This Expat Life (Month 45): 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 postsJanuary, February, and March.


It feels like only yesterday that I was sitting here in my apartment writing March’s monthly roundup post. Oh wait, that’s because it basically was. (I was super late on that one.) But now that May has arrived it’s time for me to hunker down and write a much more timely roundup post for April.

This Expat Life (Month 45): Living in Ho Chi Minh City

So here’s what I got up to in April…

Recovering from the world’s longest cold

As I mentioned in my last post, I got really sick while taking my first visa run from Ho Chi Minh City to Chiang Mai. I’m not usually one to go to the doctor for a mere cold, but this one was especially vicious and lingered for far too long. To make matters worse, I was in the midst of doing some freelance work on the ground here in HCMC and my cold – and lack of voice – was holding me back and putting these gigs in jeopardy.

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So, at the beginning of the month, I bit the bullet and visited an international clinic here in Saigon to make sure I didn’t have some sort of horrible tropical malady and to get some meds. I was prescribed a steroid, some particularly strong codeine (???), and antibiotics. The best part was the medication only put me back $4. Bless you Vietnam for having such inexpensive medical care and pharmaceuticals. I was really sick for nearly two weeks but I finally felt human again around the middle of April.

Considering how sick I was I can’t say last month was the most exciting one ever. I spent my time working from home, watching Netflix, and ordering in for most meals. The day I finally felt well enough to venture out of the house for a bowl of noodle soup was a good day!

vegetarian-pho

The end of the month was spent working, interviewing for potential new gigs, and doing a bit of freelancing for a publication here in HCMC.

Moving to a new city is always tough but working from home poses an extra challenge. I don’t get out nearly enough and after living here for four months I still haven’t met all that many people in the city. So I was particularly excited when an opportunity popped up to do a freelance article sampling cold brew coffee at a handful of Saigon’s hippest cafes. As a coffee fanatic, this was a particularly fun article to write. An added perk was that I got to explore more of the city and meet some new people.

a-coffee-house

vietnam-coffee-republic
Yes, please.

Drinking copious amounts of coffee aside, Aaron and I spent the month prepping and researching for his parents’ imminent visit. They officially landed in Ho Chi Minh City on April 26 (and have sadly already come and gone). Neither of us has ever had any family come visit us during the four years we’ve lived in Asia, so it really did mean the world to us that they made the journey.

visiting-ho-chi-minh-city
Cooling off on what was a particularly hot day in Saigon.

Ho Chi Minh City is definitely not the easiest place to visit – it’s crazy, chaotic and crowded. Simple things like crossing the street without being mowed down by a motorbike are challenging for any newcomer to the city. I’ve been here for four months and I’m still intimidated. They also happened to visit during the hottest month of the year. And man was it sweltering here!

cholon-ho-chi-minh-city

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But challenges aside I think they handled it like champs and I know they had a good time getting a glimpse of what our lives are like, sampling different Vietnamese dishes, and experiencing a new culture. By the end of their trip, they were crossing the streets, haggling with vendors, and chowing down on banh mi like pros. They even learned a few words and phrases in Vietnamese!!

Plus, all four of us did get a much-needed reprieve from Saigon during a mini-trip to the beautiful beach town of Mui Ne. But I’ll leave that for next month’s roundup.

Oh, and did I mention that they brought an enormous suitcase full of comfort food? Tapatio, Reese’s and Ranch…what more does a girl need? (Thanks again Bill and Cindy!)

american-comfort-food

Work & Blogging

I’m a bit all over the place with work these days. I’m still working remotely for my company in China but I’m also dabbling in freelancing again. It’s been good and I’ve been super busy but I’m really struggling to figure out which direction I want to take my career in.

I’m still not exactly sure what path I’ll go down jobwise, but I have lots of thoughts going on in my head. One thing is for sure, I’m definitely interested in dedicating more time to learning new skills and investing in my future.

After living and working in three different cities in Asia I’m realizing that I need to get a little more creative when it comes to my career. And I think it’s time to think seriously about creating a more profitable niche for myself. The goal is to be my own boss. And while this will take time, monetary investment, and lots and lots of work on my end, I’m really motivated to invest in myself. I mean, a girl’s gotta make a living…and a good one at that!

thien-hau-temple-ho-chi-minh-city

Despite being all over the place and sick, I did manage to write two blog posts last month, as well as get one freelance article published:

Escaping Saigon – A Much Needed Solo Trip to Chiang Mai – While I love having a travel partner and having someone in my life who shares my insatiable wanderlust. I will say that I do really love going solo every now and again. And that’s exactly what I got to do on my recent trip to Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Cold Brew Coffee In Ho Chi Minh City: A Five Cup City Tour – From refreshing carbonated versions to zesty lemon-flavored concoctions and plain cold brew served on the rocks, Ho Chi Minh City’s cold brew coffee scene is thriving. And lucky for me, I was able to sample a bunch of it!

This Expat Life (Month 44): Living In Ho Chi Minh City – The month of March wasn’t exactly the best. From being super sick to coming down off the high of moving to a new country, March was slightly rocky.

Instagram

My two most popular posts of the month were of two of my favorite things: the view from my balcony and a Saigon market. I love me a good sunset view and a chaotic Southeast Asian market!

Traffic jams and tropical fruit in Ho Chi Minh City 🛵🍍

A post shared by Justine Lopez | Travel Lush (@thetravellush) on

How did your April shape up?

One Comment

  1. I am so happy i found your blog 🙂
    Me and my husband are tinking about moving there so we have tons of questions. For start, what kind of insurance do you have?

    Cant wait to read the next post 🙂

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