Blake Reeves

That time we woke up at 4am to make fresh noodles for the village, ate the most spectacular dish on Earth for $1.25 (Cao lau), drank viper/iguana/seahorse infused rice wines, and learned how to weave traditional sleeping mats. #hoian #vietnam

Hoi An is a place that feels like it was painted into existence. Known for its hundreds of artisan shops, the village is full of vibrant yellow buildings, flowering trees and French colonial influence. By day, the streets are overflowing with tailors and makers crafting custom clothing and jewelry, but as the sun sets, the Old Quarter transforms. Thousands of silk lanterns flicker to life, lining every tiny alleyway and reflecting off the canal that winds through the center of town. There is a beautiful ritual here: you light a small paper lantern with a specific intention, make a wish, and release it into the water. As the boats travel by, the canal becomes a floating collection of hopes and dreams. We wandered through the village just as the last of the daylight turned the water into a shimmering rainbow. It felt like a perfect summer night, strolling hand-in-hand, listening and watching all of the sights and sounds as the night market opened for the evening. We boarded a small wooden boat, beautifully decorated with colorful flowers and lanterns, and drifted away from the shore. I lit my lantern and made the same wish I’ve made for the last four years: to live a long, happy, healthy life with Blake by my side. I watched my wish float away into the dark water, and just a few moments later, Blake (nervously, adorably) asked if I would spend forever beside him. 

It’s funny, after our first date, which turned into three inseparable days, a friend casually asked me how it went. I sighed and laughed and sighed again. I said, when this ends, it’s going to absolutely kill me. It was like seeing something that could no longer be unseen. My heart opened in a way I never knew it could. I couldn’t imagine a life without him then, and I certainly can’t imagine one without him now. 
 I love you, Blake Reeves. You are the light of my life. And I cannot wait to marry you. 💍 #engagedaf

We arrived in Central Vietnam and immediately felt the shift. Hue is a city haunted beautifully by its past. Exploring the Imperial Citadel and the expansive tombs of the Emperors, you start to understand the depth of Vietnamese superstition and spiritual beliefs. While Buddhism is practiced by ~40% of the population, there is no “official” religion in the country. However, it is widely believed that the spirits of the ancestors remain present after death and honoring them is deeply ingrained into every aspect of the culture. Every home, business, hotel, shop, cafe, etc has an altar of some kind to do just that. To many Vietnamese, the spirit world is not separate from the physical one, but an overlapping plane of reality that is present at all times. Hue is famous for immense, ornate tombs of past emperors (the scale is impossible to capture in a photo). These were built to ensure the spirit continues to prosper, once the soul of the deceased moves on to this alternate plane. Each is completely unique, can span hundreds of acres, and are meticulously cared to this day. #hue #vietnam

Two days after the dust settled from our road trip in the North, we headed about twelve hours south to Phong Nha to disappear into the Tu Lan cave system. Vietnam is home to the world’s largest caves, with more regions still being mapped and discovered to this day. Eight of us stepped off the grid and into a world very few people ever see. Because this prehistoric ecosystem is so fragile, access is strictly limited each year, and it’s easy to understand why. This wasn’t a casual hike, it was 22 miles of the most intense terrain we’ve ever faced. We climbed 4,600 feet over jagged rocks, through slippery mud, pulled ourselves up using vines and trees, waded through cold river crossings, and avoided countless steep, unforgiving drops in the terrain. Unlike the groomed trails and clear markers we’re used to in the US, these paths are invisible to the untrained eye. In the caves themselves, our trusty headlamps were all we had. Some of these 7 caves are miles(!!) long and the only other creatures inside of them were colonies of bats, hand-sized spiders, and strange, eyeless creatures that have evolved in total isolation over millions of years. The most surreal moments were the swims. Jumping into the subterranean rivers in our full hiking gear, and being held in this kind of natural sensory deprivation tank was beyond words. None of this would have been possible without our local guides. The villagers that have lived beside these mountains and caves for generations now serve as the bridge that connects curious travelers to this one-of-a-kind landscape. A million thanks to @oxalisadventure for an experience of a lifetime!

We traded motorbikes for a vintage Russian military vehicle (UAZ or Ulyanovsky Avtomobilny Zavod for the curious) and spent 5 days navigating Ha Giang and Cao Bang in the northernmost regions of Vietnam. Beyond the incredible landscapes, caves, waterfalls, and (treacherous) roads, we spent time learning about the traditions of some of Vietnam’s 54 indigenous communities. Traversing the north was a welcome shift from the chaotic energy of where we started. And weaving through mountain roads in a vehicle with no windows or heat during a drastic cold snap certainly made the adventure a memorable one. 😂 #hagiang #hahiangloop #caobang #vietnam

Train Street is exactly as ridiculous as this video makes it look. It is not uncommon to see tiny streets and alleys in Hanoi, but this one has a commuter train track carved directly down the middle. IT IS LITERALLY INCHES AWAY FROM HUMANS with zero safety measures in place. Turn around at the wrong time? Oops, suddenly smashed by a moving train. Locals are selling coffee, hanging laundry, and going about their everyday lives, while tourists can’t resist the spectacle. I had no idea that this existed or what to expect from a place called “train street” but I think I can sum it up in three words: terrifying, surreal, unforgettable. #hanoi #trainstreet

