Brittany Huynh
UMBC Faculty-Led: Interpreting Vietnam: The Past and the Future
Major: Information Systems
Minor: Psychology
Jump To: Predeparture Post
Predeparture Post
Hi everyone! I’m Brittany Huynh. I am an Information Systems major and Psychology minor, and I will be entering my senior year at the end of the summer. My study abroad program takes place in Vietnam and centers on Creative Nonfiction writing.
One of my goals for 2026 was to travel to another country. I’m big on new years goal-setting, so when I saw a flyer for UMBC’s 2026 Summer Abroad programs while studying in the library one day, it felt like a lucky opportunity I couldn’t pass up. As a Vietnamese American student, I thought this program would be the perfect opportunity for me to embrace my heritage and explore the country where my family is originally from.
I’m leaving for Ho Chi Minh City (also known as Saigon), Vietnam’s busiest city, in just a few days. Although I’m feeling a bit nervous and dreading the 20-some hour long plane ride, I’ve been looking forward to this trip since I applied for it last spring semester. I’m having pre-departure nerves and excitement at the same time!
I’m eager to explore and understand urban Vietnamese culture in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang. I’m super excited to try the street food like vermicelli noodles, baguette sandwiches and iced coffee while sitting outdoors and appreciating the city energy. I’m also eager to learn about Vietnam’s history and how life has been rebuilt since the end of the Vietnam War. During my time in the rural village, Dong Ha, I’ll get the chance to meet with local leaders and learn more about their humanitarian efforts to expand the community’s resources. For instance, we will be collaborating with PeaceTreesVietnam, an organization that works to dispose of war remnants and provide explosive ordnance risk education. While there, we will also help to concrete a kindergarten school yard. Overall, I think what I’m most excited about is to be able to connect with the local community, hear personal stories and see perspectives that are completely different from what I know. Spreading kindness and fostering connection are my favorite things to do, so I’m very excited to work with PeaceTreesVietnam and hear the stories of Vietnamese people from all walks of life. Also, I’m excited to use my Vietnamese speaking skills. Growing up in a multi-cultural household, I often switched between speaking English and Vietnamese. However, I find it difficult to pronounce some tones after going long periods without practicing Vietnamese. Each day there will likely help me strengthen my language skills, so I’m glad I get a chance to speak Vietnamese in Vietnam.
While I’m looking forward to gaining a deeper understanding of Vietnam’s culture, history and community, I’m also looking forward to learning more about myself as a person, traveler, and writer. During my time in Vietnam, I want to overcome my nervousness by doing something like haggling with a street vendor. Even though I am an extrovert at heart, I sometimes find myself feeling intimidated in some social situations. I want to feel free to express myself and connect with people without feeling limited by fear. I really want to ask every single question that comes to my mind during this trip so I can step out of my comfort zone and feel more confident in my social abilities. Our program leader, Annie Nguyen, suggested that we keep travel journals with us the entire time we’re there. With that in mind, I’m interested to see what I’ll write down during my days in Vietnam. Reflecting on my past experiences to better understand my emotions is something that I love to do, so I’m thrilled to be able to flip through my travel journal later on in the future.
As I prepare for my departure to Vietnam over the next few days, I am transforming my nervousness into optimism and anticipation for what’s to come. I’m reminding myself of the reasons why I wanted to take this opportunity in the first place, such as fulfilling my goal of traveling to another country this year, embracing my heritage, and connecting with great people who I can learn a lot from.
Thank you for reading! I look forward to writing my first in-country post once I’m a week into my trip. There, I’ll be able to write an update on the sights I’ve seen, any notable experiences, reactions, and possibly food review. Bye, Gặp lại nhé! (See you later!)