Week Seven: The Highs, the Lows & Everything In Between
We spent this week based around Hoi An, with time in nearby countryside and a shift toward a rural farmstay outside the city. It felt like a transition week, easing out of busy movement and into slower, more grounded days.
The Highs
• Settling into rhythm
Late starts, long breakfasts by the pool, and nowhere we had to be. That sense of exhale we’ve been chasing showed up properly this week.
• The kids’ shop adventures
Watching Maddie and Emmett confidently set up their little roadside shop again was a standout. Problem-solving, negotiating, counting money, and owning the experience without us stepping in.
• Great accommodation
Comfortable beds, space to spread out, and a pool that became the centre of our days. It’s amazing how much better life feels when sleep improves.
• Connection with people
Conversations with hosts, guests, and locals felt deeper and less transactional. Fewer “tourist moments”, more real ones.
• Farm life immersion
Ending the week at the farmstay brought a different kind of richness. Shared meals, stories, and purpose beyond ourselves.
The Lows
• Tired bodies
Our bodies are still adjusting to this slower pace of life.
• Basic discomforts
Hard beds, tight bunks, broken sleep, and early starts at the farm reminded us that simple living comes with trade-offs.
• Physical work reality check
Animal duties, cleaning pens, and early mornings were confronting after weeks of relative comfort.
Standout Moments
• New Year energy lingering
Even days after New Year’s, there was still a sense of reset in how we moved and thought.
• The coconut incident
A cracked coconut, juice everywhere, Emmett in tears then delight as we turned chaos into a shared moment. Pure family memory gold.
• Meeting Ha at the farm
Hearing his vision for a volunteer-built teaching farm for local students was genuinely inspiring. It reframed the hard work as contribution, not just labour.
• Choosing jobs for the next day
A small thing, but meaningful. The kids seeing how communities organise work and trust people to contribute.
Lessons Learnt
• Slow travel isn’t passive
It still asks something of you. Presence, patience, and adaptability matter more than planning.
• Comfort affects everything
Sleep quality quietly dictates mood, energy, and how well we show up for each other.
• Kids thrive with responsibility
Given space and trust, they step up far beyond what school or routine life often allows.
• Community makes effort lighter
Shared meals and shared purpose soften even the hardest days.
Reflection
Week 7 had less novelty, more depth, fewer highlights to chase and more meaning to sit with. We’re feeling like Vietnam is home now as we are immersing ourselves in daily life.
There were moments of tiredness and discomfort, but also a growing calm. A quiet confidence that we don’t need every day to be big for it to be valuable. This week was another reminder of why we chose this path in the first place. To trade speed for substance, convenience for connection, and certainty for growth.
As we move forward, the goal isn’t to do more. It’s to feel more.