///Blur\\\ Vietnam was a sensory overload in all of the best ways. The night we first arrived in Hanoi, we were dropped in the middle of a bustling night market with thousands of people swarming around us, scooters frantically rushing by, and the sounds of live music from every street corner. With nothing but our backpacks, we pushed through the crowds to get settled at our homestay - we had been awake for nearly 30hrs, and yet we knew we needed to dive in and explore. The energy of this city was palpable - no matter night or day, something was happening. At 4am markets were exploding with color and people excited to get the freshest produce. At 4pm crowds would begin rushing toward the night markets and thousands of scooters would zip by in packs. They say when you cross the streets, you just walk and the scooters will compensate and flow around you like fish in a stream... It's terrifyingly accurate. I was in love. Getting lost in alleys with my love while stumbling upon hidden storefronts in people's living rooms all while dodging scooters carrying far more than any scooter was meant to carry. It's all wild and free, and it feels so real. It was just the beginning of our trip and I already knew it would be one of the most special places I have ever been. Here's just a snapshot of the energy and alleys I could catch in our first week - shout out to the scooter hauling 2 vases that were as tall as me! ⚱️ #pixel9 #explorevietnam #wanderlust #hanoi #longexposure

Hanoi is a place where you can eat Michelin-quality food while sitting on a kindergarten-sized plastic stool on a busy sidewalk, surrounded by a non-stop river of motorbikes, while observing the daily hustle of modern life built on top of 1000 years of history. The city is loud, the air is heavy, and crossing the street may as well be an extreme sport. We arrived during the weekly night market that floods the Old Quarter with vendors hustling tourists and countless food stalls cooking up unrecognizable delicacies, mango sticky rice, and Pho that has been simmering for 24 hours straight. 30 hours of travel means nothing when that Saturday night energy is right outside your door. Hanoi is an absolute assault on the senses that somehow makes you feel right at home the second you sit down. #vietnam #hanoi

My last trip to Asia was in 2019. It was an unplanned whirlwind and a desperate plea to reset a very complicated professional, personal, and emotional situation going on in my life. I set off with little money, no real plan, and a quiet hope that I could reignite a dwindling fire within myself. 

What resulted was an inexplicable cultural love affair that I have been holding in my heart ever since. I tried returning in 2021, but complicated visa and quarantine requirements made it impossible. In 2022, an ambitious project in NY demanded all of my attention. In 2023 and 2024, I poured myself into a long-distance relationship that felt different, secure, grounding, life-changing. By 2025, Blake and I began merging our lives and building a home together. Each year had its reasons. But I never forgot the magic of 2019. Last year, as I was preparing to face yet another inhospitable NYC winter, it became abundantly clear: it was time. The difference was that I wasn’t escaping. I’d be returning as a healthier, happier, more evolved version of myself, with the love of my life beside me. I’ve spoken about Vietnam’s cultural depth and natural beauty for years, but some things can’t be captured in stories alone, they have to be felt. This wasn’t just a trip I needed to take again, it was an experience meant to be shared, a chapter meant to be written together. #vietnam #bangiocpagoda

///Return To Paris\\\ . . . We can't get enough - Paris continues to be one of our favorite cities. We went for a few days back in December and the trip unexpectedly turned into a full week! I couldn't imagine a more perfect place to get stuck with my most favorite human @kitchushku 💕 Every single day was full of cheese, chocolate, wandering, and living like a Parisian - even when we missed our flight back, we just rolled with it and made the most of our experience. Ending the year with this magical adventure was the perfect way to celebrate so much growth together and kick off even more expeditions in the new year 🎊 so ready for 2026!! Also a huge thank you to @thaiphotographerparis for another incredible photoshoot! #paris #parisfrance #wanderlust #travelmore #exploremore

///Somebody's Watching\\\ This Halloween @kitchushku and I went all-in on a project we've been thinking about for a while - The Oracles 👁️ This was such a fun journey to re-envision my own original CAD design for @cityofgodsfestival and @nychalloween ! I was able to laser cut it all out of lightweight wood at @fatcatfablab and then Elisa and I assembled, painted & lit-up these headdresses with incredible LEDs - all hand-made 💪 getting these to stay on our heads was a whole process, but with some engineering and teamwork we made it happen - thanks to @raypp2 for some extra support! I'm so proud of how these turned out and now we have some pretty cool eyeballs to hang up on our office - now for our next projects 👀 #halloween #halloween2025 #cityofgods #industrycity #westvillagenyc #brooklyn #makersgonnamake #lasercut

Tfw you plug @burningman on live TV and the newscaster has no idea what you are talking about. 😂 🤷🏼‍♀️ . . . . Thanks @nychalloween for showing the world how Halloween is done! @kostumekult @houseofyesnyc