Last minute ticket

You might ask why didn't I just buy a ticket to leave at the same time as my family? And you would be asking the same question my entire family asked me. From the very beginning, the Fulbright program strongly discourages all grantees to enter their host countries on tourist visas. I needed a host university to sponsor my visa (and the process for this goes all the way to the President of the university, and not just inter-departmental), but the university had its own academic schedules and priorities. The College of Humanities and Social Sciences of the Viet Nam National University (which I wanted to have as my host institution) was in final exam mode, and then they were not in session, and loads of other reasons complicated my getting a visa. They advised me not to risk going on a tourist visa which did not allow me to work or do research or use the facilities, etc. // In the end, I had to purchase a separate ticket to fly to VN with my family, pay for an expedited tourist visa, and return to the U.S. in late August with my momther and sister (Dad and Tuan-Anh were scheduled to leave on 17/08 b/c of work and school). // Thinking back, I was rather foolish. Waiting until they contacted me costed us at least three to four weeks which I desperately needed to prepare for my trip. I ended up packing for VN in one day, grabbed my passport, and prayed as I got on the plane that I didn't forget anything.