We felt 2024 hadn’t brought us enough travel yet (India 3 times, China, Dubai, England just wasn’t enough along with all the US stops), so we jumped on the opportunity to wrap up the year with one more incredible adventure—playing the PWR (Pickleball World Rankings) event in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam!
Let me start by saying: wow, this place is far from Florida. Our journey began early Saturday morning with a flight from Orlando to LA (6 hours). After a short layover, we boarded a 12-hour flight to Tokyo, where we spent 8 hours soaking in just a glimpse of Japan during our layover. That stopover alone made me even more determined to visit Japan in 2025. Finally, the last leg: a 6-hour flight to Ho Chi Minh, landing at 6 AM Monday morning. What a trip!
I’m constantly amazed at how well our kids embrace the journey and adapt to any circumstances we throw their way. Of course, the jet lag hit us hard, but we’ve already made the most of our time here. We’ve tried some delicious local food, checked into an Airbnb right next to the courts, and wandered through the bustling markets, finding some fun knock-off items and making priceless memories.
A Love for Travel, Then and Now
Ryler and I have always loved traveling, experiencing new cultures, and trying new foods. Back when we first started dating, he convinced me to step out of my European comfort zone and try Mexican food for the first time. On a road trip from Illinois to Miami, I had my first sushi experience (spoiler alert: I loved it).
When Ryler was on the pro tennis tour, we traveled together for a year to some incredible places: St. Croix, New Zealand, Australia, Hawaii, Paris, and Wimbledon, just to name a few. Back then, in 2010, we were so focused on his tennis career that sightseeing often took a backseat. We always thought we’d have time to come back the following year, so most of our days were spent shuttling between airplanes, tennis courts, and hotels.
Fast forward to now, and we’re determined not to take any of these experiences for granted. Every trip we take is an opportunity to not only compete but also immerse ourselves in the culture, respect the countries we visit, and open our minds to new perspectives.
As the saying goes, “Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.” For us, traveling isn’t just about the destinations but the memories we create as a family and the lessons we learn along the way.
Stay tuned for more about Vietnam and the tournament in my next blog. For now, it’s time to catch some much-needed sleep and adjust to this 12-hour time difference.
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