NYC vs. Vietnam: My Life's 'Ceiling' Revealed!

For me that life had a ceiling and the For me that life had a ceiling and the ceiling was partly financial and partly ceiling was partly financial and partly ceiling was partly financial and partly something harder to say. My 20s I worked something harder to say. My 20s I worked something harder to say. My 20s I worked food and beverage and tourism and I food and beverage and tourism and I food and beverage and tourism and I lived a nomadic life before the digital lived a nomadic life before the digital lived a nomadic life before the digital thing. You know, there were no digital thing. You know, there were no digital thing. You know, there were no digital nomads two decades ago. There were no nomads two decades ago. There were no nomads two decades ago. There were no iPhones when I graduated college iPhones when I graduated college iPhones when I graduated college and then the economy crashed in 2008. and then the economy crashed in 2008. and then the economy crashed in 2008. There was a scene, you know, in New York There was a scene, you know, in New York There was a scene, you know, in New York you could make money if you're in the you could make money if you're in the you could make money if you're in the right room on the right nights and you right room on the right nights and you right room on the right nights and you spend almost all of it before the week spend almost all of it before the week spend almost all of it before the week is out regardless because money made in is out regardless because money made in is out regardless because money made in Manhattan stays in Manhattan. That city Manhattan stays in Manhattan. That city Manhattan stays in Manhattan. That city is the kind of place where the money is the kind of place where the money is the kind of place where the money makes you feel good makes you feel good makes you feel good and you enjoy the choices. I love the and you enjoy the choices. I love the and you enjoy the choices. I love the city. I love the energy of it. I love city. I love the energy of it. I love city. I love the energy of it. I love being a 20-something who was broke in being a 20-something who was broke in being a 20-something who was broke in Brooklyn. Uh it's a very romantic thing Brooklyn. Uh it's a very romantic thing Brooklyn. Uh it's a very romantic thing to be in your youth and a genuinely to be in your youth and a genuinely to be in your youth and a genuinely difficult thing to contemplate at any difficult thing to contemplate at any difficult thing to contemplate at any age now. You know, a one-bedroom age now. You know, a one-bedroom age now. You know, a one-bedroom apartment in a decent part of Brooklyn apartment in a decent part of Brooklyn apartment in a decent part of Brooklyn right now is running somewhere between right now is running somewhere between right now is running somewhere between 3,000 and $3,800 a month. What am I 3,000 and $3,800 a month. What am I 3,000 and $3,800 a month. What am I going to have nine roommates, you know, going to have nine roommates, you know, going to have nine roommates, you know, in a neighborhood that when I lived in a neighborhood that when I lived in a neighborhood that when I lived there on Knickerbocker Avenue felt like there on Knickerbocker Avenue felt like there on Knickerbocker Avenue felt like a place where real people actually lived a place where real people actually lived a place where real people actually lived and I'm not talking about the fancy and I'm not talking about the fancy and I'm not talking about the fancy parts, right? I'm talking about the parts, right? I'm talking about the parts, right? I'm talking about the blue-collar parts where you went, you blue-collar parts where you went, you blue-collar parts where you went, you know, [snorts] to an Italian bakery for know, [snorts] to an Italian bakery for know, [snorts] to an Italian bakery for a cannoli, you had breakfast at a diner a cannoli, you had breakfast at a diner a cannoli, you had breakfast at a diner with a bottomless cup of coffee that with a bottomless cup of coffee that with a bottomless cup of coffee that cost a buck 50, you know, the guy at the cost a buck 50, you know, the guy at the cost a buck 50, you know, the guy at the counter knows who you are.