Almost There: 2024 Reflections

Greetings from Nha Trang!

I lost count of how many times I attempted to publish this article, but then the constant shuffling got in the way.

Where do I start?

An unexpected turn of events brought me back to Vietnam from San Francisco. In just three days (how did it happen??), I packed my life, sold my furniture, and moved out of my colorful apartment. (To everyone who was part of my journey in the Bay Area – your support, friendship, and the community we built together mean a lot to me. If you’re reading this, you know who you are.)

I came back to Vietnam wounded, heartbroken, and exhausted, yet feeling strangely purposeful. I’m deeply grateful for the hardship I endured, the resilience that carried me through almost a decade abroad, the clarity I gained, the job I didn’t get, the relationship I had to let go of, and the life I’ve managed to rebuild, not as a fallback, but as a path of its own.

The lesson of letting go

It’s something I’ve learned the hard way. For 9 years in the States, the only thing I didn’t do was let go. I thought it meant giving up. Failing.

Since coming back to Asia, I spent a lot of time on water activities (where it was too cold partake in San Francisco). There’s some magic force by being in the water. It taught me to let go. To surrender. To ride the wave. To go with the flow. To follow what floats my boat.

Life was flowing West, now it’s flowing East. Doesn’t matter – what’s important is that it flows, and I must answer it. I used to be so married to life in the U.S., measuring success by my ability to stay. Now I find freedom in following what each season of life calls for, regardless of location. Since embracing this flow, I’ve discovered more joy, deeper fulfillment, and a contentment that comes from listening to what’s true for this chapter of my journey.

I had a short 3-week engagement with an investor to build the team in person in Saigon, only to confirm that a full-on office presence isn’t for me. I’m grateful for the opportunity to try things out, and the determination to walk away when things aren’t working in alignment with my values. I’m grateful for the heartfelt conversation that gets me closer to who I am/want to be.

This post might read like a ‘Before and After Asia’ story, with my nine years in the U.S. fading into the background. The truth is more nuanced. I gave everything my best shot in the States – career, relationships, arts, and music. I showed up when I thought I couldn’t anymore, I went places, built meaningful connections, invested in love, and created a life I was proud of.

This unplanned return to Vietnam gave me something invaluable: clarity and perspective. Every experience in the States shaped who I am and led me here – not in the ways I planned, but perhaps in the ways I needed

Life Now

Since returning to Asia four months ago, I’ve spent three months traveling solo to Southeast Asian countries. A mix of self-initiated work trips, leisure travel, and most importantly, the search for a potential home base. I’ve got a taste of what being a nomad means to me.

Currently, I lead B2B marketing for a global edtech company while running my own consulting business helping developer tools companies in Asia go to market in the U.S. I’m fully booked till June 2025, with clients spanning Singapore, India and Korea, some has offices in the U.S. My clients’ roster grows faster than I have capacity for, so I’m taking my time to focus on delivery and have deprioritized any new leads.

In October, I taught my first go-to-market strategy 4-day workshop in Hanoi for Viettel, Vietnam’s largest telecom company. Along the way, opportunities emerged to host music podcasts in Saigon and Singapore (I’m working on my next music workshop in January 2025, more details to come!)

Through it all, I’ve had time to be with family, attend my friends’ weddings, enjoy great food, travel, snorkel, dive, hike, and reflect on what truly matters. I wake up each day grateful for the challenges I’ve navigated over the years. It feels surreal how my solo journey intersects with friends from different chapters of my life, some across the globe, turning chance meetups into shared adventures, however brief.

Life in Asia is moving fast but not furious. Since I no longer have to carry the weight of immigration uncertainty, my mental health has improved tremendously. No more constant visa anxiety, just space to think, create, and pursue new ideas.

