In this episode of You Don’t Know Vietnam, Ian Paynton is joined by Gauthier D'haenens, a Vietnamese-born Belgian adoptee who returned to Vietnam as an adult searching for his biological parents — and instead found a very different sense of belonging.Gauthier shares his deeply personal journey of growing up feeling like an outsider in Europe, returning to Vietnam to reconnect with his roots, and ultimately choosing to build a life here despite never fully fitting into one box or another. Together, Ian and Gauthier explore what it means to live between cultures, how Vietnam can strip away old identities and force new ones to emerge, and why grief, distance, and belonging are some of the least talked-about realities of long-term life abroad.The conversation also dives into Vietnam’s evolution beyond the usual Hanoi–Ho Chi Minh City narrative, why Danang is emerging as a serious tech and lifestyle hub, and what global leaders consistently misunderstand about building businesses and teams in Vietnam.This is a reflective, honest episode about adoption, ambition, wonder, and the quiet sacrifices that come with choosing Vietnam — and why, for many, the country has a way of confronting you… and changing you.In this episode, we cover:Growing up Vietnamese in Europe and returning to Vietnam as an adultSearching for biological parents — and making peace with not finding themIdentity, belonging, and the emotional cost of living far from homeWhy Hanoi can break you — and why that mattersDanang’s rise beyond tourism into tech and innovationWhat Vietnam’s future could look like, and what it risks losing along the waySend us Fan MailIf you enjoy this conversation or think someone in your network could find value in it, please share it and hit follow to get notified when the next episode drops. This podcast is brought to you by We Create Content, the content marketing agency that builds audiences for global brands in Vietnam. You can follow our host, Ian Paynton, on LinkedIn, and follow the podcast on Instagram, TikTok and X. A special thanks to DJ Jase at The Beats Saigon for the soundtrack, and to YOU for listening.