Eight months of nomadic life for a woman born in the 1990s: When a dream passes and leaves behind a life.

“A year ago, I only intended to take a trip. But it turned out I embarked on a life-changing journey,” Phạm Minh Hằng, a 1995-born girl from Hanoi, began her story about her eight-month journey through remote, undeveloped lands, living a life without a home or a stable job.

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Formerly a freelance photographer living in the capital, Minh Hang left her office life, abandoned fixed schedules, and embarked on a cross-Vietnam motorbike trip in May 2024. In those early days, the journey didn't yet resemble a "nomadic" lifestyle, but simply a long trip to "reset" her spirit after a period of stagnation in her creative work.

"My field is related to art, and art cannot survive without inspiration. I feel that if I don't step out of familiar routines, I won't find my own light again," Minh Hang shared.

Leave and depart.

A month before the trip, Minh Hang told her mother that she was going on a journey. Her mother's reaction was worry and opposition. “I think that's a normal reaction from parents. I chose to explain gently, allowing my mother to accept it gradually. And now, after returning home safely, I've proven to her that I did it.”

She thought she would only be wandering for a short time before returning to her old life, but the trip gradually drew Hang further than she had planned. There were nights leading up to her departure when she hesitated: "Maybe I shouldn't go?", but courage prevailed. Hang left Hanoi with an open heart, ready to embrace both uncertainty and wonder.

Vinh Hy – where a new life begins.

And Vinh Hy – a small fishing village nestled on the coast of Ninh Thuan – was the first stop that turned the trip into a real life. But where Hang lived wasn't a bustling coastal area full of tourists, but a small Raglai hamlet deep in the forest, where the sound of waterfalls echoed day and night, children ate guavas from their own gardens while playing and laughing, and a kind neighbor helped light the fire for her every day.

"Initially, I only planned to stay for 5 days, then it turned into 15 days. Then the landlord offered to let me stay and work for him, saying he really needed someone," Hang recounted.

From then on, a true nomadic life began. Every day, she woke up to the sound of birdsong, practiced yoga on the rooftop, drove to the beach to sunbathe, and immersed herself in nature with all its gentleness and completeness. But the dream wasn't just about glittering colors. "I still had to work, still had to manage expenses, and still had unexpected sadness. But I learned one thing: if you don't address the problems from within, then even if you escape to paradise, the lingering issues inside that you always try to avoid will still be there."

In Vinh Hy, Hang discovered she loved tour guiding, a profession she had never considered before. With her photography skills, she connected with tourists, guiding them while capturing their memorable moments – an unexpected but worthwhile source of income.

Mang Den – days that drift by silently like mist.

When the beach season ended, the weather turned windy, and tourists thinned out, forcing Minh Hang to leave Vinh Hy. She stayed a few days to experience life among the Cham community in Phan Rang, witnessing the Katê festival for the first time – a colorful cultural experience filled with human warmth.

After that, her journey continued to the Central Highlands, passing through Pleiku and Kon Tum before stopping in Mang Den – a small town that remains very pristine and peaceful. Hang's arrival there was almost a matter of "unexpected destiny," stemming from a recommendation by a fellow traveler who had previously traveled with her in Vinh Hy.

“I was in Mang Den right during the Central Highlands wind season. At night, I lay listening to the wind whistling through the forest. It was cold, but truly profound. Everything here happens slowly, like a slow-motion film. People even joke that even a fly flies slowly, let alone a person,” she recalled.

In Mang Den, the cold days are filled with cooking, reading under the pine trees, chatting with new friends, and watching dogs run around in the yard. Life here is not hurried or chaotic, but in that slow pace lies a healing feeling.

A journey and countless transformations.

Looking back, Minh Hang realized that the trip was not simply a "personal adventure," but a journey of growth, a test of patience, perseverance, and the ability to regenerate her life energy. What started as a planned cross-Vietnam trip turned into a year of living "without a home," yet feeling a sense of belonging wherever nature remained unspoiled, people were kind, and her heart still yearned for exploration.

"This life is different from a dream in that it has more realistic aspects, but it's also more beautiful than any dream I've ever had," Minh Hang concluded, with the same smile that has guided her through mountain winds, blue seas, and days lived as if there were never a yesterday.

Minh Hang didn't choose nomadic life to escape, but to return. To return to herself – a free, strong, and inspiring version of herself. A year has passed, leaving her footprints on the sandy shores of Central Vietnam, the red dirt roads of the Central Highlands, and above all, deeply etched in the memories of those who met her on that journey.

Ha Mai Trinh - Photo: Provided by the interviewee