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Postcards from Maddie 💌

@mbutikofer

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🇺🇸 Living in Vietnam 🇻🇳
📍 Vũng Tàu | Life abroad
☕ Cafés, food & everything in-between
🎥 Sharing my life through digital postcards
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Vietnam coffee has truly spoiled me☕️ I’m sorry but instant packets will never hit the same 😭🇻🇳 Hi I’m Maddie 🇺🇸 living in Vietnam 🇻🇳 sharing real life abroad and travel moments across Southeast Asia 🌏 #lifeinvietnam #vietnamcoffee #expatlife #travelreality #southeastasia by @mbutikofer
Hey! I'm Maddie! 💁‍♀️🇻🇳 Living abroad was something I knew I wanted long before I knew how it would happen. Vietnam has given me more than just beautiful places, it’s given me growth, perspective, community, and a fuller way of living. From quiet mornings and jungle walks to coastal sunsets and moments that feel anything but ordinary. This life has shaped me in ways I never expected ❤️ If you’re curious about life abroad, travel that feels real, and the beauty of everyday away from home then you’re in the right place 🌿 Follow along for life in Vietnam, travel guides, and moments living abroad 🤍 Hi I’m Maddie! I’m a 28-year-old American living and teaching in Vietnam. I share my life abroad and experiences here! Stay awhile if that’s something you’re into! #LifeAbroad #LivingInVietnam #ExpatLife #VietnamLife #SlowTravel by @mbutikofer
The Vietnam Effect… ✨ I didn’t just move countries — I moved into a version of myself that feels lighter, happier, and more alive. Vietnam gave me space to reset, slow down, and actually thrive. Grateful for the life I’m building here. Tell me: what place changed you the most? — Hi! If you’re new here, I’m Maddie — an American living and teaching in Vietnam. I share my life abroad, cozy adventures, and honest moments of expat living. Stay awhile if that’s your vibe 🤍 #TheVietnamEffect #ExpatInVietnam #LifeAbroad #VietnamLiving #AmericansInVietnam #VietnamTravel #VietNam #SaigonLife #VungTauLife #LivingOverseas #DigitalDiary #BeforeAndAfterLife #TransformationJourney #TravelContent #LifeChange by @mbutikofer
There’s a Mì Quảng restaurant in Vũng Tàu that I keep going back to… but not for the Mì Quảng. 😂🍜 I go for the Cao Lầu. 🤤 Cao Lầu is a Central Vietnamese noodle dish most famously associated with Hội An, and it’s one of those dishes I don’t come across nearly as often here in Vũng Tàu. So far, Mì Quảng Xưa is actually the only place I’ve personally found in Vũng Tàu that serves it. I’m sure there are others hiding somewhere 👀, but when the Cao Lầu craving hits, this is where I go. And at 50k a bowl, I will happily keep coming back. 😂❤️ 📍 Mì Quảng Xưa 246 Lê Hồng Phong, Vũng Tàu 🍜 Cao Lầu 💰 50,000 VND Vũng Tàu people: PLEASE tell me if you know anywhere else that serves Cao Lầu! I want to try them. 👀👇 #VungTauFood #VungTau #CaoLau #VietnameseFood #LifeInVietnam by @mbutikofer
We specifically chose a place with almost nothing around… and that was EXACTLY what I wanted. 😂🌿 After going from Vietnam → America → Japan → back to Vietnam, plus all the stress leading up to those trips AND starting a new job that had me wanting to CRY almost every day 😭😂… I was tired. Like, genuinely tired. So for the holiday weekend, my boyfriend and I had a very specific list: 🌿 Somewhere quiet 😴 A VERY comfortable bed 📺 A big TV for watching Game of Thrones 😂 A pretty good chance of there being no kids around 🍫 And an unreasonable amount of snacks The Ruộng ended up being exactly what we needed. We stocked up on SO many snacks, watched Game of Thrones, slept, enjoyed the ridiculously green rainy-season scenery and basically did… nothing. 😂❤️ No packed itinerary. No running around trying to see things. Just a couple of days away from our normal routine. Sometimes the best weekend away is the one where you intentionally plan absolutely nothing. 🌧️🌿 📍 The Ruộng Retreat, Hồ Tràm / Xuyên Mộc, Vietnam When you book a weekend away, are you exploring everything or doing absolutely NOTHING? 😂👇 #HoTram #XuyenMoc #LifeInVietnam #VietnamGetaway #LivingInVietnam by @mbutikofer
A little moment from June that never made it out of my camera roll. 🥹🎤🇻🇳 My last day working at the language center somehow ended exactly how it should have… with karaoke. 😂 After spending so much of my time in Vietnam working there, it feels a little strange looking back at these clips now knowing how much has changed since then. I’m still right here in Vũng Tàu 🇻🇳❤️, just in a new chapter! I made the move to an international school to pursue a teaching role that better aligns with what I want for myself and gives me more room to grow professionally. 📚✨ Definitely bittersweet saying goodbye to a place and people that were such a big part of my life here, but I’m also really excited about where life is taking me next. And honestly… good people, questionable singing and karaoke was a pretty great way to end my last day. 😂🎤 Have you ever left a job you were comfortable in because you knew it was time to grow? 👇 #LifeInVungTau #LifeInVietnam #TeachingInVietnam #LivingAbroad #CareerGrowth by @mbutikofer
