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When Ryan arrived at Noi Bai Airport on his birthday in 2016, his trip quickly took a turn for the worse: a visa problem kept him stuck at immigration for 30 minutes, then a taxi driver drove off with his phone after he handed it over for directions, forcing him to walk for hours before finding someone who let him borrow a phone to contact his friend.

But within a week his impression of the city grew more positive.

He says he felt “more at peace than ever” sitting on a plastic stool by the sidewalk, tasting street food and watching motorbikes pass by. “After years of battling depression I was so happy that I knew I had to live in Vietnam.”

He grew up in Maryland State with three siblings. The 2008 financial crisis left his family in debt. He was forced to drop out of college and joined the U.S. Air Force at 20.

He was stationed in Germany, South Korea and several African countries for two years each. In 2016, while serving in South Korea, he violated curfew and was demoted from staff sergeant to senior airman. “It was a shock. I broke down after losing everything I had worked for.”

He said colleagues began treating him differently and he lost the respect of soldiers under his command. He fell into depression, sought therapy and took medication to control self-harming thoughts. Then a friend suggested he come along on a trip to Hanoi to unwind.

He admits he was initially worried about being unwelcome in Vietnam, either because of lingering postwar resentment or racial prejudice. But his fears quickly disappeared. Locals affectionately called him “ong chu socola” (chocolate guy), often inviting him for drinks, karaoke, or meals even on first meetings. “People were warm and generous,” he says.

After that first visit, Ryan began returning to Vietnam for every holiday, exploring Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang as well.

The trips helped him imagine life in the country and plan for a relocation to Vietnam. In 2019 he left the military with spinal inflammation, ear pain and mental health issues. “Many people who leave the military feel lonely and disconnected from society. I tried to avoid that.”

He sold his car and all other belongings, said goodbye to his family and bought a one-way ticket to HCMC. Ryan was advised to live in Thao Dien Ward, an area popular with foreigners. He refused because he wanted to mingle with the locals.

He rented an apartment on Vo Thi Sau Street, a neighborhood with mostly local residents, to experience daily life in Vietnam.

He gets military benefits and also teaches English and does voice-over work to earn around US$4,000 a month. His monthly expenses are only around US$2,000. Ryan says life in Vietnam is relaxing and fulfilling and more so without financial stress.

Markeiz Ryan during a trip to Ha Giang Province in Feb. 2025. Photo courtesy of Markeiz Ryan

He says people in the U.S. only have time to grab a quick coffee before heading to work and spend most of their time working to make ends meet.

In Vietnam, he sees locals start their work day after gathering for coffee and chatting and take short naps at noon while young people and even students in HCMC eat at high-end restaurants, both rare in his country. “Vietnamese people work hard but still enjoy life.”

After six months he did not want to leave HCMC, where he could walk into a bar, make friends within minutes and be invited to dinner a few hours later.

Some of those chance encounters have turned into long-term friendships after a few weeks, and the friends also helped him learn Vietnamese.

He joined sports and cooking groups with locals to stay active and cope with depression. “People here accept differences,” he says.

A moment that stood out for him was seeing six different nationals sing the same Vietnamese song on a stage in District 1.

A turning point in his recovery came when he visited Thien Phuoc shelter for children affected by Agent Orange in District 12.

He played arm wrestling and walked with the children. He says their smiles made him realize “the worst day of your life could be the best day of someone else’s.”

Three times a month he volunteers with Vietnam Hearts, an organization that supports children living in extreme poverty.

He helps care for them, talks with them and teaches them English. “I realized that making others happy also make me happy,” he says.

Viet Nguyen, founder of Vietnam Hearts, says Ryan also donates rice and other supplies to help the children.

Ryan says he starts every day in Vietnam with things he looks forward to rather than tasks he must do. He spends time learning Vietnamese and making videos for his YouTube channel, RyanDenVlogs, about life in Vietnam. “I haven’t had a single boring day since I came here.”