The American dream has always attracted people worldwide. A land of balanced career, growth, and a secure future. But six years ago, Travis Carrasquillo packed up his life in Hawaii and took a one-way flight to Vietnam. Today, the only thing he misses about Chicago is the pizza and his family.
Today, the 37-year-old content creator calls the coastal city of Da Nang home and a place that began as a short-term job opportunity but turned into his everything, a country that offered balance, connection, and peace, far from the usual hustle and bustle.
Leaving Hawaii Behind
Before moving to Vietnam, Carrasquillo worked in Hawaii as a behaviour analyst, helping children from military families with autism. Even though the work was rewarding, it was emotionally draining for him. “It was an incredibly stressful job, and I knew I couldn’t keep it up forever,” Carrasquillo told Business Insider.
After visiting the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam for three years, he found himself in love with Asia’s energy and warmth. “I absolutely loved Asia,” he said. Undecided on which direction to go, an opportunity came to him unexpectedly. In 2019, a retired military doctor living in Hanoi and his Vietnamese wife were looking for someone to help teach and care for their son, who had autism. For Carrasquillo, the timing couldn’t have been better. “I thought, ‘This is a sign. It’s time to go.’”
Starting over in Hanoi
Six months later, Carrasquillo found himself in Hanoi working alongside the same family. For the next four years, he taught their son after school and helped him develop communication and social skills.
Carrasquillo began learning Vietnamese on his first day in the city. He took lessons for about a year and a half and got a girlfriend, a Vietnamese teacher, who now helps him improve his skills. When his time with the family came to an end, Carrasquillo chose not to return to the United States. Instead, he headed to Da Nang, a beach city in central Vietnam that was, at the time, still unexplored.
“Hanoi is full of history and culture, but the pollution can be tough,” he said. “Da Nang had everything I wanted, beautiful beaches, good weather, great food, and a slower pace of life,” he told Business Insider. He decided to live in the city. “It’s cheaper, and the beach is only ten minutes away,” he added.
Carracquillo’s monthly expenses in Da Nang were around $1,500, including rent, food, gym membership, and even weekend getaways. “People think affordable means low quality, but that’s not true here,” he explained. “Vietnamese food is fresh, healthy, and delicious. Back home, eating out was a treat — here, I can get an incredible meal for about $1.50.”
Throughout his time in the country, he has lived in local neighbourhoods where families gather outside their homes each evening to share dinner together. The difference was clear to him during a recent trip home to Chicago, where his parents still live. “The streets were quiet, houses sealed up, and everyone was driving from one place to the next. It felt like a ghost town,” he said. “I liked the peace, but I missed seeing people out and about.”
Still, Carrasquillo requests people not to romanticise moving abroad. “I’ve met people who came here thinking it would solve everything and then realised it wasn’t what they expected,” he said. “Don’t decide to move here without visiting first. Spend a few weeks or months to see how it feels. Vietnam is wonderful, but you need to experience it for yourself,” he said.
