About Vien
Vien R. Guenther is the author of six travel memoirs inspired by the road trips she has taken with her husband, Hermann. Her love of gardening resulted in two books about the joy and agony of growing plants. Then recently, she embarked on writing about the rich history of her homeland, the Philippines. Vien’s passion for reading and curiosity about everything that makes life interesting contributed to her writing career.
Her Story
Vien has a bachelor’s degree in architecture, lived and worked in Manila until she migrated to California to be with her family and worked at a local energy company. Then she moved to Colorado after getting married, where she lived for fourteen years with her husband, Hermann. They now call San Diego, California, their home. Vien shares photos on social media.
“Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” — Ibn Battuta
“You cannot open a book without learning something” – Confucius
What’s New?
A ROAD TRIP IN ITALY
It had been several years since Vien and Hermann went on a road trip abroad. But after the world shut down to most traveling due to the pandemic (COVID 19), and them afterwards moving to another state, they were back exploring once again, this time in Italy. Their journey began in the Alps in northern Italy, down to Emilia-Romagna, then over the Apennines to Liguria and finally to Tuscany. For three weeks they explored rich historic towns, hiked in the Alps with friends, and tasted the local food. Throughout their journey, they encountered unexpected hiccups but also discovered fantastic hidden gems.
THE PHILIPPINES: MIGRATION, TRADE, CCOLONIALISM & WARFARE
The Philippines had been colonized by Spain for over three hundred years, followed by annexation by the United States for forty-eight years after the Spanish-American War. Then came a short occupation by the Japanese during World War II, the end of which finally resulted in peace and the country’s liberation. Prior to colonialism, trading with neighboring countries had been carried out by the native Filipino people even before the Spanish came. But colonialism forever changed the lives of the natives, both in terms of culture and mentality. These changes were both good and bad, depending on one’s perceptions and understanding. For the “Old World” empires, competing for maritime trade with Asia, the Philippine archipelago’s strategic location could not have been better.
“THE BUTTERFLY COUNTS NOT MONTHS BUT MOMENTS” –RABINDRANATH TAGORE
THE AGONY OF GARDENING
As any garden lovers can relate, gardening is not always easy. There are challenges that gardeners need to face – weather, critters, soil, to name a few. It might be a different experience gardening where you live. What I wrote here are the things that I and my husband experienced gardening in Colorado while we lived there, and what we are now experiencing since moving to San Diego County. Two different states with two different sets of challenges. Despite of it all, we enjoy doing it. The benefits of gardening are endless, and we get to eat freshly picked tomatoes.
“IN LIFE, IT’S NOT WHERE YOU GO, IT’S WHO YOU TRAVEL WITH” – CHARLES M. SCHULZ
Vien R. Guenther 