If you want to feel bad about yourself and your lack of accomplishments, go to vietnam and take a few tours and get your guide’s life story. I’m 24 and I have an okay job, no debts, went to college (which my parents paid for) and haven’t had any real hardships.

My tour guide Ba is one of 8 children, was sick twice with malaria (i think) and since he was so sick he coudln’t work in the fields so he had to leave home and go to Hanoi. His family was very poor so he had to leave since he coudln’t work and they coudln’t provide enough for all the children to eat. In Hanoi, he was allowed to study there and got a scholarship to university. Now he works as a tour guide but also owns his own company that has two boats that does private tours in the Halong Bay area (though not in Halong Bay but in Lan Ha Bay where his boat is the only one allowed to stay overnight). He has two more boats on the way.

Hai was my tour guide for our Mekong Delta trip. He is a veteran of the American/Vietnam War and was a first leuitenant in the South Veitnamese Army. He was drafted into the army when he turned 20 which means he’s now my parents age, still working, physically strong, speaks excellent english (which he learned from the american soldiers) and talks alot about the war with tourists. After the war he was put into a re-education camp for 3 years since he was an officer and it wasn’t until 1990 that he got his citizenship back (which means he coudln’t work or own anything).

Makes our lives seem pretty easy huh