Six months ago, Nguyen Thi Kim Trinh filed for resignation and retired. Since then, she has traveled to Europe, Turkey, Morocco, and Laos, spending a month in each country before returning to Vietnam.

To start her retirement life, she initially planned to buy another house for vacation. But she changed her mind later.

"I already have a small house in Saigon (HCM City) and if I buy one more, I may find it difficult to sell the house in the future,” she explained.

She then decided to seek people with similar conditions as hers, persuade them to build a community of retired people on a land plot, and live together until the end of life.

Such a community was formed. However, the community’s members could not reach an agreement about where to build such a house. As her plan broke down, she has resumed the plan to live alone.

Trinh decided to choose a beautiful place with good climate where she will live for several months before leaving. "A neighbor who travels a lot told me that Phu Quoc is very lovely now. So I packed up and departed immediately,” she said.

She has been staying in Phu Quoc for a month and plans to head to Hoi An the next month. Her next destination remains undecided. 

"I don't make any long-term plan. I go with the flow. I'm interested in the Northwest, but I might go abroad," she said.

In Phu Quoc, she shares a rented room with a friend she met during her travels. She roams the streets, goes to the market, cooks, and lives like a local rather than a luxury tourist.

Trinh believes that this is the best way to explore a land or a place.

"Currently, we spend VND6 million per person per month, including room rent, food, and living expenses. I could spend more, but why VND6 million?” she said.

“Because I think if a factory worker can live with a monthly salary of VND5-6 million only, then I, on vacation, should also discipline myself financially," she said.

Before the retirement, Trinh worked for a Japanese invested company in HCMC with good pay. During the 18 years of working there, she many times took a leave to travel around the world. To date, she has been to 30 places and experienced many cultures.

"I have good impressions about the people and cultures of Turkey and Taiwan (China). Taiwanese are very sincere, while Turks are generous and gracious. I can feel kindness and positive energy from them," she said.

Trinh said traveling allows her to meet people from all over the world who have diverse backgrounds and admirable lifestyles. Many have inspired her with positive energy.

Now Trinh stays in Phu Quoc, where she plans to enjoy a relaxed life with great climate, fresh food, and the freedom to swim in the sea anytime.

One aspect that surprises her about Phu Quoc is the presence of many houses with European architecture and street names in foreign languages. However, she embraces these differences as part of her new surroundings.

When asked what people need to enjoy such a lifestyle, she said: “First, I did not marry. Second, I have good financial capability.”

In the past, when she traveled around the world, she drew up a very detailed and reasonable plan for traveling with a stringent budget plan.

"I was a shopaholic, but I cut spending on clothing and fashion items, reduced social gatherings, and set aside a specific amount for travel annually, ensuring it must not be spent elsewhere. This way, I always had funds for trips,” she said.

When Trinh visits a locality, she usually stays in houses with a kitchen so that she can prepare meals, which saves her money. She can take 10- to 20-day trips and doesn’t have to spend too much money on them.

The total amount of money spent on trips in the last six months was VND200 million, a reasonable cost for four months of traveling abroad.

Regarding financial matters, Trinh said: "Many people believe that one needs to have his own family to live well in old age. But I think that the thing I need to have is financial capability. Staying financially independent is crucial for leading a free and proactive life."

Nguyen Thao