A bittersweet passport story.

Two of my three passports

This is the third time I changed my passport for the past years (yes, #humblebrag I don't care). I often don't realize it while traveling, but looking back, each stamp and each visa reminds me of a story, a place, a person. The passport pages are like souvenirs and diaries from an otherwise bygone time.

Holding a Vietnamese passport, however, is such a bittersweet feeling. It's ridiculously difficult for Viet passport holders to get anywhere, including countries where we're supposedly not required any visa, like Singapore and Thailand. This is true no matter how many countries you've been to, or how many times you've traveled to said countries. Rules are rules, they said.

I dream of a day when Viet girls won't have to hold their breath every time they pass Singapore or Korea border. A day when going to America, Taiwan or even Thailand won't require a returning ticket. A day when going to Europe doesn't mean 2 months of security check and every single day of the trip planned and every single ticket and hotel booked. Because plans never change, right?

I feel blessed being a Vietnamese citizen of the world, but my shattering pride is reminded painfully every time I get through a border or apply for a visa, that we are still a long way to go until true global integration.