The charm of Vietnam I discovered after living in Malaysia. I am seriously considering moving to Vietnam next year.

It has been a few months since I moved to Malaysia.

While waiting for our education migration visa to be issued, my family of three went to Vietnam for a "visa run."

Our schedule for this trip was:
The first half in the World Heritage city of "Hoi An."
The second half in the resort city of "Da Nang."
Both were places I was visiting for the first time.

Honestly, at first, I only thought of it as a stay for visa purposes.

But after spending a week there,
"I want to come back again"
instead of that,
"Living here might actually be an option."
I even started thinking things like that.

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The difference in "food" I realized only because I got used to Malaysia
The biggest surprise was, as expected, the food.
Banh mi.
Pho.
Fresh spring rolls.
And in Da Nang, fresh seafood dishes.
Everything I ate was truly delicious.

Of course, there is plenty of delicious food in Malaysia too.
Nasi lemak.
Chicken rice.
Laksa.
Roti canai.
I was moved by all of them at first.

But humans are greedy, and
you gradually get used to it when you eat it every day.
A few months have passed for our family too, and
"What shall we eat today?"
instead of that,
"This again?"
the days we thought that were increasing a little.

Vietnamese food eaten at such a timing.
It was just truly delicious.
I looked forward to every meal.
I couldn't wait for mealtime.

"I want to eat that too."
"Let's go there next."

For the first time in a while, I remembered the feeling of eating being the purpose of a trip.

It's something you don't understand unless you live there, but
daily meals really do determine the satisfaction of life, don't they?

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I ended up ordering beer every day without thinking
I am not the type who usually drinks a lot of alcohol.

Even in Japan,
and in Malaysia,

I don't order beer that often when eating out.
But it was different in Vietnam.
"At this price, shall I have one?"
I get that kind of feeling.

It's a bit of a luxury in Japan.
I think about it a little in Malaysia too.
But in Vietnam,
beer felt very accessible.
The glass I drink with my meal is truly delicious.
Price is a mysterious thing, isn't it?

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Massage is no longer something special
Another thing that surprised me was the massage.
When you are walking,
there are massage shops everywhere.

And they are surprisingly cheap.
At first,
"It's a trip, so let's go at least once."
That was the feeling.
But I went the next day too.

And I went the day after that too (laughs).
Before I knew it,
eating,
going for a massage,
and returning to the hotel.
That kind of life had become normal.

It's a little treat in Japan.
I don't go frequently in Malaysia either.
But in Da Nang,
it becomes a daily routine.

I felt that this kind of difference in "living costs"
is directly linked to ease of living.

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Hoi An and Da Nang, the fun of them not being the same city
On this trip,
I spent the first half in Hoi An,
and the second half in Da Nang.

Hoi An is a city where time flows slowly.
At night, lanterns are lit,
and just walking around is healing.

On the other hand, Da Nang has
a beach,
high-rise hotels lined up,
and the convenience of a city.

Even though they are in the same area,
they have completely different expressions.
Being able to enjoy both
at this distance was also a charm.

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By comparing, I also saw the good points of Malaysia

What's interesting is that
because I went to Vietnam,
I conversely saw the good points of Malaysia.

Educational environment.
The peace of mind that English is understood.
The international atmosphere unique to a multi-ethnic nation.
The development of living infrastructure.
Malaysia has the charm of Malaysia.

And,
Vietnam has the charm of Vietnam.
If it were the old me,
"Which is the better country?"
I think I would have been thinking that.

But it's different now.
"What is the purpose of living there?"
Depending on that answer,
the country you choose changes.
I have come to think that way.

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The way of thinking of "continuing to live in one country" has changed
Before moving abroad,
there was only one place to live.
That was natural.

Continue living in Japan.
Or,
if moving abroad, continue living in that country.
That is the image.
But when I actually lived abroad,
that way of thinking itself changed a little.

For example,
education in Malaysia.
Food and refreshment in Vietnam.
Work in Japan.

Such a lifestyle is by no means a dream in this day and age.

Having meetings on Zoom,
working using AI,
and traveling by plane if necessary.
As I wrote in a previous article,
"Work is not tied to a location."
The situations where I feel that are really increasing.

That is precisely why,
perhaps there is no need to decide on just one country to live in.

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Of course, I haven't decided what to do next year yet.
If you think about education,
Malaysia has great charm.
But with this stay in Vietnam,
it is also a fact that the option of "living" has become realistic.
Since I started living abroad, the thing that changed the most was my values.

Rather than choosing a country,
choosing a life that suits the family at that time.
I feel like I have gradually become able to think that way.

Where will our family be living around this time next year?
I don't know that yet.
But the fact that the options are no longer just Japan.

And that it is no longer just Malaysia.

Just for that, I think it was really good that I challenged myself with education migration.