last visit to Saigon in October before our return to the U.S.

Packing out of our Apartment in Hanoi

Diep's House in Saigon

Saigon Building

Lau Ca Keu is one of Diep's Favorites in Saigon

Gonna Miss Pho Hung

We got back to the U.S. in early October and have been revisiting some of our favorites sites. We also took a road trip to Mobile, Al.  Still lots going on, but here are some of our Stateside travel photos:

Photobombed at Gravelly Point

Fort Hunt Park in late Fall

Yes, we Voted

More Gravelly Point at Reagan National

Springfield Mall pre-Christmas

Belle Haven Park, VA

Other Events, People, Miscellany

So, outside of the travel, I had some farewells and chance meetings. All of which is the spice of life


Thanksgiving in Mobile

Cold Day in DC Area

She Didn't eat the Turtle

Wearing my Farewell Shirt from Six Years Earlier

Farewell to my Counterparts

Departure Plaque

Dan in Hanoi. I'll Miss our Meetings

A Wedding in Hanoi

Same Wedding

Joint Forensic Review

Last Visit to the Hanoi Military History Museum

So Long Detachment 2
Sorry for the long post. If a picture is worth a thousand words, this post really went on...