GOING TO LAOS
I was born Lao, but most of my life has been spent far away from the land of my ancestors. Each time I returned, it was only for a short visit—one or two weeks at most. Those trips were never enough. I would spend most of my time in Vientiane, the capital, and before I knew it, I was back on a plane, leaving again.
Over the years, I managed to see several provinces beyond the capital—Champasak, Louang Namtha, Savannakhet, Bolikhamxai, Salavan, Khammouane, Vientiane and Luang Prabang. Each place gave me a glimpse of Laos’ beauty, but with 17 provinces in total, I’ve only scratched the surface. My heart tells me there is so much more waiting to be discovered.
I dream of traveling across the entire country, from the misty mountains of Phongsaly in the far north to the lush green fields of Champasak in the south, where I was born. To me, this isn’t just about sightseeing—it’s about reconnecting with my roots, walking the same paths my ancestors once walked, and truly knowing the land that shaped my identity.
My Bucket List Provinces
There are four provinces I’ve longed to see most:
- Bokeo – I imagine waking up in a treehouse in the middle of the jungle, listening to the calls of gibbons echoing through the forest. The famous Gibbon Experience has always fascinated me, and I want to feel what it’s like to glide through the canopy on a zip-line, surrounded by untouched nature. And of course, we must go to witness opulence of the golden triangle special economic zone.
- Houaphanh – Known for its revolutionary history, I picture myself standing in the caves of Viengxay, where leaders once lived and planned during the war. Beyond history, I want to see the traditional weaving villages, where women still create textiles by hand, each pattern telling a story of their culture. Picturesque Viengxay could be an excellent political and administration center of Laos as per revolutionary leaders had shown.
- Xaisomboun – A province not many people know about. Remote, mountainous, and quiet, it feels like a hidden corner of Laos. I imagine trekking through its rugged landscapes, climbing Lao highest mountain, and experiencing a slower, simpler way of life.
- Sainyabuli – The land of elephants. I want to be there during the Elephant Festival, to see these gentle giants celebrated and cared for. I picture myself walking through rice fields, watching the sun set over the hills, and feeling the deep connection between beautiful people and the land.
A Future in Laos
Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to live in Laos again. If the opportunity ever came, I wouldn’t hesitate. Life overseas has given me many things, but it has also kept me distant from my heritage. Some people might question my identity, but I know who I am.
One day, I will make this journey. I will travel across every province, from north to south, east to west. I will eat in roadside stalls, ride in crowded buses, cross rivers on wooden boats, and wake up to the sound of roosters in small villages. I will see the mountains, the rivers, the temples, and the people who make Laos what it is.
This is more than a dream—it’s a promise to myself.
I am going to Laos.
Homeward Bound
I’ve seen the world, a thousand towns,
Felt the pull of a million suns going down.
But a different ache, a different call,
A homeland I’ve barely known at all.
Just a week or two in Vientiane’s blur,
A distant echo, a hopeful stir.
I’ve got a map, but the path’s unclear,
For the country that’s always been so dear.
Oh, I’m homeward bound, on a winding road,
Shedding the weight of an empty load.
From Phongsaly’s peaks to Champasak’s grace,
I’m searching for my own true place.
A stranger’s accent, a familiar soul,
I’m finally making myself whole.
The river’s calling, the mountains sing,
This is the journey my heart will bring.
Left footprints in Luang Prabang’s stone,
Felt the whisper of a world I’d known.
I’ve seen Savannakhet’s gentle hand,
But there’s so much more of this promised land.
My bucket list, a dreamer’s plea,
For Bokeo’s jungles and what’s to be.
Houaphanh’s history, a story to find,
A missing piece for my restless mind.
Under the stars in the northern night,
Breathing in dreams, chasing fragile light.
With every stop, I gather their tales,
The laughter, the sorrows, the echoing wails.
Just a sip of Lao coffee warms my soul,
Reminds me of roots that make me whole.
In the markets bustling, amidst the smiles,
I find fragments of joy that span the miles.
So here I stand, with my heart outstretched,
Embracing the land that I once etched.
From the valleys deep to the skies above,
I’ll find my way back, bound by love.
With every step, I reclaim my past,
In this homeland, my heart beats fast.
A thousand towns fade in the haze,
But here in my soul, I’ll forever blaze.
ຂ້ອຍໄດ້ເຫັນໂລກ, ເມືອງນັບພັນແຫ່ງ,
ໄດ້ສຳຜັດແຮງດຶງດູດຂອງຕາເວັນນັບລ້ານທີ່ກຳລັງຕົກດິນ.
ແຕ່ມີຄວາມເຈັບປວດທີ່ແຕກຕ່າງ, ສຽງເອີ້ນທີ່ແຕກຕ່າງ,
ບ້ານເກີດເມືອງນອນທີ່ຂ້ອຍແທບຈະບໍ່ຮູ້ຈັກເລີຍ.
ເປັນພຽງອາທິດສອງອາທິດໃນຄວາມພ່າເບີຂອງວຽງຈັນ,
ສຽງສະທ້ອນທີ່ຫ່າງໄກ, ການເຄື່ອນໄຫວທີ່ເຕັມໄປດ້ວຍຄວາມຫວັງ.
