I Met a Stranger on a Nomad App — And Somehow Ended Up Spending the Whole Day With Him
Xin chào, anh chị em! 🇻🇳
(Pronounced “sin chow, anh chee em” — it means “hello, brothers and sisters” or “hello, everyone” in Vietnamese.)
Good morning or afternoon to you guys — and good night from me.
It’s 1:15 a.m. here in Việt Nam, and I’m just now ending my Monday and getting ready for bed. Before I knock out, I wanted to make sure you had something light and entertaining to get you through your Monday.
How are you feeling?
How’s your Monday so far?
Whether you’re reading this from the U.S. or somewhere else in the world, I hope this week brings you peace, blessings, and good energy. I hope something beautiful finds you — even in the small, quiet moments.
Now let me tell you about Day 2 in Vietnam, because wow… what a day.
I woke up to knocking on my door at 6 a.m.
My five-year-old cousin goes,
“Are you sleeping?”
Sir. It’s six in the morning. Of course I’m sleeping.
But apparently, kids in Vietnam are built different — they don’t sleep in. They wake up early, study, and start their day like tiny overachievers.
Before I could even process what was happening, we were in the living room, watching YouTube and singing and dancing to the ABCs.
I was half-asleep, still trying to find the beat.
He’s been glued to me since I got here — following me everywhere, asking me to teach him English, and repeating every word I say.
And honestly? He’s adorable.
My tiny little shadow with way too much energy for 6 a.m.
After breakfast, my cousin Nhi and I got ready and called a Grab (Vietnam’s version of Uber) to head into Sài Gòn.
The hour-long ride cost 325,000 VND (~$13 USD) — not bad considering the distance and traffic.
Our first stop was Bánh Mì Huỳnh Hoa in District 1 — one of the most famous bánh mì shops in all of Vietnam.
Bánh mì (pronounced bahn mee) is Vietnam’s iconic sandwich — a crispy French baguette filled with chả lụa (pork sausage), pâté, cucumbers, pickled carrots, cilantro, and chili.
We ordered two sandwiches for 146,000 VND (~$6 USD), and the first bite hit just right.
The bread? Crunchy. The flavor? Unreal.
No one does bánh mì like Vietnam does.
I actually downloaded this app called Nomad back when I was in Italy — and I’ve met so many amazing people through it.
It’s an app for solo travelers who want to meet others in whatever city they’re visiting. You put in your travel dates, and it connects you with people who’ll be there at the same time.
It’s such a fun way to make friends and not feel alone when you’re exploring somewhere new.
When I got to Vietnam, I set my dates for Sài Gòn, and sure enough, there were hundreds of people in the group. Everyone chats, shares their plans, and meets up randomly around the city.
Yesterday morning, I dropped a message in the chat:
“Good morning, friends! I’m in District 1 getting some bánh mì at Bánh Mì Huỳnh Hoa. If you’re nearby, I’ll treat you to a sandwich. Looking forward to meeting some new people today!”
About five minutes later, a guy named Vince messaged me privately.
He said,
“Hey Monica, solo traveler here and near the sandwich spot you mentioned.”