Supermodel Ha Anh and the journey to a sweet and lasting marriage

My marriage

We got married in the summer of 2016, after two years of dating and getting to know each other. My husband - Olly Dowden - is a very responsible and affectionate husband and father. Since last year when we had Myla, this has been "proven" and increased when he is always there to encourage, care for, praise and share the work with his wife, even in the smallest things.

We always know that marriage is not always full of roses, but we always try to be for each other, together going through the difficult and dark moments that everyone has to go through, every couple has. For us, marriage is a special journey where you and your partner voluntarily commit to each other with all your heart about loyalty, responsibility in life and always constantly renew and nurture to bring romantic feelings to your relationship. Olly and I still often have private dates like the first day of love to know that our feelings for each other are still full, to understand the love that led us to this marriage, to temporarily put aside the fatigue out there and to know how to make more efforts for the most lasting love.

Travel connects hearts

My husband and I have many things in common in our interests and lifestyle, especially our dynamic personalities, our love of experiencing and traveling to new lands to broaden our worldview about culture, people, cuisine and life in each country. From the time we fell in love until having Myla, we have traveled across Vietnam and all over the world. When Myla was just over a month old, she traveled with her parents to Da Nang - one of the family's favorite and meaningful places, where Olly proposed to me and where our wedding took place three years ago.

When we were in love, traveling helped us relax, unwind, feel light and fresh, and awaken inspiration and exploration in each other. I still remember that on the occasion of America's Independence Day, we had a wonderful trip to Malibu and Venice Beach. At that time, Olly and I just rested and... rested, enjoying together the most beautiful moments from dawn to dusk in an extremely carefree and romantic way.

Once we became husband and wife, the “nature” of a trip also became different. It was not simply an “excuse” to have some private, romantic time, to warm up the feelings, to create a new atmosphere for the relationship, but also to help the marriage become easier to breathe and we had the opportunity to get closer to each other in the true sense. We “coexisted” – especially when we had a baby – in a new land, for nothing more than to bond, to see each other’s difficulties, to understand, to tolerate and to transform our feelings to a higher level than ever.

At the same time, when we became husband and wife, traveling was no longer just for us, but it was also a bridge connecting the two families. We currently live and work in Ho Chi Minh City, while my biological parents live in Hanoi and my husband's parents live in France; not to mention Olly himself was born and raised in London - the capital of England, where I also studied and worked for 9 years. Therefore, family trips now often include Myla's paternal or maternal grandparents - sometimes the whole extended family if my husband's parents visit Vietnam. This has invisibly created a great spiritual bond to nurture the feelings of husband and wife, parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren, and daughters-in-law and sons-in-law. I also want my daughter to always feel the love from her family from childhood to adulthood, just like I always had my parents and grandparents by my side to experience and follow me through my life from my innocent childhood to adulthood and my own marriage like now.

Journey to a lasting marriage

As adults, Olly and I have had certain experiences in love. We are not romantic in the unrealistic way, thinking that if we love each other, we will be happy forever. My husband and I believe that love can only be strong when both of us work together to build it. Olly and I always care about each other's needs and changes, participate in each other's personal lives, and give each other space when needed. Those are the factors that determine the strength of our love.

Before and after having children, my husband and I still maintain absolute love, respect and appreciation for each other. When we have children, there is more admiration and affection between us. Every time he watches his wife take care of and breastfeed the child, my husband hugs both mother and child, caresses and caresses them. And my heart is filled with love and extreme connection when I see my husband taking care of and playing with my child. Or many times, during long trips away from home, he often arranges everything himself and does the housework for his wife - from washing, drying clothes to folding clothes, washing dishes, cleaning the house - so that I have time to take care of Myla. Just the act of sharing simple, ordinary tasks with me is enough to feel full of happiness.

And remember, always talk to each other about your feelings. Besides the sweet trips, no matter how busy we are, we still arrange time to go on dinner dates, dress up, hold hands intimately, exchange common stories with each other along with loving and affectionate gestures at all times. Let's work together, make efforts and love each other, so that every time we lie down on the bed, just a tight handshake from our partner is enough to understand how much love is connected in marriage.

Ha Anh