I am an American living in Da Nang, Vietnam. In 2016 my beau Mark and I decided to temporarily pause our careers in the nonprofit arts sector to pursue a shared dream of living abroad for at least a year in order to gain the world-view of a different culture, have more time together, and be stretched in new ways. After extensive research toward areas of the world where there is accessible employment opportunities for native English speakers, low-cost living, a safe environment, a mix of vibrant cities and beautiful nature, all set within a radically different culture, we discovered our match in Southeast Asia in the country of Vietnam.