"Vietnam is my favorite place to visit. It’s my parents’ home country, and a place where I can flip between languages with ease. By American standards, almost everything is affordable, from hotels and food to shopping and spa treatments. One downfall? The rain. Monsoon season—which typically goes from November to April—stops for no one: Rain comes intensely and unexpectedly, no matter if you’re in the countryside or in a big city like Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City."