I had no idea what to expect in Vietnam. I'd heard a lot of good things, and a few bad. Without any warning or expectation, I fell madly in love with Hanoi. It is a completely unique city, both European and quintessentially Vietnamese, stunningly beautiful yet still gritty at times. 

More than anything else (including the gorgeous buildings, friendly residents, and widespread availability of inexpensive tailors making custom made clothing) , I became addicted to the food. I like Vietnamese food stateside, but this was on another level. The crab and asparagus soup and the steamed snowfish at Ly Club were both incredible. My overall favorite was the cheap and cheerful New Day, where my husband and I had a field day. The cucumber and tomato salad was fresh and delicious, the fried noodle with prawn was suitably yummy, and the sweet and sour soft shell crab was genius. Of course, you can't leave Vietnam without having banh mi. Banh Mi 25, a cart on a nondescript street, was the best I've ever had. The bread was so fresh, and each component was perfectly selected, coming together to make the sandwich of all sandwiches.

When leaving Hanoi, I was asked when I planned on returning. Without hesitation, I replied "soon."