If you are new here, please read this first to learn about who I am and what this blog is about.

Why did I create this blog?

Simply put, I want to share the love I have for Vietnam with you.

Reading my blog, you might learn:

Something about Vietnamese culture which gives much deeper insight into Vietnamese culture or provide a mirror into Western culture.

Something interesting about Vietnamese culture that one could only learn from living in Vietnam.

Something about an interesting contemporary news event affecting the country or even the region which you never would have learned about elsewhere.

Something about Vietnamese history or the history of the region.

Who am I and why did I come to Vietnam?

My name is Brian and I have been travelling to Vietnam since 2016.

I grew up in Southern California, near a Vietnamese neighborhood, and always had Vietnamese friends growing up. Vietnamese food was never a stranger and I have always had some interest in the culture.

I started coming to Vietnam because I found myself with some time between projects. I had several weeks to kill in Hong Kong before I needed to return to work, so I decided to travel during that break. On the recommendations of one of the company’s owners and several friends, I decided to travel and explore Vietnam. I loved it!

After that, I travelled back and forth between the office outside of New York City and Ho Chi Minh City for several years before deciding to stay in Vietnam for a longer period of time.

I moved to Vietnam during the early days of Covid, because there wasn’t much business at that time. I had the time to develop a deep love of the culture and the country. Once you get outside the tourist areas, you find that people are genuinely kind and caring.

There are plenty of great people everywhere in this world. What really keeps me in Vietnam is the quality of life.

I’m in my mid-forties and was at a point where I had enough money saved to start a modest semi-retirement. This gives me an extended period of time off, while only working occasional projects. Now I have the freedom to choose projects that provide something more meaningful to life than ‘just a paycheck’.

When looking for a new home, I had a few life style requirements.

Vietnam tops the list of inexpensive, budget-friendly countries with enough of an emerging middle to upper class to provide the comforts that Westerners tend to enjoy. It is in the sweet spot between very comfortable developed country and cold-water-showering-out-of-a-bucket developing country. Here one can live a good life without  becoming lazy. 

If I ever get a craving for a greasy hamburger, there are fast food restaurants within 15 minutes of my house. Given the amazing choices in Vietnamese cuisine and a great coffee culture, cravings for Western junk food eventually die away.

The medical system in Vietnam is adequate for my needs. If I ever have problems beyond the capabilities of Vietnam’s medical system, I can hop on a quick flight to Thailand or Malaysia for some world class service at some of the best resort hospitals in the world. Sitting back and enjoying Mai-Tai’s on the beach while waiting for test results to come back has a certain appeal.

Why should you subscribe to this blog?

Through exploring other cultures, we are able to look into a mirror that helps us understand our own culture reflected back at us. The goal of this blog is to show that Vietnam is more than just a trendy soup (Phở) or popular vacation spot. Vietnam is a country filled with kind people who have a deep rich history that deserves attention.

Some more reasons to subscribe

If you’re planning a vacation to Vietnam and looking for more substance to your trip, you will like my occasional posts about interesting places not mentioned on that “Top Ten Things to See in Vietnam” website.

If you would like to learn about Vietnamese culture or brush up on a cultural holiday you have heard about before, I write in-depth about them.

If you have an interest in history and want to explore something other than the history of [insert Western country here].

The real reason you should subscribe.

The real reason to subscribe is because you enjoy what I am writing about and want to support me. Writing this blog can be difficult sometimes and giving up can be tempting. Subscriptions are a way of showing me that you’re interested in what I am saying. 

By subscribing, you give me encouragement to continue when things get difficult. For those of you that subscribe, I thank you for encouraging me to keep going. Your kind comments, likes and occasional supportive messages and emails give me the energy to keep writing.

Thank you for reading ‘til the end. I look forward to hearing from you in the comments.