Each building is a kind of ghost, an artefact, a monument from Hanoi’s imperial past. They lend the city a rugged beauty unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.

I take a deep breath to ready myself and step into the fray, welcoming the city’s chaotic embrace. I duck and weave between scooters and street side market vendors. I surrender to the rhythm, to the soul of the city – its vibrant intermingling of sights, sounds, smells, and tastes, each one more exciting and intriguing than the last.

At 9am that morning, I meet with Savannah, the Director of LOVR, via Google Meets. I’ve been working with LOVR since the studio’s inception. LOVR is an innovative studio – one that not only values international travel but has built it into the very fabric of their DNA; a studio that understands that deep immersion in different places – living among people with different cultural perspectives – expands the imagination and fuels creativity.

Today’s office: a small coffee shop in Hanoi, where bookshelves line the walls from floor to ceiling, and the muffled sounds of John Coltrane spill from an antique record player. Immersed in my work, this passage of time eludes me until I submit the assignment for internal review at 4:59pm.

Evening approaches. I close my laptop and leave the coffee shop. Dark grey rain clouds roll over the city; I rush home before the forecasted downfall. The city seems to be at its fastest and its loudest since the moment I arrived. I rush down crowded laneways and vibrantly lit streets. I’ve never felt more invigorated.

Darby, Creative Writer at LOVR

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