Most mornings, before the world wakes up and my phone starts buzzing, I sit in stillness. It’s just me, my breath, and a few quiet minutes to connect. Over time, this small practice has become the most important part of my day. I used to think I needed something dramatic to feel better—green juices, intense […]
Dear Younger Me, You’re probably lying awake in your little room, staring at the ceiling, wondering—what am I supposed to do with my life? You think everyone else seems to know. You scroll through your social media feed and see peers with straight-A grades, polished resumes, confident smiles, and dream schools. And there you are—still […]
Ironman training isn’t just about endurance. It’s about transformation. When I first signed up for my first Ironman 70.3 more than 2 years ago, I thought I was preparing for a triathlon. What I didn’t realize was that I was about to undergo a complete mindset shift. This journey became more than just swimming, cycling, […]
A Valley That Didn’t Exist—So I Created It Some journeys don’t begin with a bold announcement. They begin quietly—with a question, a moment of pause, a longing we don’t yet have words for. For me, Sunny Valley began like that. I was sitting with a cup of green tea one morning, as the soft hum […]
Introduction When people ask me what experience changed my life the most, I always go back to the same memory: the day I boarded a plane at 17 years old and flew across the world from Vietnam to Canada. I was heading to Pearson College UWC, one of the schools in the United World Colleges […]
I still remember the first time I created a vision board. It was during my secondary school years, in my hometown in Vietnam. I had a big dream—to study abroad. That dream felt far away, but something in me believed it could be possible. So I gathered old magazines, cut out inspiring words and images […]
The Power of Pen and Paper I love writing. In an age of constant noise, swiping, and scrolling, journaling has become my way of pausing—of listening inwards instead of outwards. It’s a practice of returning to myself. Over the years, I’ve experimented with many types of journal prompts. Some were simple reflection questions, others were […]
It’s always peaceful about waking up early on a Saturday morning, especially when you know most of the world is still under the covers. That quiet moment before the city stirs feels like a small victory, like you’ve overcome the temptation to snooze and gifted yourself the day before it even begins. I cherish Saturdays […]
When I look back on the journey that brought me from a small town in Vietnam to studying and living in different countries, I can trace much of it back to a simple but powerful tool: a vision board. It may sound like magic, but it isn’t. A vision board is a mirror of your […]
Tonight, I wrapped up my second training session of the day—swimming practice with Coach Khoa at 8 PM. As I walked home and sat down to unwind, I felt an overwhelming sense of pride. It’s hard to describe the calm that follows a tough but fulfilling workout. Today’s session was full of leg drills and […]