As I sat in the Bangkok airport waiting to board my flight back to Austin, I texted Peter that if he gave the okay, I would turn around and leave the airport and fly back to Ao Nang. Deciding I wanted to prolong my Asian adventure and figure out things at home when I eventually returned. I didn’t want to insert myself into his adventure beyond the time we had already agreed on and overstay my welcome. He was soon headed from Thailand to Vietnam and would be taking his motorbike on the long trek from Hanoi to Saigon. Not being an experienced motorbike rider, this path was not for me. I begrudgingly boarded the plane when my group was called not feeling brave enough to take such a giant unplanned leap solo.
Without WiFi on the plane or a laptop, I was left with the notes feature on my phone. I spent my waking hours on the plane entertaining myself by making a list and checking it twice. Carefully thinking through the steps necessary to breathe my dream of relocating to Asia into existence. I thought logically and methodically making careful notes that would later serve as a detailed checklist that turned my dream into a goal with specific, measurable, attainable and time sensitive steps. Not wanting to make a bold statement and announce my plans to the world at large I shared my goal with a few trusted friends and relied on their support and encouragement to keep me on track. They may not have understood why, but they were more than happy to entertain my wild notions.
To capitalize on my momentum and excitement I enrolled and began a TEFL* course through International TEFL Academy in less than 60 days after my return. It had been a few years since I was in the classroom, but education seemed my most logical career option for sustaining a life in Asia. The course was a few months long, so while working toward that achievement I also set my sights on other items to mark off my checklist.
I held a huge garage/yard sale and began listing my personal belongings on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. I downsized my wardrobe by selling clothing, shoes and unnecessary accessories on Poshmark. I met the task of selling my belongings with an enthusiasm that rivaled my excitement for the adventure itself. The downsizing proved to be incredibly cathartic and moving forward with my life I will continue to remember the feeling of lightness that comes with fewer possessions anchoring me.
After the initial purge, I downsized from my two bedroom home to a small one bedroom apartment. I no longer needed the space of my old place and needed to save as much as possible before I left. As the time for my departure neared, I continued to sell items that I would no longer need and could not take with me: dishes, furniture and more! I also packed a few of my most prized possessions and recruited my youngest brother to help me move them into a small storage building near where my mom lives. I sold my vehicle and downsized into a smaller automobile for the duration of my time back home. I opened a new bank account that allowed foreign transactions without fees. I had a physical and a mammogram. I made sure to get the suggested vaccines.
Knowing the end of my time in Austin was near I marked fun things off my list, too. I ate at my favorite restaurants, I regularly attended yoga classes taught by my favorite practitioner and I soaked up plenty of Austin summer sun. With the checklist steadily moving, it was time to start letting people know what I was up to. Sharing with others my plans to leave the US and set out to make a life in Southeast Asia, I was met with many questions. My most favorite being, “Why are you doing that?” To which I most often responded, “I need a change.” The best response I received to this reply was, “That’ll do it!” and it certainly has.
Being human, I wondered what people would think when I shared my plans with them. Thinking that people would certainly assume I was running away from something. I decided to view this adventure through the eyes of running to something rather than away. This helped to shade the lenses through which I viewed my change with a nice rosy hue.
Eventually, there was only one item left to check off the list, buying a ticket. This was certainly the last task and also the heaviest. Once I clicked that purchase button there was no going back, but before I was ready to do that I had to decide where I felt I would most thrive. During my previous time in Asia, my heart was captured by Myanmar. The raw energy of a land untouched by foreigners held great appeal, but the thought of having to endure drives like the one I had experienced during my trip every 3 months for visa runs sounded overwhelming.
After abundant research Vietnam emerged as the country which offered the easiest expatriate transition. As an American citizen, I qualify for a one year multiple entry visa in Vietnam. A far longer option than any other Southeast Asian nation. This would allow me the ability to focus on life in Asia without the hassle of applying/waiting for approval for a visa every 3 to 6 months. However, the stipulations of my visa would still require me to leave and re-enter the country every 90 days. I could feel comfortable coming and going as I pleased, traveling as I wished and always feeling like I could securely return to Vietnam. The more I learned the more I felt that Vietnam would be a place I could truly call home.
Vietnam also offered abundant job opportunities. Once upon a time, Korea offered the greatest opportunity for teachers of English as a foreign language, but Vietnam has leveled that playing field in terms of job availability and compensation. In 2008, Vietnam launched Project 2020. This is a well-funded (10 Trillion VND/$430 Million USD) government initiative that aims to bring all of Vietnam’s high school students to an intermediate level of English language proficiency by graduation. With 2020 just around the corner it is reported that the initiative has fallen short of its goal, but that does not mean that there is any shortage of opportunity for native English speaking teachers. I find myself well suited for positions teaching English with the numerous English centers and also highly-qualified as a general educator with the many international schools here in Vietnam.
Once I determined Vietnam would be my new home I had to decide where. There were three obvious choices: Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi or Da Nang. These are the three largest cities in the country and naturally, provide the most opportunity. Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi have the most cultural opportunities, best food, best shopping, best variety of housing, and greatest access to the western luxuries I am accustomed to. However, having never lived in a large city both seemed a bit overwhelming. While there are many positives to choosing to live in either location, these two cities have the same problems that plague large cities across the globe. They experience higher instances of crime, higher pollution and more general city chaos. Neither of them seemed to be the right fit.
After careful research, Da Nang emerged as the best option. Da Nang is the third largest city in Vietnam and is growing every day. Da Nang boasts 92km of beautiful coastline, 3 UNESCO world heritage sites within a day’s journey and according to statistics, it ranks safer than Austin.
In Airbnb’s 2018 rankings of top trending travel destinations, Da Nang finished 5th globally and 1st in Southeast Asia. To say this is a hot-spot of both culture, safety and beach life would be an understatement. In addition to these other positives, Da Nang offers employment opportunity on par with the two other large cities. I am certainly not the first or only person to see Da Nang as a far more attractive option for building a life in Vietnam. Da Nang’s great reputation brings with it plenty of employment competition. However, my graduate degree and multiple teaching certifications will hopefully help me to rise above the competition in terms of job qualifications.
On July 16, 2019, I entered my credit card information and clicked the purchase button on a ticket from Austin, Texas, to Da Nang, Vietnam, leaving on September 4th. I finally had an end date, and it was time to shift into overdrive on my packing and departure plan.
*TEFL -Teaching English as a Foreign Language
