Now, she gets up early every day to visit the village market, enjoys cheap local snacks for a few thousand dong, and works from home. In the afternoon, she heads to the beach to watch the sunset and chat with coastal villagers.

“I no longer feel drained from constant illness. After years, I can finally enjoy a tasty meal and wake up refreshed instead of exhausted with an empty mind,” Phuong said.

Currently, she does online marketing for restaurants and hotels in VungT au, assists with bookings for homestays in Dong Hoa in Phu Yen province, and runs a personal TikTok channel to promote tourism in Phu Yen and Lo Village.

Setbacks

Born in HungYen, she followed her parents to work in many different provinces when she was a child. The place she lived the longest was Binh Phuoc, before moving to Hanoi to study at university and living there for about seven years.

In her second year of university, her parents’ business failed, plunging them into debt and stripping them of their home and assets. Phuong took in her 17-year-old brother, and the siblings rented a dilapidated room, sweltering in summer and leaking during rain.

Each day, beyond attending classes, Phuong took any job she could, like dishwashing, wedding catering, restaurant serving, and tutoring. Life was tough; some days she skipped meals, yet she never considered dropping out.

In her limited free time, the student honed skills like writing, photography and video editing. Gradually, her photos and videos gained traction, even attracting collaboration offers.

A 4-star hotel recruited Phuong as a marketing staff member. After six months of intense focus, she mastered her role and began seeking additional freelance work.

As her workload stabilized and income grew, Phuong began training a team of collaborators and built a streamlined workflow. By 2023, at 24, she could earn VND30 million monthly, enough to support her mother and brother.

But this was also the time when her health declined. At its worst, by late 2023, Phuong faced severe exhaustion. “Every morning, I’d wake up unsure why I kept going,” she recalled.

She decided to quit her promising job and left Hanoi to seek a quiet rural life.

Crisis

When leaving Hanoi, Phuong had savings of VND100 million for six months’ expenses, including regular funds for her mother’s medical checkups.

She knew rural job prospects would be slim, so she maintained her team of collaborators to keep projects running smoothly.

“I wanted to live in the countryside. I know that my health couldn’t handle physical labor, I focused on maximizing my strength in online marketing for tourism and hotels,” Phuong explained.

She prepared for worst-case scenarios. “I mapped out a journey to find the right spot. Luckily, when I reached Phu Yen, I fell in love with the land and decided to stay,” she said.

At that time, she wanted to find a place with proximity to the sea, greenery, low tourist traffic for health recovery, access to a hospital, a nearby airport, affordable living costs, and simple local residents.

Despite thorough preparation, Phuong hit a crisis upon “going rural.” She admitted leaving the city on impulse without being fully ready.

Her first month, she spent lavishly to compensate for years of working hard. She rented a pricey, long-term place in Tu Hoa, but often took off to other provinces on a whim.

“I didn’t track spending closely and I was overconfident in my online income. If I liked something, I would buy it without thinking. When family members got sick or struggled financially, I would send money to them immediately. Within months, my savings hit rock bottom, and the money shortage triggered a mental breakdown,” Phuong said.

“Luckily, I’d lined up work beforehand, so I didn’t have to return to the city. After 2-3 months, I moved to Dong Hoa,” she said. 

Phuong settled in Lo Village, a seaside hamlet. She slowed down and recognized her mistakes. “I realized I needed tighter financial control,” she added.

Now, Phuong feels satisfied with her life. After a brief crisis, she found solutions. And her health has markedly improved, sparking inspiration for work. She’s also planning to bring her mother to live with her.

Linh Trang