This Expat Life (Month 50-52): Living In Ho Chi Minh City
After moving abroad in July 2014, I started compiling monthly roundup posts about life as an expat in Southeast Asia and all the nitty gritty that goes on behind the scenes here at Travel Lush. Check out my most recent monthly roundup posts May, June, and July.
I’ve kind of dropped the ball lately. In terms of blogging, I mean.
I guess I’ll just come right out and admit it – I’ve been in a bit of a blogging rut. Not that blogging is a full-time job or anything but it’s something I’ve loved doing since I pressed publish on my first blog post back in 2014. But in the past few months, I just haven’t been all that into it.
Lately, I just haven’t paid any mind to composing blog posts or keeping up with social media or increasing page views. It’s just not been on the top of my priorities list. And that’s perfectly OK.
After a bit of a hiatus, I’m finally feeling motivated to write again and it feels good. Not forced, just good. Perhaps I needed a break.
I started the ‘This Expat Life’ series what feels like a million months ago. It was actually a little over four years ago when I was living in Jakarta, Indonesia. Since then, I’ve only failed to write a monthly roundup post once.
Well, now it’s thrice.
What I like about these posts is that they act as a diary, of sorts, for me. They’re a way that I can look back on this insane journey I’ve taken and remember what was going on at that period in my life: the good, the bad and the downright ugly.
So, instead of covering one month, this post will cover the last three. Let’s get to it:
September
Making an effort to see more of Saigon
I find that when I live in a city, I’m way worse at seeking out new and fun activities than when I’m actually traveling to a city. So during the month of September, I made more of an effort to seek out all the gems (hidden and otherwise) this city has to offer. I even wrote a whole guide on things to do in Ho Chi Minh City. If you’re heading this way, definitely give it a read.
My favorite place I found this summer was 14 Ton That Dam. Like so many places in HCMC, this spot masquerades as a rundown apartment complex but is actually an M.C. Escher-esque building filled with quirky bars, cafes and boutiques. I’d walked past this place a million times and never knew what was inside. Hidden “shopping malls” are a thing in this city and it’s one of the many things that I love that about Saigon!
A much-needed trip home
For those of you who follow this blog really closely, you’ll remember that the months of July and August were a bit rough for me personally. By the end of August I just really, really needed a break, and I really, really wanted to be home with my family. So my annual trip to San Diego could not have come at a better time.
Once I landed at LAX, my mom drove me straight to my sister’s house in Orange Country, and my sister proceeded to whisk me away to her favorite Mexican food joint where I had my first chile relleno burrito in a year (!!!). Food and family: It was the perfect way to celebrate being back home.
Honestly, that kind of sums up my time in California: I hung out with my family, ate all of my favorite foods, and cuddled with my crotchety kitty. It was kind of perfect.
October
Wrapping up my trip to San Diego
On October 7, my time in San Diego was up. It’s always hard to say goodbye but this time it was particularly difficult. The longer I live this expat life of mine the more I’m reminded of just how much my family means to me and just how much I miss having them in my everyday life. Seeing them just once a year, for a few fleeting days or hours, just isn’t enough. But I suppose I should be grateful for the time I do get with each and every one of them. This trip was all about spending quality time with family and while I didn’t get to see everyone my mission was beyond successful. I had long chats with my mom, walked on the beach with my sister, watched baseball with my dad, had hourly cuddle sessions with my 20-year-old kitty. This trip was exactly what I wanted and needed. I suppose that’s why it was so bittersweet to say goodbye.
Taking a digital detox
Before my trip to San Diego, my iPhone all but broke. It would barely register to touch or connect to wifi, so I couldn’t really use it. Add to that the PAINFULLY slow internet at my mom’s house and the fact that I didn’t have an American SIM card. Basically, I didn’t really use a phone the entire time I was at home – and it was amazing. I felt so much more present and in the moment. And I seriously feel like it made my trip home better. I suppose my unintentional digital detox is what inspired my blogging hiatus.
Work, work, work
My workload in October was insane. I do have a regular job, which I work set hours Monday through Friday. But I also freelance on the side. And for some reason I had a ton of jobs come my way all month long. Because Aaron works such insane hours, I don’t mind working overtime. I like working, staying busy and, of course, making more money never hurts. But October was definitely a bit intense, work-wise.
A failed trip to see Halloween
Fun fact: both Aaron and I are huge horror film fans. So when we found out that one theater in HCMC would be screening Halloween on Halloween weekend, we were beyond excited. The theater is a couple miles from our house. As someone who loves walking everywhere, I convinced Aaron to walk all the way there, which is more treacherous than it sounds given the city’s crazy traffic and intense heat. Sweaty but unscathed, we finally made it to the theater and giddily went up to the ticket counter only to be told we couldn’t buy tickets. It turns out the film was banned (last minute) in Vietnam. We were so bummed but couldn’t help but laugh at the fact we’d walked so far only to be turned away. Ah well. So it goes.
