It was midnight, and the sky above our house exploded into color.
Red sparks, golden rain, smoke drifting slowly in the cold night air. My father stood proudly in the yard, lighting one firework package after another. This year he bought ten. They lasted about five minutes, but those five minutes felt like childhood again.
We were welcoming the Year of the Horse.
This is my third year back in Vietnam for Tet after spending many holidays abroad. And every single year, I feel it more deeply. The luck of being home. The warmth of having both parents waiting for you. The noise. The chaos. The food. The laughter.
Have you ever realized that something you once took for granted is actually the biggest blessing in your life?
The Magic of Tet at Home
Tet in Vietnam is not just a holiday. It is a feeling.
It begins weeks before, when markets are full of flowers and people start cleaning their homes. It peaks at midnight when fireworks fill the sky, and continues for days of visiting relatives, exchanging wishes, and eating more than your stomach can handle.
My mother had been preparing for days.
She made bánh chưng, that iconic square sticky rice cake wrapped in green leaves. She cooked sweet and sour beef, braised pork, pickled vegetables, and so many other traditional dishes that our kitchen looked like a small restaurant.
We hosted parties at our home. Then we went to my uncles’ and aunts’ homes. Each visit meant more food, more stories, more laughter.
And when it was time to leave, my mum packed 20 kilograms of homemade food for me and my little brother to bring back to Ho Chi Minh City.
Twenty kilograms.
Love, in edible form.
After a few weeks at home, I stepped on the scale and saw that I had gained 1.5 kilograms. Honestly? Worth it.
Tet is about abundance. Of food. Of time. Of connection.
And each year I return, I feel more grateful. My parents are getting older. My brother now lives in London. Life is moving fast. Being together is no longer something I assume will always happen.
Leaving Home, Carrying More Than Food
We packed our bags and said goodbye.
There is always a quiet moment after Tet, when the house becomes still again. The decorations are still up, but the guests are gone. Suitcases close. Hugs last a little longer.
When we arrived back at my flat in Ho Chi Minh City, it was almost 1 AM.
We were exhausted. But something inside me whispered, “Don’t break your rhythm.”
At 7 AM, I woke up and went out for an 8 km run.
Returning to Triathlon Training After Tet
The first run after a holiday always feels strange. Your body is slightly heavier. Your legs feel unfamiliar. Your stomach remembers all the sweet desserts.
But as I ran, something shifted.
Sweat replaced fireworks smoke. My breath found a rhythm again.
In the afternoon, I went to swim training. My coach Khoa was still on holiday, so coach Thinh led the session.
Thinh is one of those quietly kind people. Even though I do not train directly with him, he has always messaged me before races to wish me luck. That kind of support matters more than we realize.
He is preparing for the Bau Trang triathlon in a month, the same race I will compete in. So we had plenty to talk about.
During drills, he filmed my strokes and showed me exactly where I was losing efficiency.
“You are rushing your pull.”
“Your body line can be straighter.”
“Relax your shoulders.”
It is humbling to watch yourself on video.
I still have so much to improve in swimming. But I am grateful. Grateful for coaches like Khoa and Thinh. Grateful for last year’s training camps where I learned the basics properly.
Improvement is rarely dramatic. It is small corrections, repeated over and over.
Training With My Little Brother
I brought my little brother to the swimming session.
He loves the water. While I was struggling through drills, he was casually swimming in the lane next to me, completely relaxed.
After training, we had snacks and just chatted.
Simple moments like that feel special. He is only staying with me for a week before flying back to London. I am aware that these shared days are limited.
Training together, even casually, feels like building memories in motion.
Run Better With Company
Saturday was one of those perfect Saigon mornings.
I met Tracy for our first official run together. We had already spoken during Tet to see if there was chemistry. Because working with a pacer is not just about speed. It is about energy.
After running with Jerome and others over the past months, I realized something important. I perform better with company. I run longer. I push harder. I complain less.
Master coach Dong, who designs my triathlon program, and I decided that I should work with a pacer consistently. We discussed a few options and decided on Tracy.
She has been running since 2019 and is well known in the community. My friend Tri worked with her last year and his performance improved significantly. He recommended her to me.
Tracy is busy. Sought after. So it was not guaranteed she would say yes.
But this morning, we ran 20 km easy together in Sala.
The weather was kind. Not too hot. My average heart rate stayed at 141. Controlled. Comfortable.
As we ran, we talked about life, training, discipline.
Learning From Those Ahead of You
We finished our run around the same time Daniel finished his training.
Daniel is currently one of the top triathletes in Vietnam. I am genuinely his fan (see the interview I had with him here).
A few of us, including some of his friends, grabbed coffee nearby.
Listening to him talk about his upcoming races and plans was inspiring. We will both race in Bau Trang next month, though clearly at very different performance levels.
Still, being in that circle matters.
I always feel inspired when I spend time with people who perform better than me.
Not intimidated. Inspired.
Because proximity teaches you things books cannot.
With Tracy, after our 20 km run, she made me walk 1 km to cool down. Then we did 30 minutes of stretching.
Discipline does not end when the watch stops.
It continues in the small, boring details.
The Athlete Mindset After Holidays
After coffee, I went home, did my weekly planning session, had lunch, and took a short nap.
Then I headed back to Sala swimming pool for another session.
Yes, another one.
By the end of the day, I was tired but satisfied.
I cleaned my apartment. Prepared my bike for Sunday’s ride. It would be my first ride in the Year of the Horse.
And as I wiped down my bike chain, I thought about something.
Tet represents renewal. A new beginning. Fresh luck. Clean slate.
But renewal is not just symbolic. It is behavioral.
It is waking up at 7 AM after arriving home at 1 AM.
It is choosing to run when your body feels heavy.
It is stretching when you want to skip it.
It is planning your week instead of scrolling your phone.
Building a Life That Holds Both
As an endurance athlete, people often ask me how I manage work, family, and training.
The truth is, it is rarely perfect.
There are weeks of exhaustion. Days of self doubt. Moments when I wonder why I am doing this.
But weekends like this remind me.
Because when I run at sunrise after fireworks at midnight, I feel aligned.
When I swim while my brother floats in the next lane, I feel grateful.
When I sit with elite athletes and simply listen, I feel motivated.
Life does not need to be extreme to be meaningful. It needs rhythm.
Tet gave me rest and indulgence.
Training gave me structure and clarity.
Together, they create balance.
