I tried my best to plan for every step before arriving here, but really had no expectations upon arrival. I had never even been to Vietnam. In this relocation, as in general life, I think the lack of expectation helped to avoid disappointment. To my surprise I found a place where I immediately felt welcome and at home. The city itself and the people I have met, both local and foreign, have enveloped me with warmth.
Da Nang City is considered Vietnam’s most livable city. It lies halfway between Hanoi and Saigon in the midlands of Vietnam. Da Nang is Vietnam’s third largest city and is also the largest city in the central region. It is located between the hottest axis of the central area — Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An. It is located on a 60-km long shoreline of smooth white sand beaches. To say I live in paradise is not an overstatement. The beautiful scenery aside, the wonderfully welcoming people and the ease of living here is what truly makes it a dream come true.
It is said that life is not about what you do, but who you do it with. That could not be truer here in Da Nang. I have encountered a population of foreign expats who are all living a grand adventure with vulnerability and openness. Most everyone is open to meeting and extending kindness to others. I think this willing and open vibe has allowed me to build relationships faster than I was used to at home and forge friendships in a short amount of time.
I have found great friends with people Peter knew before my arrival and introduced me to — Thu, John and Kimi. John is a digital nomad from the US who lives next door to Peter. Thu is a transplant from Saigon living in Da Nang and working as a marketing manager for a local mall. Kimi is a teacher and translator at an International School from South Korea. The second day of being here I had just returned from picking up an egg bahn mi for breakfast and ran into John and Thu outside of Peter’s apartment. John enthusiastically suggested we have a team meeting to determine our plans for the day. In less than 48 hours after arrival I had a team. I could never in my wildest imaginings have thought it would be so easy and comfortable. We try to have team dinners on a weekly basis and have been slowly making our way all around town trying out spots new and old.
Outside of the connections Peter shared with his great friends, I have found community at my weekly writing group Da Nang Write Now that is facilitated by Rose Heddy. I have never before met such an amazing group of talented and creative people. Austin is an incredibly creative place, but I guess I never had a need to move outside of the circles I was a part of to reach out and find something new. Here, my options are, get out there and put yourself out there or become a recluse. I have chosen the former and it has enhanced my life immensely in this short period. The group meets weekly to participate in collaborative idea generation and creative writing. It has reawakened my passion for writing and ignited my creativity. I have a sense of familiarity in my neighborhood with people I have met at a local An Thuong Neighbors Meet-Up group organized by Natalie Hilton and held at my favorite neighborhood spot, Section 30. I have found so much to do and so many new and interesting people to do it with. In the now 3.5 months I have been here I have only experienced one day of feeling lonely or homesick.
Aside from the everyday fun I have seen and done some great things in and around Da Nang. I explored Son Tra and the ancient Banyan tree with Thu, Peter and Carley. I visited Marble Mountain with Kimi and Ana. I shopped at the local market and prepared a local dinner with Thu. I road tripped on the motorbikes about an hour away with Kimi, Peter and Carley to a local reservoir lake for some a change of scenery and outdoor picnic. I celebrated a great birthday with a fun group of friends joining for dinner, dancing and a cake complete with candles from Hai and Dalena. I ate traditional Thanksgiving dinner complete with turkey and mashed potatoes with Rose and Tom of scratchmypack.com. I have helped organize and participated in a regular Women’s Brunch group to bring together the ladies in this city who all seem to be doing big things.
I like to have fun and there is more than enough of that around here with friends or solo. When I feel like pinching my pennies, I take my beach blanket and a good book down to the sand, explore the jungle-like atmosphere on the Son Tra Penninsula or meet friends for a coffee at any of the abundant coffee shops around town. When I feel like a bit more action, I head to the city center for live music and dinner. Fat Fish located on the Han River is a pricier than the Vietnamese street food, but the steak and blue cheese salad is necessary on occasion. I also enjoy 1920’s for craft cocktails and live jazz. Da Nang Underground spins regularly around town and I enjoy venturing to hear them when I feel like dancing.
Getting around Da Nang is monumentally easier than moving from point A to B in a places like Saigon or Hanoi. The streets are wide and smooth and there is considerably less traffic than the other major cities in Vietnam. Riding the motorbike in town and beyond is one of the most enjoyable parts of life here. I feel more immersed in the culture when I am on the bike than any other time. I have learned to ride a motorbike, which is what over half the population of Vietnam uses as their main mode of transportation. It has certainly been an exciting experience. I am currently on a Honda Wave semi-automatic bike and loving it!
