So concludes another trip to Vietnam.

It was cooler than my last visit in Spring. It’s rainy season and the overcast skies provided some relief from the sun, and the occasional down pours cooled the city.

The Intrepid research center moved during my trip. While the start-up office, two rooms in a large house, was adequate for the first year, we needed to create a better working environment for our growing team. The new location is a nice commercial office building in District 4.

Everyone enthusiastically helped in moving the equipment. There were a lot of excitement in claiming personal work areas in the new bright and open environment. Well deserved. After all, this group of analysts are a large part of our recent success.

I also had a couple of American visitors on this trip. Showing them around and seeing their reactions to the unique elements of Vietnam reminded me about my first trips here: The shock of seeing the scooter traffic for the first time; the hesitation on the first few attempts at crossing the street;  the utter delight when sampling the wonderful local cuisine; feeling the vibrance of a developing economy; the pleasure of that first hair and face washing at the salons.

I realized that I have learned a lot about Vietnam since first coming here to start the research center about a year ago. I was able to answer most of their questions. I even taught them a few Vietnamese words, or at least my version of those words. We made a lot of the locals smile with our attempts.

I also have a great network of friends here who fill any open time with meals, drinking and even dancing at times. Again, they kept me out pretty late last night and I only got  to the airport less than hour before my flight.

Just another typical Vietnam trip. I leave now with manicured nails, a bit of a hangover, and the knowledge that as the company continues to grow, there will be many other trips in my future.