Day Thirty-Three - 23/12/25
Day 33 started the same way most mornings do now, an early run before the heat really kicked in, followed by a quick dip in the pool to cool down. After that, it was back to the room, a clean-up, and then breakfast with the family.
Breakfast turned into a bit of a social affair, hanging around and chatting with other families. Kia, however, was very clear that I had jobs to do. Christmas prep was on the agenda, so I headed out to grab a few things for the kids and get some errands sorted.
We’d organised with a group of families who are still around to head over to the Novotel Phu Quoc Resort for the day. They offer a day pass that gives you access to their pools, beach and facilities, so we jumped on the scooter and headed over.
It was an awesome spot. The pools are huge and even with plenty of people around, it never felt crowded. One of the highlights was these handheld underwater motor devices you can hold onto that pull you through the water. The kids were desperate to try them. We talked it through and decided it was a good opportunity for them to spend their money on an experience rather than buying things we can’t really take with us anyway.
Both kids ended up getting one and absolutely loved it. They were flying around the pool, underwater and above water, weaving through other kids who were doing exactly the same thing. Kia and I had a go as well, they were surprisingly fast and a lot of fun.
The rest of the day was nice and relaxed. The kids played with other kids, we spent plenty of time sitting around the pool, and we ordered fish and chips for lunch. Kia had a few drinks with some of the mums, while I took the kids down to check out the beach. There were kayaks, speedboats, parasailing and electric surfboards available, but none were running that day. We were happy enough just keeping things easy.
What stood out was how different it felt compared to our current place. Our pool feels crowded with ten people in it. Here, there were heaps more people, but also heaps more space.
After leaving the resort, we wandered through the markets next door. There was plenty to look at. Clothes, bags, shoes, jackets and souvenirs, but nothing was particularly cheap. The kids were pretty tired after a long day in the sun, and I wasn’t feeling great in the stomach, so we decided to head back instead of hanging around longer.
We grabbed some noodles from the local minimart for the kids’ dinner and headed back to our accommodation. Everyone piled into bed together, we put a movie on, and I started feeling much better after lying down. It ended up being an early night for all of us.
Another really fun day spent with other families, sharing stories, learning about different cultures, and settling further into this way of life. It still feels surreal at times, but days like this are quickly becoming normal and we’re loving it.