Preface
I've been living as a digital nomad since 2017. I lived in more than ten countries before I arrive in Vietnam on 25.01.2020. On 28.01.2020 Vietnam decreed the closure of the border with China after the news regarding the appearance of a strange virus in the Wuhan market.
On 1 February all flights from China, Macao, Taiwan were suspended. Subsequently, the flights and the border with China were opened, but the situation kept changing. The restrictions on the entry in Vietnam were changing accordingly to the number of cases growing in different countries. Thus, Koreans and Europeans were also banned from entering the country at the beginning of March.
On March 22nd, all foreigners were forbidden to enter the country. In 28.03 activities such as gyms, cinemas, tourist sites, massage parlors, karaoke, and others were closed.
On 01.04 Vietnam decreed the total lockdown implementing the social distancing measures. Since then, people can only leave home to buy food and medicine.
The restrictions imposed by the country totally changed my reality, my plans and my life as a digital nomad. I decided to write this diary to report these days and somehow continue to travel within an apartment of less than 60 square meters.
14.04_The freedom that we lost
I barely could sleep last night, but I woke up on the same time. I tried to sleep a little bit more, but my mind was already thinking too much. I’m usually an overthinking person, but in situations like this I feel like my brain can really blow!
I make my coffee and stay sometime looking through the window, watching the buildings, the workers and Da Nang under construction. “Should I stay, or should I go?” This phrase remains in my brain, like the old music from the 80’s… It’s not so easy to organize my thoughts at this moment, so I decide to pick up a piece of paper and write it down all the reasons that I have to stay, and all the reasons that I have to go… So, this is what I wrote:
Reasons to stay
- Better life conditions: In Vietnam I already have my place, which is nice and pretty affordable. Plus, Da Nang has amazing beaches. If I come back to Brazil, I’ll probably live in my parents house for a while until I find a place to stay. For sure, renting a place in Brazil is much more expensive and complicated than in Vietnam. I’ll back to my hometown, also, which is a quite boring place. I’ll miss the beach here.
- Health and safety: Vietnam situation regarding coronavirus is way better than in Brazil. Plus, in Brazil, a political strong crisis is hitting the country, the president is and asshole and the situation can get worse very quickly.
- Travel around Vietnam: I couldn’t even have a taste of what this country is… Not fair to come so far and cannot travel around here.
- Keep traveling around Asia: yes, have so much more to see and do around… It’s a pity to leave!
- I don’t see myself living in Brazil anymore: this is one think that I realize about digital nomads. Most of them don’t have a sense of belonging with their own country and culture. So, I am...
- 3 years since I don’t come back to Brazil. Seeing my family and friends is not a bad idea after so much time
- Uncertainty about visa fees and politics regarding stay in Vietnam
- Although I have work and clients, I don’t have savings at this moment. So, if the situation gets worse with the economy or fees and prices get to high, I can be on trouble.
- The expatriation flight is for free. In case I need to pay for a flight in the future, probably it will cost me a lot of money, which I don’t have in this moment.
- I never get sick in 3 years traveling, however if something happen now, I’ll be far from home and alone. My health insurance (and all of them) don’t cover Covid-19 cases.
- It’s not reasonable to stay locked in a place, paying for it, if you’re a nomad. Better stay locked in your own country...
As soon as I made up my mind, I send a message to the embassy. I need to find a way to go to Hanoi, since the flight would leave on April 17. I also needed to talk with my landlord, buy the tickets to Hanoi, find a hotel room and also finish some jobs…
It’s very hard to take a decision when things are getting so fast. But someway, somehow, I think it was a time to comeback…
The Brazilian Embassy organized a group on WhatsApp. There were more people in Da Nang, so I asked them what day they would flight to Hanoi. Most of them were going on April 15th, so I bought the ticket to the same day. I thought if there were more people on the flight, less chances to be canceled. I started to pack, but I didn’t want to pack. “Nothing is forever”, I started to think… It will be just a phase, but it’s now time to go.
I went also to talk with Nam. Nam was my landlord and she was the most sweet and cute person I found in Da Nang. I explained all the situation and she was very comprehensive. I said to her that I was very sad and I had a feeling that I lost my freedom, since I couldn’t travel anymore. “Helga, I could never travel. I never left Vietnam. The government never let me”.For me that information was a punch on my stomach. I was sad with my feeling of loss regarding my freedom, and suddenly I realize that as was a privileged person, since I had the right to travel, to move, to be in different places.<“Nam, when I come back to Vietnam, I will bring a big suitcase, I’ll put inside and I’ll take you to the Brazilian Carnival”. Nam opens a big smile, but my heart is still small.
On 14.04 I cried like I never did in Vietnam before… I cried for the decisions I had to make, for the freedom I felt that I lost, for the freedom of people who never had it…14.04 was a sad and hard day for me.
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