November
Visiting Hong Kong for the Literary Festival
Did you know I was a literature major in college? I was. (I also was also an anthropology major!) Aaron also happens to be a literature professor here in Ho Chi Minh City, so when he mentioned he’d be attending the Hong Kong Literary Festival for work, I just had to tag along. And I’m so glad I did! Hong Kong is an incredible city. I’ve visited a few times now, but every time I go I experience a whole new side of the city and I just fall more and more in love with it.
This time around, I stayed in the ultra-hip SoHo neighborhood on Hong Kong Island. In addition to seeing a few talks and panels on Asian-American literature and travel writing, I also took some time to explore the area. I clocked in so many miles in three days, strolling through lush parks, hunting down street art and seeking out Beijing-style eateries (for old times’ sake).
A “vacation” to Taiwan
I know that because I live in Vietnam and my Instagram feed is full of travel photos that most people think I’m on a perpetual vacation. But that’s not the case. Most of the time I’m just here in HCMC, sitting at my kitchen table, working away. In fact, I’m doing that right now! When I do travel, I’m almost always working remotely. And that was the case in Taiwan.
I feel more than blessed to have a job that allows me to work remotely, but it’s not quite as glamorous as it sounds. And because I have a partner who has actual vacations, it’s not always easy to be working when has free time. I also randomly had an influx of freelance work during this weeklong trip, so I was particularly stressed out while attempting to be in vacation mode.
We spent about five days exploring Taipei, it’s street art, street food and street culture. I did take a couple days off of work so we could spend a long weekend in Kenting National Park at the very southern tip of the island. I’m going to be writing a full post about this trip…which was kind of an all-around disaster. I’ll give you two little teasers: egg salad sandwiches from 7-11 and a pink Hello Kitty e-bike.
It’s not you Taiwan, I swear it’s me.
More apartment woes
We’ve officially decided we’re moving at the end of our lease in January. Wait, that’s probably kind of misleading. We’re not moving on from HCMC. We’ll just be moving away from the city center (which we love) to the suburbs (which we kind of don’t love). The reason behind our move isn’t just because our apartment building is constantly going through renovations and we’re super sick of being woken up by hammering every morning including Sundays…seriously though.
That’s a big part of it, but we also underestimated the time and cost of Aaron’s commute. So we’re both on the same page that we need to bite the bullet and move from District 1 to District 7, basically a 30-minute drive away. I just hope that we can find an apartment where we finally feel comfortable. We’ve had a rough go of apartments in the past. If you don’t believe me read this post and this post. Hopefully, we’ll have better luck this time around and if not at least Aaron and I will be able to spend more time with each other. As of now, I feel like I barely see the guy!
Blogging
I’ve been a bad blogger but I did manage to eke out a few posts in the past few months. Apparently, I was on a guide writing kick.
- An Insider’s Guide to Vegetarian Restaurants in Saigon
- An Expat’s Guide to Things to Do in Ho Chi Minh City
- A Newbie’s Guide to Traveling to Beijing
Travel
I’m going on my final visa run of the year next week and I’m particularly jazzed about this one because…I’m going to Phnom Penh! I haven’t been back to Cambodia’s capital city since I moved from there to Beijing well over three years ago. That’s crazy to think about. It’ll be a quick trip but I’m super excited to re-visit my old stomping grounds, eat all the food and see how much the city has changed.
Aaron and I are also pondering a winter getaway for a few weeks in February. We can’t exactly decide where to go but right now we’ve been thinking about Indonesia, Italy and Germany. Honestly, who knows where we’ll end up, if anywhere. We might just stay put and explore more of Vietnam. I’m kinda yearning for some colder weather though, so Europe in the winter is sounding real nice right about now. Literally, Ho Chi Minh City is hot all the time.
Like I said I’ve been slow with Instagram the past few months but I managed to post every now and again.
How did your autumn shape up?
Nice to catch-up blog. Keep them coming
Thanks mom. I’ll try. Love you!!!!!
Wonderful blog, just read most of “This Expat Life” in Ho Chi Minh. Love the speed and the vibe of the content. Thanks for the post re: veg eating as well, very helpful for my trip in Feb. Almost gave up on Nomad contents now due to all the sales pitch now a part of the story. Look forward to the next post.
From a fellow resident of D7, just be careful of construction 🙂
We’re in Happy Residence and I work from home and nearly every day I hear drilling, cutting, grinding etc from the apartments that are still being fitted out.
Just keep it mind as I don’t want you to have the same experience as we have.
I totally feel you. I have the same issue in my current apartment in D1 (Central Gardens). It’s an older building so it’s not every day but there are frequent renovations which las for weeks. The construction echoes thought the entire 21-story building. We did find a place in D7. It seems quiet and nice and in a smaller building. Fingers crossed there less construction!! I guess I’ll find out in a couple weeks! But thank you for the advice. I plan to write a post about apartment hunting in Saigon and things to watch out for! And we looked at Happy Residence and totally heard the construction 🙁