I returned to Vietnam in the summer of 1995 to the former capital, Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City), and my motherland in the South. There were many changes; my grandparents were gone, my aunts were much smaller, the cities and streets now had new names, and the flag had changed.

How reassuring that so much remained the same! My relatives still tended the fields and fished the local waters, the old roads were still dirt, and the landscape remained unchanged.

Although two decades away meant great changes for me, they had little effect on my family in the coastal village of Ham Tan (formerly Binh Tuy), about 90 miles from Saigon. On that trip I was able to rediscover, along with my aunts, uncles and cousins, the Vietnam of my youth.

My second trip back in the spring of 1997 took me to the roots of my ancestors, Danang in Central Vietnam. I saw the ancient capital, Hue, and its Citadel, from where emporers ruled over a united country hundreds of years ago. The old imperial capital remains an anchor to the past for me as well as the Vietnamese nation.

In 1999 I made my third trip, and with my family explored Northern Vietnam. This trip to Hanoi and Halong Bay was long and arduous. Crossing the former border in Central Vietnam (the 17th parellel), and entering the 'perceived' enemy's territory created a false anxiety for me. There was no reason for it--the people were just as warm and friendly as their southern neighbors. Yet that old perception lingered and I was not totally comfortable until we crossed back through Hue. Perhaps this is not so different from the North/South division that exists in the United States.

Currently Panoramics of Vietnam consists of 33 images, laser printed on Indian Rag & Wheat Paper, signed and numbered 1 to 5.