It is illegal for foreigners to ride a motorbike without a license. Vietnam offers an opportunity to transfer your local license to a Vietnamese license for the duration of your visa period, but this requires paperwork and most easily a local agent to assist. This must also be done again and again after the visa is renewed. In the last year Vietnam has begun offering a lifetime motorbike license. Like its name denotes, it is valid for a lifetime. To acquire the lifetime license, your foreign driver’s license is transferred to a Vietnamese license then a number of steps including a health check and driving test on a semi-automatic bike must be completed. Currently, I have completed all the steps other than the driving test. The test is a bit intimidating and requires completion of a figure 8 which is my current roadblock. I will test again in January and report back on how it goes.
I have joined a gym and hired a trainer. The My An Sport Center is by far the most modern and equipped gym in Da Nang and the gym game here is same, same but different, different, different. Same — the exercises and equipment. The body is universal. Same — the gym atmosphere and attitude. I go to the gym at the same time every day and see the same people regularly. I have made gym friends and enjoyed new relationships. Different — What I am used to is a pretty standard number of reps in a standard number of sets. 15 repetitions of each exercise repeated 2-3 times. Here they don’t mess around. I do 15 repetitions of each exercise repeated 4-5 times. Needless to say, after my first session with my trainer induced a fair amount of pain, but I endured. Different — the cost. I purchased 72 sessions with my trainer for the same cost as 12 sessions back home. Different — kilograms. Before I hired my trainer, I worked out at the gym on my own. The first day at the gym I picked up dumbbells numbered the same as what I was lifting back home and was astonished at how heavy they were. I was so disappointed and astonished that I had lost so much strength in my 6 weeks away from the gym, then Carley kindly pointed out that maybe they were in kg instead of pounds. Duh! The conversion is 1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds. So, the weight I picked up that was numbered 10 and was assuming was 10lbs was really 22lbs. Different for sure!
Many expats will tell you that cooking is more expensive than eating out. I have not found that to be accurate for me. I also like cooking and eating at home, so that has been something I have focused on. Back home most kitchens are equipped with a standard stovetop/oven combo. Usually a 4 burner top with a two rack oven and often a microwave. Here in my kitchen I have one burner and a combination induction oven/microwave. I have yet to master my oven/microwave combo with consistency, so I am left to my one burner. So far, I have successfully cooked chili that reminds me of home, vegetable curry that is incredibly delicious and something new for me, various stir-fry adaptations and a big pot of black beans and rice.
Cooking here is fresh, delicious and for the most part healthy. As I have more comfortably assimilated, I have become more familiar with purchasing from the local market. The produce is fresher and far less expensive. I go to the market in the evenings when the sun has gone down a bit, making it less hot and overwhelming. I am perfecting my shopping trips and have reached the level of riding my scooter through the side street where I don’t even have to park my bike to purchase. I roll down the street and pause while sitting on my bike and point to what I want. I then take my purchase and continue on. HEB curbside delivery has nothing on the quick convenience of this process.
As the number of foreign visitors and residents has increased in Da Nang so has the availability of quality medical care provided by English speaking professionals. There are dedicated foreigner wings at a number of hospitals and clinics that cater specifically to the expat community. Women’s healthcare is also something they take seriously here. I recently met a new mother from the US who went through her entire pregnancy and birth here in Vietnam. She was impressed with the level of care she received and had no complications. If you are not on the baby track, a number of birth control options are available here at pharmacies without prescription and at a much lower price point. Even the One Step emergency contraception pill is readily available without a prescription and costs $2 versus the average $40-$50 at stores back home. I was careful to complete all necessary health screenings from my physician before relocating to Vietnam, but when the time comes, I feel comfortable that I will receive high quality care here.
The transition to life here has been made easier with my planning. Being able to spend the last almost 4 months not working has given me the privilege of integrating into comfortable life here in a mellow way. Had I need to immediately begin working, I imagine that the required visit to 3 different grocery stores/markets to procure the ingredients necessary to make one pot of chili would have become more of an annoyance. With the extra time I am able to view these challenges as an adventure rather than chores that take up a great chunk of my two weekend days a week, and also perfect how I do things to be more efficient and effective. However, after this slow transition it is finally time to decide what comes next. I came here with a heart to work with children, that hasn’t changed, but now I must choose a direction to fulfill that goal. In my short time here, I have come to see Vietnam as a place where anything is possible if you dare to dream it and work hard for it.
