4/ Throwing around bravery

Sitting in a hostel in Ha Giang, Vietnam.

Nerves. Butterflies in my belly.Building work adjacent, breaking the air and my concentration. Distracting me slightly (thankfully).

Motorbikes lined up for an adventure. Anticipation. Nerves. Fear. Excitement.

I’ve already written about management of expectations; I’m trying on this trip to limit what I see and know about places. I want the surprise factor and to create more of a sense of awe.

However, it was difficult not to read about the sad passing of Orla Wates on the Ha Giang loop. Not only did this give a moment of pause for reflection on how her family must be feeling, but also how short life can be and the weight of making certain choices.

As I’m sure most would, I took all the right precautions. Double-checked my insurance policy. Went with the safest company I could find. Checked reviews. Asked ChatGPT. Searched Reddit. Spoke to people.

So, with the growing pang of risk vs reward, my dial was firmly on risk.

This may seem careless given the recent circumstances; however, I am using this year to test my stomach, nerve and appetite for doing the uncomfortable.

I am glad I did.

I met amazing people. Saw incredible views. Jumped in waterfalls. Ate local food. Saw rural Vietnam through a completely different lens.

Now, many people threw the word brave at me before setting off on this journey, which I think reflected more about social norms and expectations than me doing anything wildly brave.

BUT.

Balancing risk and reward. Overcoming butterflies. Feeling culturally uncomfortable can only build a more creative and diverse mindset… right?

I want to take you back almost 20 days from Ha Giang. My stint in Australia and Japan completed. Next flight: Hanoi.

AND it was a shock.

Traffic (the scooters!) Street food. Humidity. Look. Feel. Chaos. Energy.

Dropped off at my hotel. Tried to cross the road — with great difficulty.

A few days later I saw a T-shirt that summed up the road system in Hanoi:

“Green is for go. Amber is for go. Red is for go.”

The road system wasn’t the only thing I found discombobulating.

As someone with IBS, travelling itself is already anxiety-inducing. Pile on top a street food scene that UK hygiene agencies would be shutting down in a second… eeeek.

The first day and a half food…Pringles. Chocolate bars. Biscuits. Fruit (not pre-prepared… oh no).

Then I got over myself.

BECAUSE IT WORKS

The chaotic and vibrant energy works. The food scene works.

I ate where Barack Obama and Anthony Bourdain ate (note — not necessarily my food highlights). Banh mi from the hotspots. Pâté. Steak. Egg and Some kind of gravy situation. Pho. Little sweet prawns. Hot pot. Spring rolls. Crab fresh on Lan ha bay.

Overcoming that kind of anxiety was a huge win for me. A brave one in my world.

BUT. I don’t really want to throw around the word bravery. It should be kept for bigger purposes — soldiers, nurses, charity workers and the like.

However, personal context is important. The controllables in your world are important. Having a newfound appreciation for things I can do is nice.

Brave? Maybe not. Risk vs reward? Maybe.

Now, being driven on the back of a motorcycle through Northern Vietnam’s landscape gave me a lot of time to think.

That trip, for my friend and me, cost 22.6 million Vietnamese dong — including the driver’s tip and transport to and from our hotels (an 18-hour round trip). Roughly £630 for a 3-day adventure.

Minimum wage in Ha Giang province is around 3.7 million VND / The average wage is roughly double that — around 7.4 million VND.

Rural farm workers are typically on minimum wage, tourism workers around the average and mining/government roles at the higher end.

So what I spent on that trip could have paid someone’s salary in the lower bracket for around 6 months.

I’m no expert, but I broadly understand economics and how it differs across countries.

I also noticed something else - People waking up to beautiful surroundings every day.Communities that felt strong and connected. I met Neam (my driver) and his family — living in a village deep on the Ha Giang loop in Du Gia - They were all joyful and wanted to meet. A different pace of life and different trappings.

So I make no assumptions. No direct comparisons of money to quality of life.

But it did make me stop and think. Throwing around the word bravery feels… interesting.

Tom, our guide, spoke about how tourism over the last ten years has supported a significant number of jobs. We spoke about how locals enjoy the cultural exchange — showing off their Vietnam.

I travelled through Ha Giang, Quan Ba, Lung Tam, Du Gia, Meo Vac, Dong Van and Yen Minh.

Through communities of Tay, Hmong (high in the mountains), and Kinh people.

After my trip, I visited the Precious Heritage Art Gallery in Hoi An — a collection of photos and traditional clothing following an 11-year mission by Réhahn to document all 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam.

It explores the balance between tradition, economic change and a shifting world.

A reminder of balance. Maintaining tradition. Tourism helping and hindering.

It feels to me like risk is required and sometimes bravery too. But it needs to be grounded in a reward that feels worth going after.

Now that… is a personal decision.