Vietnam is a country that dreams of freedom and opportunity

When I first arrived in Vietnam in 2016, I immediately fell in love with the country. Growing up in a small city on the western periphery of Poland, I had never seen anything resembling the huge office buildings spread throughout Saigon, and I had never seen so many people on the countless streets of Ho Chi Minh City. At first everything was overwhelming, but at the same time I knew this was a good place for me.
What is the congestion on the roads? The ongoing process of development within Vietnam has reminded me of the old days of the western frontier. I know it seems counterintuitive to compare Vietnam to one of its greatest enemies of the past, but somehow I think the comparison is very apt. Countless motorcycles give each citizen the freedom and the possibility to go anywhere in this beautiful country in search of fortune. It is similar to the cowboy horse, which could venture out into the wild west in search of opportunity and happiness.

Another thing that makes Vietnam seem like the modern wild west is the entrepreneurial spirit of the Vietnamese people who are striving to build a better tomorrow. The abundance of food stalls, small stores, small businesses, and the fact that most Vietnamese I was happy to get to know have dreams and are working hard to open their own businesses shows that this is truly a land where people continue to dream big. I am doing my best to achieve my goal of going from shoeshiner to millionaire. This "entrepreneurial spirit" especially resonated with me because many of my friends and acquaintances who grew up in the corporatized West never considered the possibility of doing something on their own and took it for granted that they would work for a large corporation or government agency.
Finally, the last reason I consider Vietnam to be the modern wild west is that the country is filled with so many opportunities. Almost anywhere you go, any industry you get involved in, there are always opportunities to make big bucks! I may idolize this country a bit, but I hope that is not a criminal act. I hope that when I get on my bike and glance at the developing cities of Vietnam, I see in my eyes a land of freedom and opportunity.

When I first started working in Vietnam in 2018, I was full of optimism and energy, ready to launch my business.
At the time, I was trying to start a tour guide company in the capital city of Hanoi with the not-so-original name Curiosity Trips. However, as is often the case with young entrepreneurs starting their first business abroad, it was not a great success.
This is because, to cut costs, I personally ran all the tours, but most of my clients had a drinking problem, and it became an almost nightly extravaganza.

I came to the conclusion that this business model was too painful for my liver to continue, and the company's actual profits were quite low, so I decided to turn to the "education" business. If you are wondering why I put education in quotes, it is because I am not sure that singing Baby Shark and One Little Finger for two and a half hours can really be called an education industry.
Yes, as you probably already know, I was an English teacher. It was not a job I liked, but the pay was surprisingly good, and despite the mental anguish of being forced to listen to English nursery rhymes every day, I decided to continue for a while.
After a few months of teaching, I decided to leave Vietnam for a while, but I am sure I will be back.