How This City Rewired Me

I’m really not one for expressing feelings, luckily, I can hide behind a computer.

It’s wild to think that just a few months ago, I was stressing about whether I should even move abroad. I kept asking myself if it would be career suicide, if I’d fall behind, or if I was being completely delusional for wanting to pack up and move to Vietnam. But six weeks into living in Ho Chi Minh City, I honestly feel like a completely different person.

I moved with the intention that this would be temporary, a year out, a way to relax and have fun before I entered the corporate world. But I was talking to my parents the other day and realised I don’t want this to just be a year. My dad said something that stuck:

“For some people, moving abroad is about getting it out of their system. For you, this is your system”

And he’s right (don’t tell him I said that). Every day I wake up and think, I need to find a way to have the freedom to live like this for longer than a year. And that feeling’s getting stronger and stronger. Especially when you meet people who work remotely and have lived in some incredible places, it just makes you think… why not me too?

Finding My Energy Again

I’ve always thought of myself as a confident introvert. I love being around people, but meeting new ones used to completely drain me (or at least that’s what I convinced myself). I’d need a few working days to recover from one social event. And while I’ve always been positive and motivated, life in the UK just took a lot out of me. I was still ambitious and determined, but I’d fall into ruts where I just couldn’t be bothered. It wasn’t that I wasn’t happy; I just wasn’t excited by anything.

Saigon has given me this unexpected burst of energy. I say yes to everything, dinners, charity events, random nights out, weekend trips. And instead of feeling drained, I actually love it. I’ve met so many interesting people from all over the world who all seem to want the same thing: a slower, freer, more intentional kind of life.

And even though I miss my friends back home, I think they’re part of what keeps me going. Talking to them, hearing what they’re up to, and feeling that sense of familiarity, it all adds to this new energy I’ve found. It’s like the best of both worlds. I get the excitement of building something new here, but still have the people who remind me who I am and push me to keep becoming better.

The People Here Just Get It

I can’t talk about how Saigon has changed me without mentioning the people, because honestly, they’re a huge part of it. The kindness here is unreal. One day a man in a police office saw me looking lost and jumped in to translate everything for me, he didn’t even work there, he just wanted to help. Another day, a French guy stopped me on a dog walk and we ended up chatting for half an hour in a mix of French and English. Moments like that are why I love Saigon, people just come and talk to you.

But what’s surprised me most is how these moments have completely changed the way I approach socialising. When I first moved here, I forced myself to go to events, even went to bars on my own (past me would think that’s insane). But everyone here is so open that it naturally pulls you out of your shell, in the best way. I used to dread going up to people and saying hello; it felt like such an effort. Now, it’s second nature.

It’s turned me into a warmer, more welcoming version of myself, less British, less closed off, less miserable (for lack of a better word). I don’t know how else to explain it without making my old self sound like a grump, but I’m just… lighter. I used to be jealous of those people who could walk into a room and instantly make friends with everyone, the ones who always seemed effortlessly happy and approachable. Now, I kind of get it. I’m not suddenly that person all the time, but I’m definitely closer to her. I’ll talk to anyone and everyone now, and that feels like such a gift.

Rethinking Success

Living here has made me so much clearer on what I actually want, from my career and from life.

I’ve always been someone who needs a five-year plan, who needs to know what’s next. But being here has made me slow down and actually ask: what do I want? Not what’s expected of me.

Not that anyone has ever pressured me, my parents have supported absolutely everything I’ve done (currently working on convincing them to retire in Asia). But I used to put pressure on myself to follow this very specific image of success: graduate, get the grad job, work in finance, live in London. I thought that was what success looked like.

Now I realise success can also look like being happy, being balanced, and actually having time to enjoy your own life.

That said, I still don’t see myself being a teacher forever. I really enjoy it, it’s rewarding and fun, but I know it’s not the long-term path for me. What living here has shown me, though, is that I want freedom. I think a remote job, maybe in the non-government or non-profit space, could give me that. I haven’t explored it properly yet, and I don’t need to until my contract ends next year, but it’s something I’m seriously considering.

I know I’m disciplined enough that remote work would suit me. The idea of being able to live around Asia but still have the flexibility to fly home for a couple of months to see my favourite people, and then head off again, sounds like the dream. I don’t know if it’s a completely realistic lifestyle yet, but it feels like one that fits me the most.

Learning to Chill Out

Of course, there are downsides to everything. Things go wrong here all the time, visa issues, surprise payments, long stretches of waiting for something that should’ve taken five minutes. I may have had one tiny spat with a police officer over some paperwork (nothing dramatic, but my patience was definitely tested). But even when that happens, I don’t spiral like I would’ve back home. I just breathe, laugh about it, and remember I’m fine. Like, genuinely fine.

I’ve always been a massive overthinker, the type to stress about everything until I made myself feel ill. But here, it’s different. The energy of this place doesn’t really let you dwell on things for too long. You just deal with it, move on, and somehow everything ends up okay.

That’s not to say I haven’t had moments where I’ve wanted to pack up and go home. I definitely have. But they usually last half a day, max, before I’m back to loving life again. It’s hard sometimes, you need patience, you need to pick yourself back up quickly, and you have to keep going. But weirdly, I’ve learned to enjoy that part too.

I think that’s been the biggest shift. I don’t stress about things the same way anymore. I just handle them and keep moving.

And maybe it’s hard to believe because I’m still new here, maybe this is my honeymoon phase. But I’ve lived abroad before, and I’ve always been my calmest outside of England. Saigon just feels different. It’s like this city gives you permission to be exactly who you are, no explanations needed.

My “Why”

I know my experience comes with privilege, being able to move abroad by choice, with savings and a job lined up. That’s something I try to stay mindful of, because not everyone gets to experience this version of life. But I also think it’s okay to admit when you’ve found something that makes you genuinely happy.

And I have.

Saigon has made me find my why, that feeling of knowing I’m where I’m supposed to be, doing something that actually makes sense to me.

If you’re even slightly thinking about moving abroad, just do it. You don’t want to look back and regret not taking the chance. Worst case, you go home. Best case, you end up somewhere that changes your life.

With love from Saigon,
Anaïs