Markays Ryan, 36, was a senior aviator in the U.S. Air Force when he embarked on a new journey in Vietnam — he just didn’t know it yet.
At the time, Ryan admitted he was depressed after getting into trouble for breaking curfew. He lost several months’ worth of pay, was confined to the base, and was demoted from staff sergeant to senior airman.
“I was so depressed and so sad after this,” Ryan told CNBC Make It. “But that depression and sadness makes you think about where your life is headed and redirects your life in the right direction.”
“(Vietnam) looked like a lot of fun and really lived up to the hype,” he said. “In the end, I had the time of my life and the depression (just) went away.”
Ryan said Vietnam is now his home and he has no plans to leave.
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Ryan says he didn’t want to let go of the good feelings he got from that trip, so he started planning his return as soon as he got home.
The veteran returned to Air Force life and was honorably discharged in 2019 after serving at a military base in Wyoming.
Shortly after leaving the Air Force, Ryan moved to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, where he spends approximately $1,031 a month. Rent for a two-bedroom apartment is $850, utilities are $130, cell phone is $8.50, gas is $15, and VIP gym membership is $27.
Other expenses include $96 a year for internet, $1,000 a year for health insurance, and $100 to $400 a month for groceries. The amount he spends on groceries varies because he often cooks for himself and eats out.
To support himself in Vietnam, Ryan’s monthly income comes from multiple sources, totaling about $4,000, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It.
Ryan’s favorite part of his apartment is his view.
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This includes about $1,500 from his VA disability, $1,000 from the GI Bill while he is pursuing a master’s degree in business administration, and $900 to $1,300 from his English teacher. Ryan also does occasional odd jobs, such as voice-over work, and his pay ranges from $200 to $600 a month, and he’s also an avid day trading fan, earning an average of about $300 a month.
“This may not sound like a big deal in America, but trust me, it’s enough to make you middle class or even above middle class in Vietnam,” he says.
But one of his favorite jobs is teaching English as a second language.
“Teaching ESL is fun and very rewarding. I’ve wanted to do it since I was in high school and felt like it was the only job I really enjoyed,” he says.
“Vietnam is the safest place I’ve ever lived. You never have to look over your shoulder here. I found there was this wonderful level of tranquility,” Ryan says. “People are more focused on day-to-day life and less focused on what’s going on politically. They feel much calmer.”
Ryan invests the additional income he receives in the US and Vietnam stock markets. He also supports his local community and says he always has money set aside for medical expenses and visas.
When Ryan moved to Vietnam, he bought a motorcycle to get around
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Ryan moved around quite a bit when he first arrived in Vietnam, but for the past two years he has lived in his current apartment in one of Vietnam’s tallest residential towers in Ho Chi Minh City.
“If I were to leave, it would be because Vietnam told me to leave. In America, I felt very demotivated. I felt that no matter how hard I worked, I was still in poverty. I was always chasing a standard that I couldn’t really meet,” he says.
“Here in Vietnam, you feel less financial pressure from everyday life. You focus on what makes you happy, who you want to be, and how to get there.”
Since moving to Vietnam, Ryan has made an effort to learn the language, but admits he’s still not the best.
“I can’t say I’m fluent in Vietnamese by any means, but I’m much better than most of my colleagues here,” he says.
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