A Pixel of Me

Hi, my name's Brett Tran and I'm a 42 year old, first generation Vietnamese male, born and raised in the great Pacific Northwest. My parents escaped the Vietnam War in 1975, on a rickety old fishing boat, piloted by my father. In an epic tale of courage, perseverance and nothing short of a miracle, they made their way to refuge on the shores of America.

After getting their feet planted on new ground, I was born a year later in the state of Washington, where I continue to live today. I had an exponentially interesting childhood. Not just because I was exposed to the 80's, but because simultaneously discovering two separate cultures, to say the least, was very stimulating. Which to one great benefit, resulted in the learning of both my parents native language, and English at the same time. Later on in life, this proved to be a rather lucrative skill, when I passed a lengthy exam and became a certified medical interpreter. Bilingual from birth, is definitely not a bad skill for first words. Although, because my parents didn't speak English and their sponsors (whom they lived with) didn't speak Vietnamese, it did raise the odds that someone would clearly misunderstand me at an early age.

I've always been close to my parents, especially my mother. Regardless of their struggles developing a brave new life and forging their way along foreign land, they were always very supportive, encouraging and as loving as any parents could ever be. I am blessed to carry the blood of such magnificence. Both have taught me extremely valuable life skills. They did well for themselves, for me, for their families left behind in Vietnam, for their friends, my friends, I have the utmost respect for them.

Fast forwarding a few decades, my mother somehow got an unlucky bug or two, or five, which plagued her with a handful of illnesses. Heart disease, bone marrow disease, a rare blood disorder and eventually, stage 4 renal failure. At some point, I moved back home and shouldered the responsibility to become her caretaker, and for several very challenging years, I was by her side 24/7 as she battled her way through the hospital visits. On the plus side, we spent so much time together, I got to learn a different side of my mom; she became my best friend. If we weren't heading for an appoinment with her slew of specialists doctors, we were having lunch and hanging out on the beach, going for mountain drives in my 4x4, critiquing new restaurants, shopping for new shoes, walks around the lake(when she could), the list goes on. She was funny and entertaining to be around. I discovered that we were very much alike and enjoyed doing the same things; we were peas in a pod. Because we were also under the same roof again, spontaneity was our fuel and all we had to do was get up and go. Life as a caretaker at many times, was fun.

This one time, just as the Christmas lights came down, my mother suffered from an intracranial hematoma, which consequently, slipped her into an unrecoverable coma. On December 27th, 2016, I upheld my mom's predetermined wishes, and preceded to withdraw her from life support. I have never been more devastated. The world as I knew it, crumbled beneath my feet. Where would I even begin again, from such tremendous loss.

I've taken a lot of time to reflect on my life, grieve, heal. While the sadness never goes away in the slightest bit, I have become eager again, to discover the joys of all things me and continue developing my aspirations. Cooking the foods my mother taught me and creating new recipes, hiking and embracing nature's free therapy sessions, my art and sharing my stories, these are the facets which fulfill my soul.

I'm not always so concerned with how far I've gone, so much as remembering where I've been. This is where I am now, enjoying the beauties of life, again. Thus, my story continues to unveil.

For pictures of my travels, experiences in nature and a sample of my culinary creations, you can also find me on Instagram @the.brettlife

For a glimpse into my art, please visit www.btran.carbonmade.com

Thanks for reading and follow to learn more about my story!