I have a confession to make.

A month ago, I almost backed out of my motorbike trip across Vietnam.

The traffic, the foreign roads, the fuzzy legality of international driver’s permits—it all hit me at once. I wondered: Is this actually worth it?

But one month and 2000km later, I can say: Hell yes. 

I first stumbled on the idea of motorbiking across Vietnam 6 months ago, while scrolling Youtube on a hostel bunk somewhere in Europe. I clicked on a video of someone riding from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, watching as they weaved through traffic, took corners through winding mountain roads, and braved torrential downpours.

The freedom, the adventure, and the beautiful scenery—it all drew me in. I thought: I want to do that.

Upon arriving back in the US, I started preparing myself for this possibility. I took a motorcycle safety course, studied for a test at the DMV, and successfully got my M1 driver’s license.

In March—I quit my job.

Since then, I’ve been traveling throughout Southeast Asia, exploring places I’d dreamed of visiting for years. I learned history from new perspectives, ate some of the best food of my life, and made meaningful connections with locals and fellow travelers.

And now, I can proudly cross off “motorbike across Vietnam” from my bucket list.

Here’s a short recap of what I’ve learned:

1. Traveling is a privilege. Be mindful that not everyone gets to do this. Passport strength, relative purchasing power, health, or family responsibilities can make travel out of reach for many. Be a good guest, not just a tourist.

2. Shit happens. Literally. Multiple times. IYKYK. You can spend all day complaining about every little inconvenience. Or, you could become more resilient by defining yourself by the things you’re for, not what you’re against.

3. Things change. Emotions, relationships, and things all come and go. Embracing impermanence might be the secret to living a calmer, happier life.

4. It’s always scary to step into the unknown. If you ruminate for long enough, you’ll come up with a million reasons not to do something. So don’t think, just go. Once you take the leap, things are rarely as scary as they seem.

5. Have a vision. Once you’re clear on what you want, everything else falls in place. Just like riding a motorcycle, you’ll go where you’re looking.

If you’ve been following along from the start, thank you! Hope you enjoyed the recap 🙂 

What’s next?

It’s bittersweet, but I’ll soon be closing out the Southeast Asia chapter of my gap year. This region taught me so much—about myself and about the world.

Stepping outside the developed-world bubble helped me better recognize the privileges I grew up with, and learn to appreciate the creativity, resilience, and vibrancy of people who may have less material wealth, but often more community and joy.

Next stop: Seoul, South Korea. I’ll be spending most of July in a Korean language immersion program. I barely know how to read Hangeul, so I’ll be starting from square one.

I always told myself: if I didn’t have to work 40 hours a week, I’d spend more time learning languages. Now I get to test that 🙂 

If you have any favorite Korean songs, TV shows, or books, please send over some recs!

See you next time 👋 

Tim