ຂ້ອຍມີແຜນທີ່, ແຕ່ເສັ້ນທາງຍັງບໍ່ແຈ້ງ,
ສຳລັບປະເທດທີ່ເປັນທີ່ຮັກສະເໝີມາ.
ໂອ້, ຂ້ອຍກຳລັງຈະກັບບ້ານ, ຕາມເສັ້ນທາງທີ່ຄົດໂຄ້ງ,
ປ່ອຍວາງນໍ້າໜັກຂອງສິ່ງທີ່ຫວ່າງເປົ່າ.
ຈາກຍອດພູຜາສີຂອງຜົ້ງສາລີ, ຈົນເຖິງຄວາມງາມຂອງຈໍາປາສັກ,
ຂ້ອຍກຳລັງຄົ້ນຫາສະຖານທີ່ທີ່ແທ້ຈິງຂອງຕົນເອງ.
ສຳນຽງຂອງຄົນແປກໜ້າ, ດວງວິນຍານທີ່ຄຸ້ນເຄີຍ,
ໃນທີ່ສຸດຂ້ອຍກໍເຮັດໃຫ້ຕົນເອງສົມບູນໄດ້.
ສາຍນໍ້າກຳລັງຮຽກຮ້ອງ, ພູຜາກຳລັງຮ້ອງເພງ,
ນີ້ຄືການເດີນທາງທີ່ຫົວໃຈຂອງຂ້ອຍຈະນຳພາ.
ໄດ້ປະຮອຍຕີນໄວ້ໃນກ້ອນຫີນຂອງຫຼວງພະບາງ,
ຮູ້ສຶກເຖິງສຽງກະຊິບຂອງໂລກທີ່ຂ້ອຍເຄີຍຮູ້ຈັກ.
ຂ້ອຍໄດ້ເຫັນມືທີ່ອ່ອນໂຍນຂອງສະຫວັນນະເຂດ,
ແຕ່ຍັງມີອີກຫຼາຍຢ່າງຂອງດິນແດນທີ່ສັນຍານີ້.
ລາຍການທີ່ຂ້ອຍຢາກເຮັດ, ຄໍາອ້ອນວອນຂອງຄົນໃນຝັນ,
ສຳລັບປ່າດົງຂອງບໍ່ແກ້ວ ແລະ ສິ່ງທີ່ຈະເກີດຂຶ້ນ.
ປະຫວັດສາດຂອງຫົວພັນ, ເລື່ອງລາວທີ່ຕ້ອງຄົ້ນຫາ,
ສ່ວນທີ່ຂາດຫາຍໄປຂອງຈິດໃຈທີ່ບໍ່ສະຫງົບຂອງຂ້ອຍ.
ໃຕ້ແສງດາວໃນຄ່ຳຄືນທາງພາກເໜືອ,
ຫາຍໃຈເຂົ້າເອົາຄວາມຝັນ, ໄລ່ຕາມແສງອັນບອບບາງ.
ໃນທຸກໆບ່ອນທີ່ຢຸດ, ຂ້ອຍເກັບກຳເລື່ອງເລົ່າຂອງພວກເຂົາ,
ສຽງຫົວ, ຄວາມໂສກເສົ້າ, ສຽງຮ້ອງໄຫ້ທີ່ດັງກ້ອງ.
ພຽງແຕ່ຈິບກາເຟລາວໜຶ່ງຈິບກໍເຮັດໃຫ້ຈິດວິນຍານຂອງຂ້ອຍອົບອຸ່ນ,
ເຕືອນໃຈຂ້ອຍເຖິງຮາກເຫງົ້າທີ່ເຮັດໃຫ້ຂ້ອຍສົມບູນ.
ໃນຕະຫຼາດທີ່ຄຶກຄັກ, ລະຫວ່າງຮອຍຍິ້ມ,
ຂ້ອຍພົບຊິ້ນສ່ວນຂອງຄວາມສຸກທີ່ແຜ່ຂະຫຍາຍໄປທົ່ວຫຼາຍໄມ.
ດັ່ງນັ້ນຂ້ອຍຈຶ່ງຢືນຢູ່ນີ້, ດ້ວຍຫົວໃຈທີ່ເປີດກວ້າງ,
ໂອບກອດດິນແດນທີ່ຂ້ອຍເຄີຍຂີດຂຽນ.
ຈາກຮ່ອມພູເລິກຈົນເຖິງທ້ອງຟ້າເບື້ອງເທິງ,
ຂ້ອຍຈະຊອກຫາທາງກັບຄືນ, ຜູກພັນດ້ວຍຄວາມຮັກ.
ໃນທຸກໆກ້າວ, ຂ້ອຍໄດ້ຮຽກຮ້ອງອະດີດຂອງຂ້ອຍຄືນ,
ໃນບ້ານເກີດເມືອງນອນແຫ່ງນີ້, ຫົວໃຈຂອງຂ້ອຍເຕັ້ນແຮງ.
ເມືອງນັບພັນແຫ່ງໄດ້ຈາງຫາຍໄປໃນໝອກ,
ແຕ່ໃນຈິດວິນຍານຂອງຂ້ອຍ, ຂ້ອຍຈະສ່ອງແສງຕະຫຼອດໄປ.
