Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Despite having only visited three times, it has been a home away from home ever since 2007.
I still remember the first time I visited the city and how foreign it was to me. This trip in 2007 was truly a step out of my comfort zone as I had many “first times” on this journey. First of all, it was the first time I travelled by plane; when I was young I was really prone to getting carsick so you can imagine my anxiety levels when I realized I had to sit on a “flying machine” for 18 hours. It was also my first time leaving the country/continent (only visited the United States for three days) and going to a place with a very different culture and lifestyle. And most importantly, it was the first time I met my relatives from my mom’s side (after hearing stories about them for the longest time).
Despite the painful journey by air and many cultural differences, I thoroughly enjoyed my first trip to Ho Chi Minh City, thus leading to my later trips. It was unbelievable how fast I fell in love with the city, especially seeing how different it was compared to Toronto. Maybe it was because of the relaxing lifestyle of the people there that made it so easy to adapt to. Or maybe it was because of my relatives, who were very nice and welcoming. Either way, it shows that minor things like cultural differences and language barriers do not stop you from feeling a sense of belonging to a particular place.
One thing that I really like about Vietnam is how laidback the people are. Their lives do not revolve around work and money, rather they know how to enjoy everyday. Maybe it is also because of the climate, but people in Vietnam tend to start their day pretty early. Around noon they call it a day and retreat indoors for a break and/or nap. Once the sun is down the bustle starts again and the nightlife is pretty amazing. This cycle of work, break, work and then play is a perfect example of work hard play hard (and rest hard).
As my family and I only return to Ho Chi Minh City once every few years, we stay for a long period for each time. This makes it incredibly hard for us to leave as we are already so accustomed to the lifestyle there. To me, staying in HCM is like having a second life. A second home. It is always so fun to live there and the people are so welcoming. Despite the many years in between each trip, each time we return it just feels like we are picking off from our last trip. It feels like I have pressed the pause button to my life in Vietnam and each trip is just a continuation of the last one.
My only wish to make these paused moments shorter. As my relatives are aging and the city changes so rapidly, it is my hope to be able to return more frequently.
Awaken your dreams 