My Determined Spirit

A Story of Survival

I met Christy Tran, whom I know as Victoria, in 2001, when she became my hairdresser, after I had moved from Austin, Texas, to Amarillo, Texas. Over the years we visited while she worked to make me presentable to rest of the world. During our talks she slowly began sharing the details of her life in Vietnam during the infamous war years. I became fascinated with her story. Some of her experiences seemed unbelievable; however, the fervor with which she spoke told me it was all true. She lived a life that only a few people could truly understand. She endured the horrors of war and bears witness to the terrible things that human beings can do to one another. Yet her story is also one of survival. Not only did she survive the war, she survived the torturous escape from her homeland as one of the "boat people" of the 1970s. Her story does not end as refugee but it is one of victory and finding a new country to call her own. I was intrigued and amazed at my friend's determination and courage in face of fear, devastation, isolation, and hopelessness. She has taught me that the problems I face in day to day life can be overcome with faith and fortitude. This is Christy's story, as she told it to me over the course of three years - as she has lived it over the course of 53 years.