Three years away and YES, I was still thinking about this bakery. 😂🍩🥐 While I was home visiting the USA, there were a few places I knew I had to go back to… and Open Door Bakery & Deli was absolutely one of them. Warm, fresh, homemade baked goods that genuinely make it difficult to choose what to get… so obviously the solution was to get a little bit of everything. 😂 📍 Open Door Bakery & Deli 1011 SC-59, Fair Play, South Carolina 🇺🇸 Living abroad has made me realize how much certain foods and places become tied to the feeling of home. And after THREE YEARS of thinking about these desserts, they did not disappoint. 🤤❤️ Okay, important question: if you could go back home right now and eat ONE thing you've been craving, what would it be? 👇 #SouthCarolinaFood #AmishBakery #LifeAbroad #FoodieFinds #LivingAbroad by @mbutikofer
Life lately has been… a LOT. 😅✈️ June was packed with summer teaching hours on top of my regular full-time schedule, AND I somehow added a second job teaching art into the mix. 🎨😂 Then came July: my first trip home after three years away. ❤️🇺🇸 Add in a little time in Japan 🇯🇵… and then I landed back in Vietnam and pretty much jumped straight into induction for a brand-new job. I’ve officially made the move from teaching at an English language center to teaching Grade 3 at an international school here in Vietnam. 🇻🇳📚 It’s been a huge adjustment and there’s been SO much to learn, but I’m really excited about this next chapter. So while social media has been pretty quiet lately… life definitely hasn’t been. 😂 After months of working, traveling, changing jobs and constantly feeling like I was onto the next thing, I’m finally settling back into my normal life in Vietnam. And I’m very ready for it. 🥹🇻🇳 If you've been here for a while, tell me what you want to see more of now that I'm back in Vietnam! 👇💚 #LifeInVietnam #LivingInVietnam #LifeAbroad #ExpatLife #VietnamLife by @mbutikofer
📮 Postcards from my Camera Roll: USA Edition 🇺🇸 One thing I've been looking forward to while visiting home? The food. 😅 After living in Vietnam for three years, it's been fun revisiting all the meals I grew up with while also realizing how much my tastes have changed. Some foods feel just as nostalgic as I remembered... and others aren't quite what I expected. These are just a few snapshots from my camera roll while I'm home. 📸 ✨ Which photo would you grab first? Tell me the slide number in the comments! 👇 Save this post if you love seeing food from around the world, and follow along for more postcards from my adventures in both the USA and Vietnam. ❤️🌎 #PostcardsFromMyCameraRoll #AmericanFood #LifeAbroad #LivingInVietnam #FoodPhotography by @mbutikofer
One thing I didn't realize I'd miss after living in Vietnam for three years... a good Southern sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit. 🥹🇺🇸 It's nothing fancy, but sometimes the simplest foods are the ones that remind you of home. I've loved getting to revisit some of the little things I grew up with while I'm back in the States... and I know I'll be craving Vietnamese food again soon. ❤️🇻🇳 If you had to choose one comfort food from home, what would it be? 👇 #LifeAbroad #SouthernFood #ReverseCultureShock #AmericanFood #LivingInVietnam by @mbutikofer
I saw a Starbucks “Vietnamese iced coffee” hack online, so I had to test it. ☕🇻🇳 The verdict: rich, sweet, and definitely caffeine-loaded… but not a perfect cà phê sữa dupe😓 It was acceptable, and I can see why people recommend it, but after living in Vietnam for 3 years, I’m looking for that deeper, bolder coffee flavor with creamy sweetness from condensed milk🤤 I’d probably adjust the ratios next time — maybe less white chocolate and a stronger coffee-to-milk balance. 📋 How to order: • Iced Quad Espresso (4 shots) • 3–4 pumps White Chocolate Mocha sauce • A generous splash of Half & Half or Heavy Cream • In a Venti cup with extra ice Have you tried this hack, or do you have a better Starbucks order that gets closer to Vietnamese cà phê sữa? 👇 #VietnameseCoffee #CaPheSua #CoffeeReview #StarbucksHack #LifeAbroad by @mbutikofer
Three years ago, this is exactly how I would've made my coffee. ☕🇺🇸 But after living in Vietnam for three years, I realized something surprising... my taste has changed. The amount of creamer I used to love now feels too heavy. The flavored syrups taste much sweeter than I remember. I guess somewhere along the way, I got used to the bold, rich flavor of Vietnamese coffee. Neither is better—they're just different. And I think that's one of the coolest parts of living abroad. Sometimes it changes you in ways you never expect. Has living in another country (or even traveling) ever changed your tastes? I'd love to hear your experience! 👇 #LifeAbroad #LivingInVietnam #CoffeeCulture #ReverseCultureShock #VietnamCoffee by @mbutikofer

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