“There’s this whole other part of the world, or culture, or type of living that I had no idea existed.” — Martina Mazzei (this link goes to her bodacious Insta food blog)
I’ve been waiting a long time for this because I have heard only good things about this country and can’t wait to go myself. Martina Mazzei studied abroad in Vietnam because her school actually has a satellite campus there.
Her dorm came with a cleaning service, she was able to hop on the back of a motorcycle to get to class, and she got to see and experience the entire country almost for free. Thailand and Cambodia? ✔️
Sometimes schools just get it and it sounds like Loyola is one of those schools.
After factoring in scholarships and cost of living Vietnam, Martina actually saved money by taking her trip. I know most schools won’t have satellite campuses set up like this in Vietnam, if anything, listening to this interview will help you pick up a few pointers as you craft your own journey.
“Go forth and set the world on fire” – Loyola quote
SHOW NOTES
- Deciding to study at Loyola’s Vietnam campus on the cheap 💸 [2:16]
- Luxurious dorm life and motorbiking with Vietnamese partner students 🏍[7:15]
- Traveling around the country for free, to Thailand for Tet, and a geography lesson on Indochinese Peninsula 🚌 [10:44]
- Learning to order banh mi without cucumbers and other “cultural conundrums and miscommunications” 🍲[15:18]
- Teaching English to blind people in Vietnam, learning about inequalities in a developing country 👩🏫 [17:26]
- Missing the food and friendliness of the street vendors 👨🌾 [19:50]
Loyola Chicago, - Falling in love with Loyola University and why it’s a great school to attend 🎓 [22:21]
- Recommendations and final quotes 🙌[25:09]
- Grab Southeast Asia’s Uber 📱
- Loyola’s Vietnam Social Networks (because Martina currently runs them, so obviously they need to be posted here 😊)
Movies Set In Vietnam
Because of the war there have been a lot of great movies set in Vietnam, many of which have won academy awards. Oddly enough Forrest Gump wasn’t on Google’s list but I think that should count. Thoughts?
5 Things You Should Know Before Going To Ho Chi Minh [Infographic]
Kayaking
