Ayşegül’s Journey in Vietnam
In my life, I have always dreamed of experiencing new things, discovering different cultures, collecting meaningful stories. This dream brought me from Türkiye all the way to Vietnam. I remember my first day in Vietnam it was September 9th, and it was my birthday. I was entering a new year in a country I had never been to before. That evening, I celebrated my birthday in Vietnam with people I had just met a few hours ago. Even though we were strangers at that moment, I truly felt that I had found a new family that welcomed me with love. I began this journey filled with excitement, nerves, and a mix of emotions. But from the moment I took my first step, this beautiful country welcomed me with open arms.
My first weeks were full of surprises. I had landed in the middle of Vietnam’s rainy season and when it rains here, mostly it pours but life doesn’t stop. People keep going through flooded streets, on their motorbikes, wrapped in colourful ponchos flying behind them like superhero capes. It’s wild and beautiful.
Meanwhile, I was standing on the sidewalk trying to figure out how to cross the road. It took me a few days to understand the local method: you don’t wait for traffic to stop, you just walk slowly and confidently, like you’re in some kind of trust fall with 50 scooters. My grandma wouldn’t let me cross this streets actually haha. Anyways this method works and I do it like pro now!!
I came here through a Humanitarian aid volunteering project focused on sustainability and community development. Over the last ten months, I’ve had chance to work as an English teacher for children, teenagers, and youth. With my other volunteer friends, we organized intercultural workshops, swap events, and awareness activities on environmental issues. Every day brought something different. And I also had chance to work with disabilities people affected by Agent Orange, which gave me deeper understanding the history behind it. I wore many hats here. Some days, I was a teacher. Some days I was a barista in a Vietnamese coffee-making course.
And some days, I was a judge in a big English-speaking contest in some random city. And I loved it. I loved that this project gave me the space to try so many things and explore more and more. And while I was exploring these different roles, I was also slowly immersing myself in the life around me. From the beginning, this city was chaotic and alive in the most electric way. Honking never stops. Food is sizzling on every corner. People are dancing in parks every day. Elders stretch, sing, They do karaoke everywhere. And don’t care at all about how its sounds haha.
And that’s when I realized: people here really live. They turn ordinary moments into celebration. Their lives are simple and vibrant— filled with music, food, and human connection. And somehow, being in that rhythm made me want to slow down and enjoy the little things too. Which I am trying to do it right now.
But more than everything what really made this journey unforgettable were the people. The greatest gift that I received from this year is the people I met along the way. My volunteer friends I lived with, all CSDS stuff, my students, our local friends who shared their stories, laughs, memories. I mean my people here. These people became part of my heart. I learnt so much from all of them. Feeling really grateful for their friendship.
And in between all this growth and connection… There was food. So much good food.
