For the first time in my life, I not only traveled but also went abroad, to Singapore, alone.

I woke up at 4:00 AM and went to HAN airport quite early to check in. After finishing that, I was so fascinated, waiting in front of the airplane gate with no expectations for the 10-day trip.

In the airplane, I got a seat next to the window, and to my surprise, the two seats in my row were empty. ‘Wow, I’m traveling alone, and God even let nobody sit next to me,’ I thought, lol.

When the airplane was pushed back, I looked at the T2 international terminal through the window, and I almost cried at that moment. ‘I’ve finally done a little part of something I’ve dreamed of for a long time. Have a nice trip,’ I told myself. I’ll always remember it.

After arriving safely at Changi, I felt a little nervous because I didn’t know where to pick up my luggage or how to go through customs. I just followed the other Vietnamese passengers from my flight and finally got my Visit Pass after almost 30 minutes and a few calls to my friend.

When I walked straight to the customs gate, the sight of the automated gate looked so powerful and stunning. Maybe you can only truly feel it in person!

Heading up to Jewel—the iconic spot at Changi with the waterfall from the roof, which is a marvel of engineering. You know, I forgot my tripod at home, lol. So I just walked around trying to find the perfect spot to take some photos and asked a random guy to help me take one.

Back at the terminals, I went to pick up the SIM card for internet access that I had bought online. But it ended in frustration — they told me I had to go to the city center to collect it. Back at the terminal, I went to pick up the SIM card for internet access that I had bought online. But it ended in frustration — they told me I had to go to the city center to collect it. ‘Ok fine, I’ll just check the directions on Google Maps and go to my friend apartment. The SIM card can be a later matter,’ I told myself.

With the EZ-Link card borrowed from my friend — even though I didn’t know its balance or how many trips it could cover — I just bet on my luck and took the MRT. After checking the directions several times and transferring through three MRT lines, I finally exited the station to the street.

The landscape was so modern, clean, and quiet — something I had only ever seen on TV, never in person. The green of the plants and the yellow of the sun were unforgettable.

After 45 minutes on the MRT and a 15-minute walk, I arrived at the apartment with a small sense of joy. Finally meeting T, I had a drink after being thirsty for several hours, and he asked me to play badminton with some Vnese guys. “Let’s go,” I agreed.

After playing several fun badminton matches together, we had dinner at a local hawker center. I ordered a plate of fried rice with seafood. I didn’t know why they decorated the dish so poorly—for a $6 SGD order, it looked so cheap—so I had to dig into the rice to check if there was actually any seafood, lol.

After chatting with our homies and taking a photo of a colorful, well-decorated temple, I wrapped up my first day in Singapore.

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