My name is Bui Viet Ha and I am an architect. I run a civil design and construction company. And I am also a mother. I have Lim, my little angel. Like many people of my generation, I worked hard, got married, had children, and strived for goals like a house, a car… Until the biggest turning point in my life came, I suddenly realized that I had missed a page in my life. I had missed loving myself.
At the age of 32, I realized that I have a new passion, traveling, taking photos, filming, sharing the experiences on the journey I have been through. The trips have conquered the most intense hidden corner in me and helped me realize that life is a journey of discovery and experience.
Priceless lessons
I started taking Lim on trips when he was over a year old, the age when he began to perceive and be curious about the world around him with all his senses. I still remember the first time he flew on a plane, he cried almost the entire journey because of his earache and fear of the engine noise. Only when he was exhausted did Lim fall asleep in his mother's arms. However, on the return flight, he replaced his fear with excitement and looked forward to continuing to fly. Just like that, for more than 4 years now, my mother and I have had many experiential trips from Can Tho to Vung Tau, Phan Thiet, Da Lat, Nha Trang, then Da Nang, Hanoi, Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh, Moc Chau...
Such trips not only foster and strengthen the relationship between mother and son, but also help us reduce stress and fatigue when living in the city. These trips are also a way for me to understand my son better, recognize his special things, help him learn lessons from nature, appreciate and love the beauty of life, build confidence, interact and behave appropriately with the environment, awaken all senses and know how to live responsibly with the world around him.
I let Lim freely play in the mud in the lotus pond when I went to the countryside of Nam Dinh, freely scratch the red soil until his clothes were dirty when I visited the tomato farm in Da Lat, or build sand castles under the scorching sun on the beaches of Phan Thiet and Nha Trang. That was the closest and most enjoyable way for him to grasp the differences in soil types, to learn about nature - something that modern children rarely get to touch. He knew the limits and the safe distance when playing with the waves after falling down a few times and drinking a lot of seawater. And after falling and bleeding, he also knew how to control his emotions and asked his mother to take care of his wounds, and he also loved to apply bandages himself.
Child's experience, mother's challenge
When traveling with my child, the thing I focus most on the whole journey is the boy's experiences. You alone will need to control everything to make the trip smooth and safe. I try to balance the needs and interests of both mother and child. Sometimes unexpected situations happen or times of discomfort, the boy has a fit, has a reaction or his experiences are considered unusual, being reminded by people around is also a time to challenge my clear head. But I also need to be clear-headed to realize that real experiences are valuable for the boy. If it is just not pleasing to everyone's eyes, I also need to be steadfast in myself to help my child have new experiences, learn new things.
Sometimes, during our trips, we also had the opportunity to witness the fury of nature. Fear also appeared but we overcame it, and it was a wonderful and profound experience for both mother and son. During the big storm that hit Nha Trang 2 years ago, we were present throughout before, during and after the storm. It was also the first time the boy saw and felt the power of nature, and perhaps that event became an unforgettable mark in the child's memory. After the storm passed, many houses and trees fell down, and I also received the question "Mom, why?" from Lim incessantly.
Adults often worry about taking their children everywhere. From the scorching sun of the sea to the cold, damp fog of the mountains, many people will certainly worry that this will affect the child's health. But I don't think so, for me, trips like this help my son have better health and resistance. The sniffles and mild colds are a good way for him to build up resistance to deal with more serious illnesses later. But in fact, in all our journeys, Lim has never been sick on the road, his resistance and adaptability are much better than mine. Eating and drinking are also not too big of a problem. Play a lot, run out of energy, he will automatically eat well and have very deep sleep. And the best thing about trips like this is that I get to hear his crisp laughter, see his sparkling eyes when he is immersed in new lands.
I think that choosing and having family trips, between mother and child, does not need to wait for the child to grow up. When you love and dare to go, have enough confidence and preparation, you will have trips that bring complete emotions to your children and yourself. There is also no need to rush to choose difficult or arduous paths, start with trips that suit your own experience and interests. That helps you keep the fire burning to continue the journey of exploring the world with your child.
