A trip down Motherland lane

So I did it. I pulled the trigger. Bought myself a ticket to Laos and committing to a journey to reconnect with the land that I was born in and where my ancestors came from. Although I yearn to do this for the last 5 years, after my mother’s passing in 2023, I started to trust where my spirit(aka my ancestors) was taking me. And I feel led and held.

During the last months of my mother’s illness, I was the care taker along with my father. In that time, I bonded with my mother, her community in Sacramento and her family in Laos. Every since then I have kept regular conversations with my cousin Duean and Aunt Sien in Mahaxay, Laos. They would tell me things about my mom I never knew like her favorite type of fish. They would say how much I reminded them of her.

I have learn from my family in Mahaxay by talking and watching them. I see them be patient, be useful to the community, and being at peace. I watch them work the weaving looms, I watch them dye the yarn, I watch them cook, tend to their rice paddy, and sell food on the side of the road. And they see how entertained and curious I am about their life. The way they pick the fruits from their yard, the way the forage for bugs, the way they tend to the rice paddy as a community with nature has really inspired me. I’m at awe of their collective resilience.

I want to see all the tourist things, be fascinated by my ancestral culture and eat all the good food. Yet, I honestly just want to be with them, lounging around, sleeping, cooking, helping them sell food to the motorbike drivers riding by. I just want to feel my mother’s presence again with the day to day stuff. To hear her through my aunt, to see that they share the same laugh, language and behaviors.

When I originally planned this trip, I had such big dreams. My mom left me a house. I wanted to convert the house to a eco-tourism hub for weaving and teaching Lao cooking and to setup the rice paddy visitors. It was and hopefully still be a dream. But for now, I plan to slow down to the pace of the village and soak in the warm weather and freshly foraged food.

If you would like to contribute to this trip I would much appreciate it. It is customary that US visitors pay for their family’s way when they travel or do things together. And I would love to take as many family members to tour nearby adventures. I have 3 aunts and 1 uncle from my mothers side and 3 aunts and 2 uncles from my fathers side. From that I have a lot of cousins, nieces and nephews. I might need to rent a few cars. We are also planning a boun(celebration/honoring event) to acknowledge the ancestors that have passed. We have had a lot of deaths in the last 5 years and it would be great to do this in Mahaxay representing the Keomeuangsong and DiCostanza family.

I leave Next week. There is so much more to say, but I’ll stop for now.

Ways to support:

Venmo @noyksong

you can purchase product on this website- Delivery will be made once I come back. Browse the shop.

You can opt into updates during my trip Mahaxay Lao Trip Digital Ride-Along Community Access

Buy items from etsy shop

Below I share some pictures of my sister, Monleudy’s, Visit to Laos in 2012.

My mom, aunts and ladies from community decide to take a road trip in the back of a pick up truck. Mahaxay, Laos 2012

My Grandmother, great aunts, aunts and their children. Matriarchs.

Fresh Bananas anytime