It's official, folks — I'm 7 months into my worldwide travels.
I'm so grateful for all the amazing experiences I've had so far. I just arrived back in Hanoi after 3.5 weeks of motorbiking through the north of Vietnam. These past few weeks have been some of the most adventurous, spontaneous, and best moments of my whole trip.
My favorite places in the north were Pu Luong Nature Reserve, the Ha Giang Loop, and Cao Bang. I spent three days and two nights in the Cao Bang region after Ha Giang. During that time, I evaded police, learned traditional papermaking techniques, got lost in the mountains, did a backflip with local children — among many other things.
After navigating the curvy, mountainous roads of Northern Vietnam, it felt surreal to return to the chaos of driving in urban Hanoi. It also felt strange to be a part of society again. As my friend Zach and I pondered: Is the creation of modern society really better than living the rural, nature-based lifestyle? Was urbanization and modernization really all worth it?
Living off the grid with farmers and traditional indigenous communities makes you appreciate the simple things in life. You don't have endless options of where to eat, what clothes to wear, or which car to buy. You simply live, laugh, and be one with nature, all while tending to your farm. I really like this way of life — it's so peaceful and easy on the mind. When you return to the noise and air pollution of the city, it clouds your thoughts. And you're hit with constant decision-making: where to eat, what to wear, what to do. So again… is modern society really worth it?
Tomorrow I continue my motorbike journey south toward Da Nang, in central Vietnam. Unfortunately, I won't have time to explore Southern Vietnam, but I'd love to return someday. Today I drove over 200 km in 5 hours, and I'm exhausted. The next couple of days will be similarly intense.
I just booked my flights to Singapore and the Philippines five minutes ago. I'm looking forward to some beach time and moving on from French Indochina.
Over the past 3.5 weeks, I've ridden more than 3,000 km — close to 2,000 miles. I love the feeling of the wind in my face and the freedom of the open road. Listening to Rascal Flatts' "Life is a Highway" while driving hits perfectly. It's such a great metaphor for both this trip and life itself.
Once I'm home, I'm definitely getting my motorcycle license. As I've said before, I hope to never own a car again. That means I'll either live in a walkable city with good public transport or in a smaller town where I can ride a motorbike — ideally with a surfboard rack attached.
