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The long days of summer are here and the urge to travel and expand our horizons beckons. For some of us, that means exploring places we’ve never been before. And for others, it’s a time to evaluate our place in the cosmos, that Great Chain of Being that has inspired and tormented poets and philosophers for centuries. Whether it’s climbing a mountain or cycling across the great expanse of land and sea, going off the beaten path or paying homage to a wondrous marvel of the ancient world, the desire to challenge our limits physically and psychically through travel and movement speaks to a yearning to connect to something larger than ourselves. It is the age-old search for the interconnectedness of the universe and humankind—in all its myriad colors and dialects. In this issue of NHA we take you on a journey: from the dusty dirt roads of Africa to the top of Kilimanjaro, from the white-sand beaches and undulating mountains of Viet Nam’s south-central coast to the Mekong River, sights and sounds of Laos, to the ancient ruins of Angkor in Cambodia.

In our cover story on Chloe Dao (“The Fabulous Approach of Daoism”), we give you a glimpse of the Project Runway star’s fascinating trajectory from a refugee camp in Laos to becoming America’s next great designer. Her accomplishments as a Vietnamese American woman, entrepreneur and designer is an inspiration to us all. In the spirit and celebration of fearless women, we introduce you to Chau Huynh, whose artistic passion has taken her from a difficult childhood in Viet Nam to realizing her dream of being an artist when she began her new life in America. Her work interweaves personal narrative with Vietnamese history and pays tribute to the strength and resilience of Vietnamese women. Our Style editorial, Women Warriors, is an ode to the fighting spirit of the famous and unsung heroines throughout Viet Nam’s history.

Alas, it is time for me to move on from NHA and say good-bye on this leg of the journey. It has been an honor and a privilege to bring you the stories from the Vietnamese Diaspora, and to discover and represent the diverse talents and voices within our global community. In the words of poetess Ho Xuan Huong:

I lift my wine flask, drunk with rivers and hills.
My backpack, breathing moonlight, sags with poems.
Look, and love everyone.
Whoever sees this landscape is stunned.

Happy trails. I bid you good tidings and farewell!
Kathy Nguyen
Editor