Kavi Vu, 33, moved to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam in August 2023.
Courtesy of Kawi U.
When Kavi Vu was three, her family fled to the United States after decades of war in their native Vietnam. Thirty years later, she returned to her motherland to “slow down” and experience her motherland.
According to the documents reviewed, Vu moved to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, last year, where he currently works as a freelance creative consultant and photographer, earning about $11,000 a month. CNBC did it. She only has to work about 8 to 15 hours a week.
“I was able to reduce my workload significantly—much less than when I lived in the United States,” she said. “I’m honored that in Vietnam I can say how many hours a week I work, which I know is crazy. Coming from the United States… I work about 10 hours a day.”
“I came here mainly to reduce my workload and observe more,” Wu said. “I feel like America does a lot of things, and here, there’s a lot of presence, presence (and) like presence, which is really good because sometimes you just need that space to untie a lot of the knots in your head. ”
Not the American dream
Vu and her family fled Vietnam for the United States in the 1990s to escape the effects of the Vietnam War (also known as the “American War”).
“My sisters were actually boat people (refugees who fled Vietnam by boat), so they were in a refugee camp in the Philippines. (They) came to the United States and were able to sponsor my parents and I coming over from Vietnam,” she said.
Kavi Vu with her family during Christmas 2021.
Courtesy of Kawi U.
The Vu family came to Florida and lived there for 10 years before moving to Georgia and living on a small chicken farm. She told CNBC Make It that growing up as a minority in America, she never felt a sense of belonging.
“We are going through the refugee experience,” she said. “I mean, we were the only Asians living there, so I guess it was really jarring,” she said. “You always feel like a foreigner.”
In 2016, as she became more involved in politics, she increasingly felt like an outsider. All.
Vu said she was exhausted from “juggling a million different things at once” and felt like her brain was “constantly churning.” “The American dream was starting to feel like it was waning… I just felt like I needed a break from America.”
In August 2023, she took a leap of faith and left the United States for Vietnam.
“I’m on vacation every day”
Now, Vu lives in a luxury one-bedroom apartment that costs $950 a month. Her apartment is located in the Bình Thạnh district in the center of Ho Chi Minh City.
Vu is located in a one bed, one bath apartment in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Courtesy of Kawi U.
Vu’s apartment complexes offer a variety of amenities, including community pools, gyms, restaurants, bars and spas.
“I feel so privileged, like I’m on vacation every day,” she said. “When I talk to people every day, I definitely have…a hipper, better lifestyle, and when I really talk about the rents I’m paying among different groups, I’m definitely paying like some of the highest rents.”
Vu pays about $950 a month for her luxury apartment in Vietnam.
Vu pays about $950 a month for her luxury apartment in Vietnam.
According to the documents reviewed, Vu spent a total of about $1,500 per month on living expenses, including food, transportation and rent.
For transportation, she uses the ride-hailing app Grab to get around the city, where each ride typically costs 50 cents to $4. She usually chooses to eat at local food stalls and restaurants, spending an average of US$2 to US$5 per meal.
“I got my money’s worth here,” she said. “Budgeting is easy, especially if I’m making dollars in Vietnam… It’s like the best life hack.”
vietnam life
In addition to freelancing as a creative consultant, Vu is a content creator and enjoys documenting her life in Vietnam. Nowadays, she also has more time to devote to her passion for poetry.
“Everything moves twice as fast in America, and I never knew that because… I was always in it,” she said.
She said that while living in the United States, Vu was always focused on paying bills and living the “American dream,” so she was always in a hurry and felt like she had to constantly optimize her time.
After moving to Vietnam, “life felt slow,” Vu said. “Even though Saigon is very bustling, people sit[in coffee shops]for hours at a time, and I can’t remember the last time that was done in the United States, even for minutes at a time,” she said.
Kavi Vu rides a motorcycle with her mom in Vietnam.
Courtesy of Kawi U.
“It felt like such a luxury to be able to sit there and think about life and write about it. I just never felt like I really had the time or an empty enough mind to actually do it,” she said.
Vu’s move back to Vietnam not only gave her a sense of freedom to slow down, but also gave her the mental capacity and space to unpack and understand her family’s history and her own traditions.
“One of the biggest things I’m trying to figure out here is feeling closer to my family even though I’m so far away from them,” she said. “I understand my parents better by learning about their lives here,” she said.
Want to take control of your money this fall? Sign up for CNBC’s new online course. We’ll teach you practical strategies to slash your budget, reduce debt, and grow wealth. Start feeling more confident and successful today. Use code EARLYBIRD for a 30% introductory discount, now extended through September 30, 2024, just in time for back-to-school season.
add, Subscribe to the CNBC Make It Newsletter Get tips and tricks for success in work, money, and life.
