It’s been a while since I last sat down to write a blog post. Life lately has been a swirl of projects, emails, and plans that seem to multiply overnight. But beneath all that busyness, something deeper has been unfolding, a slow, quiet kind of healing.
For months, my world revolved around recovery. The crash left me with a bone fracture and weeks of forced stillness. At first, even walking or breathing sent sharp pain through my chest. But healing, like life, rarely happens in straight lines.
Now, as I write this, I’m 95% recovered. I walk an hour every morning and another hour every evening, feeling my body grow lighter and stronger each day. Every step feels like a small miracle.
Walking My Way Back to Strength
The first few days after the doctor cleared me to move again were both terrifying and exhilarating. I remember lacing up my shoes, taking those first hesitant steps outside. My chest still ached, my shoulder stiff, but the morning air felt like medicine.
When pain had been part of every breath, being able to walk briskly again felt like freedom. Slowly, I began rebuilding. One step at a time.
Now I walk with purpose. Mornings are for fresh energy, evenings for reflection. My legs sometimes feel sore, but it’s the kind of soreness that reminds me I’m alive and moving forward.
What walking taught me
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Healing takes patience, not perfection.
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Progress can be quiet, almost invisible, but it’s still progress.
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Gratitude grows stronger when you start from zero again.
Have you ever gone through something that forced you to slow down and then realized that slowing down was exactly what you needed?
The Body’s Gentle Lessons
Every week, I visit my physiotherapist. She works magic with her hands, easing the tension that built up in my right shoulder after the crash. It’s strange how the body remembers pain even after the bone heals.
During one session, she said, “Your body knows how to heal. You just have to listen to it.”
That sentence stayed with me. For years, I had pushed my body hard, early swims, long rides, late-night work sessions. I equated strength with endurance. But now I see that strength also means knowing when to rest, when to breathe, and when to let go.
Recovery isn’t just about repairing a broken bone. It’s about rebuilding trust with your own body. I’ve been learning to treat mine with more care, stretching, massaging sore muscles, resting when it whispers for a pause.
The Quiet Joy of Movement
Some mornings, I still catch myself smiling mid-walk. The sun spills across the path, the city slowly wakes up, and I feel grounded again.
A few months ago, I couldn’t even walk without holding my breath. Now, I’m planning to return to triathlon training, hopefully in a few weeks. The Bau Trang Triathlon in April 2026 has become a quiet goal on my horizon.
It’s about showing up for myself, honoring how far I’ve come. Every stride feels like a thank-you note to my body, for its resilience, for not giving up on me even when I doubted it.
Finding Meaning Through UWC
Outside of training, another part of my life has been deeply fulfilling lately, my work with UWC Vietnam.
We just closed the application intake yesterday, and even after a quick glance, I can already see some incredible candidates. Reading their stories reminds me of my own journey years ago, hopeful, idealistic, and full of dreams to make the world a little better.
This year’s fundraising has also been a heartwarming experience. I personally reached out to more than 200 alumni, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Together, we’ve raised around VND 70 million out of our 80 million target.
The funds will help us organize two in-person Selection Days in January, a chance to meet these young dreamers face-to-face. Many alumni even sent thank-you notes back, saying they were grateful to be given the opportunity to give back.
Moments like that remind me why I do this work. It’s not just about logistics or planning events. It’s about building a circle of care that keeps expanding.
Balancing Work and Gratitude
Between UWC work, new projects at the company, and the upcoming Sunny Valley plans, my days have been full. But instead of feeling overwhelmed, I feel grounded.
It’s a rare season of alignment, where everything I’m doing feels connected to a larger purpose.
Work has been exciting, with several projects now moving from planning to execution. I’m learning to manage my energy better, not just my time. And I’m becoming more intentional about what deserves my attention.
Each day, I remind myself:
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To focus on what matters most
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To celebrate small wins
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To pause and say “thank you”
Gratitude really is a muscle. It gets stronger the more you use it.
Creating for the Next Generation
One of the things that fills me with purpose lately is building Sunny Valley, a space for young people in Vietnam to explore mindfulness, growth, and purpose.
I’ve been reflecting a lot on how to create content that truly helps, not just inspires for a moment, but stays with the reader after they close the page.
Sometimes, I overthink the structure, the SEO, the analytics. But at the heart of it, I know what matters most: honesty. If I write with truth and presence, it will reach the people it’s meant to reach.
This project has become my personal meditation, a way to slow down and share light.
The Season of Gratitude
As the year draws to a close, I keep returning to one simple thought: gratitude changes everything.
It softens the hard edges of pain.
It transforms recovery into reflection.
It turns ordinary mornings into moments of peace.
I’m grateful for my health returning. For the UWC community that keeps showing up. For the opportunity to work on meaningful projects. And for everyone who believes in the journey I’m on.
The past months reminded me that even when things fall apart, there’s always something quietly rebuilding underneath. Sometimes that something is you.
Gentle Reminders for the Week Ahead
If you’re reading this and feeling stuck or slow, whether in your body, your work, or your dreams, remember this:
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Healing doesn’t happen overnight. But it does happen.
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Every step forward, no matter how small, still counts.
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Gratitude multiplies when you share it.
Take a walk. Write one thank-you message. Notice one thing that feels good today.
Life moves fast, but growth happens in stillness.
As I prepare for the week ahead, walking, writing, and reconnecting, I feel a deep sense of peace. My body is healing, my mind is steady, and my heart feels open.
The road back to training for Bau Trang Triathlon will be long, but I’m in no rush. What matters most is that I’m moving again, with gratitude as my compass.
Because at the end of the day, it’s not about how fast we recover, it’s about how gently we return to ourselves.