By John Ciulik | Los Angeles – California, USA

I’ve always had a restless curiosity about the world. When I see a door, literal or metaphorical, I want to open it. Travel has always been my way of learning, of tasting, seeing, and meeting the unfamiliar.

After finishing a master’s degree in American studies, I decided to reward myself with an adventure far outside my usual path. I set one simple rule: go wherever the cheapest flight would take me. The winner turned out to be Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

I did almost no planning, just a flight, a hotel, and a ride from the airport. Twenty hours after leaving Los Angeles, I landed in a place I had only known as a distant backdrop to the Vietnam War, a land once shrouded in mystery.

Over nine days, I ate unforgettable food, wandered museums, and most importantly, met people, Vietnamese locals and travelers from Japan, China, Australia, Europe, the Philippines, and the United States. Those conversations lit a spark that changed the course of my life.

That trip inspired me to study languages. I went on to earn an Associate of Arts degree in Vietnamese and became certified to teach English as a Foreign Language. Today, I work with people around the world, helping them discover how learning new skills, whether languages or otherwise, opens doors to richer lives.

My journey to Vietnam was only the beginning. Travel gave me more than memories; it gave me a new direction. And the adventure is still unfolding.

– English Magazine