What’s on my mind

  • Global mobility for underprivileged passports with professional work setup. The nomad scene in 2024 has overwhelming 44% of U.S passport holders, following by UK (7%) and Russia (5%).  
  • Remote tech job market in Asia and beyond. There is a lack of domain specialization in Asia. I’ve spoken with software companies in Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia. The consensus is that hiring is hard and remote work is still not widely adopted. I’ve come across great opportunities in Asia that were often overlooked – hidden gems in the job market that don’t make it to the usual job boards or LinkedIn posts. These opportunities often come through conversations, through understanding local market needs, through being present in the ecosystem.
  • Maintaining productivity while traveling: I’ve done remote work from remote places in the U.S. (national parks), but I was definitely not well prepared for the chaos and the lack of infrastructure in Southeast Asia. While working remotely in 5 different countries in the past 3 months, the unpredictability of internet connections, the constant background noise, the shuffling, the different concept of personal space – it’s a whole new challenge. While U.S. remote work felt like a controlled adventure, Southeast Asia required a complete rethinking of my work setup and habit.
  • Using AI to automate work and life: My Claude subscription saves me at least 10hrs of research every week.
  • Family dynamics. Boundaries don’t exist in Asian families. I got hit with questions left and right about my unconventional life choice from my relatives. Generational trauma is real. While it’s still difficult to navigate, I’ll save the details for a private thread.
  • Noise and sensory overload.
  • Getting mentors in different aspects.

Looking Ahead (2025)

I’m focusing on:

  • Building my business and getting ahead in my current job
    • I’m hiring in Q2-2025, mostly in marketing. If you’re interested, send me a note
    • I’ve learned a ton about building an online learning product, curriculum and payment portal checkout. My team is in 7 different time zones, and I rarely feel the friction. My boss is also fully nomad, and I’m inspired by his organization and leadership. I intend to maximize my remote productivity. Long live remote work!  
  • Adjusting my investment strategy, now that I’m less fixated on the U.S. (some FIRE alternatives for references). I register my company in the U.S, thanks Atal for the recs :)
  • Deciding on where to live, one quarter at a time. All other life decision is anchored around it.
  • Publishing more and staying connected with my global circle
  • Finding a compatible partner

I’m slowing down on:

  • Winter sports (too many logistical constraints)
  • Going out for the sake of going out. It’s New Year Eve now. I’m ok with or without watching the fireworks, with or without a rooftop bar. I’ve learnt to embrace my own pace vs going with what’s available externally.  (Ok I ended up watching the fireworks in downtown).
  • Hosting at-home gatherings (opting for portable formats). Missed our at-home concerts and cooking nights in San Francisco! :(
  • Crowded places (yes, I said it – Southeast Asia can be overwhelming)

I’m maintaining:

  • Fitness: Take better control of my food intake and physical activities. Constant movement has been difficult :(
  • Musical projects (focusing on bigger live shows, live classes, and podcasts every few months)

Almost There

I’ve always been hesitant about sharing work-in-progress (in Vietnamese, we say ‘nói trước bước không tới’ – speaking of something might jinx it).

The excruciating fear of giving away too much of myself to the Internet stopped me from publishing.

I’ve waited for years for my survival mode to settle, for results to unfold, and for myself to feel comfortable enough to write a post in hindsight.

Except I never feel comfortable enough.

To feel adequate, I must show my complete work. “Putting your best foot forward,” they say. However, how do we even know if something is completed? Aren’t we always learning, evolving, and, as a result, changing our minds?

That’s why I want to name my blog post series “Almost There.” Because even though I’m steering in the right direction, I don’t have control over the destination. I’m always Almost There.

Almost There focuses on the space between (somewhat) significant achievements.

Almost There celebrates the fuzzy middle, the beauty amidst the chaos.

Almost There is the celebration of the work-in-progress.

Almost There is a gentle reminder to myself that although not all things I’ve put my mind into will see the light, my efforts didn’t go to waste. They went into building my discipline, my resilience, and ultimately my sense of self.

With friends, communities, and support networks scattered across time zones, I’m finally sharing my journey across Asia and beyond, hoping to stay connected, validate or invalidate my ideas, find a (few) potential bases, and invite kindred spirits into the next chapter of my life.

See you in 2025!

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