by Son Tung Vu
Summer 2007

Two things surprised me about America.

It is a very diverse country—before I came to the U.S., the media portrait of America is a monochromatic non-color picture. In reality, it is excitingly different. In addition, the American Christians I met are demonstratively sincere and welcoming; I am almost reluctant to call myself warmhearted after my experiences with Christians in the United States.

Travel to another country involves making arrangements, travel across the ocean to another continent requires mapping out a travel plan.

As I sat down to create my personal MAP, I listed the cities I would visit and then researched interesting places to see. Most of my research was done on the Internet. I looked for a discount online travel agency, such as Kayak, Orbit or Cheaptickets, trying to find the cheapest airfare. I also researched Greyhound Bus and AmTrak—both these companies provided me with in-depth information.

It quickly turned into a fun project as I enlisted help from my American friends who shared their travel experiences and gave me advice. For example, I planned to go from Washington, D.C. to New York City on the Greyhound Bus Lines. One of my friends suggested a less famous bus line, Vamoose. I will always be grateful I made that choice. Vamoose bus was comfortable, fast, convenient, and cheap.

I traveled from Incheon, Seoul to Tokyo, to Detroit, to Washington, D.C. I discovered the American bus system is similar to the Korean system; however, the sheer size of the U.S. made it a totally new experience. It takes no more than eight hours to go from one side to the other of South Korea (around 300 miles). The U.S. has a lot of land to cover if you want to go from one side of the continent to the other, which is what I did on my trip. This trip gave me the opportunity to see most of America, from New York City to Los Angeles.

It was the longest trip I’d ever made on land and was an unforgettable experience:

• Famous U.S. cities—Washington, D.C., New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver, St. Louis
• Beautiful New England countryside of Harrisonburg, Virginia
• The Wild West—Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs, Colorado
• Sunny West Coast Beaches—Long Beach, Southern California
• Suburban Orange County, Southern California

Boarding a bus from Washington, D.C. to Colorado Springs, I was able to see the North East, Midwest, and the Rockies (60 hours and about 3,000 miles). I spent one week in Washington, D.C. with my family’s close friends and discovered that it is a wonderful city representing a lot of U.S. history. It is also a city with very good development plans.

New York is a lot more exciting and fast-paced than I could have imagined. To me, the city is like a living organ. I had too little time for such a large city and most of my time I stayed in downtown and midtown Manhattan. I enjoyed the financial district and my heart was moved when I saw Ground Zero. Seeing the reconstruction of the World Trade Center, I realized that the American people would never give up. Staten Island is very different from Manhattan—it is peaceful and the air is very fresh, which, is probably the charm of New York City, the diversity it represents.

I was able to visit one family in Virginia for two days. Virginia has a very peaceful countryside (www.harrisonburgtourism.com). Historical reenactments are performed for tourists so Americans remember their history. I had a chance to visit one of the Civil War battlefields—it was very moving to think of those willing to lay down their lives for such a noble cause.

Along the way, I met fascinating people, one in particular on my bus trip from St. Louis, Missouri to Denver, Colorado. I was sitting next to an elderly man and we had several long conversations about various topics. When we were almost to Denver, he explained to me his belief about the importance of the number 2 (i.e., when God created the universe, he made things into pairs). He said he wanted me to keep that in mind, so he handed me a $2 bill and asked me to make a promise not to spend it in the following two weeks. I made and kept a solemn promise that I would not spend it. Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs were very much like what I’ve seen in western cowboy movies (www.manitousprings.org).

After the Summit Conference, I flew to Southern California for five days to visit my close friends. I stayed with a friend who lives in downtown Los Angeles and we traveled to Orange County, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Long Beach, and UCLA. Long Beach is located in the southern part of Los Angeles and since it was summer, the excitement of the city was contagious.

Los Angeles is a large metropolitan city, which includes high-rise office buildings and beaches along the coast with a view of the surrounding mountains.

A highlight of my trip was the wide variety of food in American restaurants. I experienced food quality and flavors that surprised me with their authentic taste. My friends were eager to take me out to eat at their favorite restaurants and cafes. I tasted:

–Vietnamese rice noodles in Washington, D.C.,
–Chinese food in New York and Los Angeles, and the
–Korean food in Los Angeles.

I tried Mexican food for the first time and will never forget how good it was.

Son Tung Vu