I am the first one to admit, expat life is not for everyone. It’s disruptive, disorienting, and often uncomfortable. At a stage in life when many people, including myself, are craving stability and a familiar routine, I am definitely feeling that uncomfortable stretch that comes with stepping into the unknown.
Living abroad is so much more than a change of scenery, it requires that you learn not just new streets, foods, and customs, but also new ways of thinking. Suddenly, everyday tasks you once took for granted—shopping at the grocery store, navigating transportation, ordering food, now requires a new approach and a new level of resourcefulness.
However, hidden in all these challenges is the most special gift of expat life: the perspective that comes from realizing there isn’t just one “right” way to approach live.
I learned in South America and now in Vietnam, people do not always operate on the same schedule, hold the same priorities, or measure success the same way my culture does.
Immersion in a different culture provides the opportunity to truly observe and recognize, there are countless ways to approach life, and each has its own beauty. From how people share meals, to how they solve problems, to how they define community.
My favorite and most vivid example of perspective is Vietnamese street food. I’m fascinated by the way this culture approaches food and meals. It’s so much more than eating—it’s an integral part of daily life.
There is no missing the street vendors that line the sidewalks from early morning until late at night. You can see people at all hours sitting on the tiny stools at the makeshift kitchens along the side of the road. The tiny traveling kitchens often have no water or electricity hook up, but somehow pots are bubbling, usually with some type of broth overflowing with noodles, a pile of herbs and spice concoctions. Also not hard to find are the endless options for the iconic Bahn Mi, born from the french colonial influence, it is a Vietnamese staple.
The entire country is a 24-7 open air restaurant. Vietnamese street food is a daily ritual and the eating a meal isn’t treated as rushed, it’s a gathering point. I have witnessed young and old, business workers and blue-collar workers pausing to share a meal on the street. I love how accessible the food is, not only in proximity, but in price and how eating a meal is primarily enjoyed with the community.
In my home country, eating can often feel rushed or squeezed into the day. It’s not unusual to grab a coffee and sandwich in the car, or to eat dinner in front of the TV after a long day. Meals throughout the week often focus on speed and can feel like background noise to everything else going on.
The street food philosophy carries over to the coffee cafes as well. The low stools are full of people sipping coffee and enjoying conversations throughout the day and night. No Western “take-away cups to be found at the truly local Vietnamese coffee shops.
There are few ways I stand out as a glaring American and carrying my to-go cup out into the streets is at the top of the list. This is when I get the most glances. Starbucks and Highland coffee cater to Westerns in Ho Chi Minh City, and these are one of the few spots that offer the to-go cup, or take-away cup as they call it.
Sometimes I forget to ask for my western-style to-go cup and I am forced to sit in a comfortable seat with my delicious, dark, Vietnamese hot coffee served in a large ceramic mug. Can you imagine! This is so different from my old routine of grabbing coffee at the drive-thru and immediately heading off to my next errand. That habit is hard to shake. Being “forced” to sit still with my coffee is a nice break for a nervous system always on the go.
Slowing down, sitting shoulder to shoulder with community while enjoying good food, tradition and connection with culture, is a different perspective I have come to genuinely respect.
I encourage you to call a friend for coffee or a meal and just sit and enjoy like the Vietnamese.
“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” — Gustave Flauberturus.
