Zack conquers 50k: His Thoughts on the North Face Endurance Challenge

My husband, Zack, has time and time again proved to be such a strong individual.  I admire the way he takes opportunities in life and runs with them...  In this case in particular, he literally ran.  

50km, actually.

One Week in Vietnam: Last stop... Hoi An!

Okay, first thing's first.  Can we take a moment to appreciate the above photo?  The colours, the dark silhouettes, the glow of floating lanterns among the rowboats.... just wow.  This photo is unedited except for the addition of the "Hoi An" title.  It was literally a picture perfect moment.  And the funny part is, minutes before this, Zack and I were having an argument.  A particularly stupid one actually.  As we bickered and pushed through the riverside crowds in old town Hoi An, we stopped in our tracks when we saw this scene in front of us.  It was so beautiful that we both decided right then and there that this argument wasn't worth our time.  It was so beautiful.  It was magical. 

One Week in Vietnam: Ninh Binh... A Beautiful Detour

After a few days in Hanoi, we were desperately seeking nature and a break from the heat.  That is why I was SO excited for the next part of my "surprise adventure": Halong Bay (Ninh Binh was actually not at all in the plan at all at this point!).  As we were packing our bags for our planned boat cruise along Halong Bay, a typhoon was rapidly heading our way.  By the time we were ready to go, the winds and rain had picked up so much that all trips out into the bay had been cancelled last minute.  Not only did Zack feel bad that his "surprise plans" had fallen through, I forced him to tell me all the details about the rest of the trip in order to help him plan the rest of the week.  We hadn't realized that we were visiting Vietnam in typhoon season..... oops.

One Week in Vietnam: The Streets of Hanoi

As I boarded a plane to Vietnam, I knew nothing more about the country other than that the people had endured years of war and that it was the home of some tasty noodle soup named Pho. I also had zero idea of where in Vietnam I was headed.  Zack planned out this entire trip; partially because I was preoccupied with other things at home and partially because he naturally is the itinerary planner out of the two of us.  As he planned, he decided to keep the itinerary a secret from me as a fun way to celebrate my birthday.  It wasn't until I had my boarding pass in hand at the airport, that I was aware of where we were headed first.  So basically, he "whisked me away" to Vietnam!  I know what you're thinking... Zack is the sweetest husband ever and this is just way too romantic.  Well, the first part of that is absolutely true... he is the sweetest.  And the second, well... if you consider being whisked across some of the craziest streets in the world, dodging motorbikes left and right (hoping you come out alive) and dripping with sweat as make your way through dusty street vendors, than yes, how romantic. :)