Always traveling and constantly moving: the life of digital nomads is like this. After a while, you get used to this rhythm; packing your suitcase at least a couple of times a week, taking a means of transport - which when it goes well takes a couple of hours, but when it goes badly it takes at least seven or eight - and adapting to each new destination.
Then, findiing ourselves in our hotel room, tired but with the feeling that we are missing something. Giuseppe and I have always been used to cooking together: we consider it our little ritual, a way to rediscover the intimacy that the frenetic routine often takes away from us.
During a trip like this, however, it is not easy to find accommodation with a kitchen that almost seems like a mirage among Asian hotels and apartments. Luckily, in Vietnam we came across several, and every time we booked one, we were very happy. We already imagined ourselves in the kitchenette of the room laughing and joking while preparing our beloved pasta (which we miss like the air!) or a nice breakfast with pancakes.
The thing we miss most on this trip is our routine. Every day is different from the other, always full of things to organize as advertising campaigns to check, clients to follow, cities to discover and itineraries for the next destinations. We love this life very much, but sometimes we feel nostalgic for that simple daily life that we were so fond of.
In Ho Chi Minh, after almost three months of traveling, we prepared a simple pasta with cherry tomatoes and some delicious pancakes... and I swear we couldn't believe it!
We were happy and amused by something so banal, but it warmed our hearts.
Our ‘Italianness’ exploded even more in Da Lat, where - not content with the pasta - we also tried our hand at making homemade piadinas – close to pita bread. Not having a rolling pin, we improvised with a water bottle! It was a simple moment, but we had so much fun, and it was nice to find a little piece of home, even so far away.
During this first part of the trip I read Gianluca Gotto's book, "When does happiness begin?", one of my favorite authors. I was really struck by a passage in which he says that, when you constantly travel from one place to another, it is easy to feel a little lost. The best way to find yourself - he says - is to take the time to cook for yourself and for those you love. In those moments, the atmosphere of home immediately re-envelops you, making you feel a little less alone. This is exactly how I felt when Giuseppe and I cooked together.
If they asked me what I miss the most, I would answer without hesitation: everyday life and the safe embrace of home. It's like a comfort zone from which, sometimes, you have to move away to discover the world out there, without remaining imprisoned in your own little reality.
In the meantime, we are still in Vietnam. We are currently in Hanoi, after having crossed the country from south to north. I can say that I liked the north more than the south: it is greener, more authentic, with natural landscapes everywhere you turn. I still think that Vietnam is a wonderful country, and I love the mix between the culture of Southeast Asia and the Chinese influence that is so strong in these lands.
Now, however, it is already time to think about the next stop: we are going back to China! This time we will stay there for two months, also passing through Hong Kong. I can't wait to experience it better and discover all the wonders it will offer us!
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