He moved to Vietnam for work and can’t imagine returning to the United States

This essay as told is based on a conversation with Travis Carrasquillo, 37, a content creator living in Da Nang, Vietnam. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I have lived in Vietnam for six years now.

Before moving here, I was based in Hawaii, working as a behavior analyst with autistic children from military families. It was an incredibly stressful job, and I knew I would eventually have to find a different path because I couldn’t keep doing this forever.

I have always loved traveling and after visiting the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam for three years in a row, I absolutely loved Asia.

In early 2019, I received a message from a retired military doctor who had settled in Hanoi. He and his Vietnamese wife had a son diagnosed with autism and were looking for someone to help teach and care for him.

The timing was ideal: the offer arrived two months after my stay in Vietnam for vacation. I thought, “This is a sign. It’s time to go.”

Hawaii has never really felt like home. The cost of living was high and, although I loved the scenery, I always knew it wouldn’t be a place for me long term.

I moved to Hanoi six months later.

I worked with the family for four years, teaching their son after school and helping him develop his communication and social skills.

Learning Vietnamese was a priority from the moment I arrived. This way I could interact with the boy and teach him in both languages, especially since he was growing up in a bilingual environment.

I took lessons for about a year and a half to reach a decent level. My girlfriend, who is a Vietnamese teacher, helps me continue to improve.

When the job ended naturally, I decided to stay in Vietnam and moved to Da Nang, a laid-back beach town in central Vietnam.

Hanoi is a nice city, full of history and culture, but the pollution is bad. When I moved to Da Nang two years ago, it was still a booming place. Hardly anyone was talking about it yet, but I knew it had a nice beach and good weather, so I decided to go.

It’s the perfect balance: there are good cafes, good gyms, good food and everything you want, but it’s not too busy or too overwhelming like Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City.

I live on the city side of Da Nang rather than the beach side because it’s cheaper and the beach is only about 10 minutes away by car.

Today my budget is around $1,500 per month.

This covers rent, food, my gym membership – even the occasional weekend away. I just have to do pretty much whatever I want.

People back home know that Vietnam is affordable, but they often assume that “cheap” means poor quality. This is not the case at all.

Vietnamese cuisine is incredibly fresh, healthy and delicious. When I lived in the United States, eating out was a rare treat. Now I can get an amazing meal for around $1.50.

I still cook because I love it, but eating here seems easy and communal.

The people are warm, friendly and there is a real sense of community.

For almost my entire time in Vietnam, I lived in local neighborhoods. No matter what street you’re on, most evenings you’ll see families setting up tables right outside their houses in the alley and eating together.

Here people spend time sitting, going to cafes and hanging out with friends. There is a strong sense of community and connection that is lacking in much of the United States.

When I visited my parents in the Chicago suburbs where I grew up this summer, everything seemed very different.

The streets were quiet, the houses were closed and everyone was driving from one place to another, so it was like a ghost town. I liked the peace, but I missed the feeling of just seeing people outside and everywhere.

There are little things I miss – mainly Chicago pizza and my family. Without them, I probably wouldn’t go back.

I love Vietnam, but I’ve heard of people giving up their lives and moving here, only to realize it wasn’t what they expected.

It’s important to have realistic expectations before making such a big move.

My advice: don’t decide to settle here without visiting first. Come and experience it for yourself, spend some time and see if it really suits you.

Do you have a story to share about moving to a new city? Contact this journalist at agoh@businessinsider.com.