Dear Kieran,

I feel awful about not being there for your birthday today—sweet sixteen! At last you can start learning to drive. A small package is already on its way to you; I won’t spoil the surprise, but it has something to do with music. I picked it up in a night market here and thought of you immediately.

Speaking of music, Mom and Dad say you’re getting really good at guitar. I guess those lessons were worth every minute. I always wanted to learn too, but I was never as dedicated as you. You’ll have to show me a few chords when I get home next month.

Travel has been wild and wonderful. I spent the last week trekking in Cát Tiên National Park in southern Vietnam with local guides. At first, the forest honestly scared me—the heat was heavy, the rains switched on and off like a tap, and I kept imagining everything that could sting or bite. But the longer we walked, the more I started noticing the magic: hornbills beating their wings over the canopy, neon dragonflies in the clearings, and a green lizard sunning itself on a mossy log. I did get stung by a small scorpion that wandered into my shoe one afternoon. The ranger cleaned the sting and told me it would pass. It hurt more than anything I’ve felt before, but I’m fine now—and yes, I took a picture of the tiny culprit and my puffy ankle for the album.

Right now I’m in Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital and my final stop. It was a short flight from Bao Lộc. The weather here is a relief—dry and cool in the evenings—and the people are incredible. When I first arrived, I didn’t have a map and my phone battery died. I ducked into a stationery shop and asked the owner for directions. She couldn’t really speak English, but she locked up her shop and actually walked me all the way to my hostel—almost two kilometers! Imagine someone doing that back home.

I can’t wait to see you. We’ll celebrate properly when I’m back, and you can laugh at all my bug stories while I try to keep up with your guitar.

Love,
Lena