"The eldest daughter, 17, was in charge of managing the itinerary, expenses, and luggage. The 13-year-old son took on the role of navigating, constantly reminding his mother of road signs and speed limits, while also taking photos and recording videos throughout the trip. The youngest sister, 7, had the duty of playing well and not disturbing her mother while driving."

That was the "task assignment sheet" that Thanh Mai (43, an office worker in Hanoi) and her three children agreed to carry out throughout their 9-day, 8-night journey.

For Mai, the trip was not just for her children to sightsee or have fun during the summer. Every stop was calculated, and every member had a specific role, turning the journey into a "practical classroom" for life skills, teamwork training, and adding historical knowledge about the country.

The "Summer Project" 

The idea of taking her children to travel through Central Vietnam had been cherished by Mai for more than three years, after she read a shared post by a family who had driven across Vietnam. At that time, she did not even have a driver's license.

At the end of 2023, the mother decided to learn how to drive. Instead of rushing into a long journey, she started with trips taking her children to visit their hometown about 70km from Hanoi, then gradually increased to routes of 100–200km around the North to accumulate experience.

Before the April 30 holiday, Mai officially asked her children if they wanted to take a longer trip during the summer vacation. The three children immediately agreed.

"I joined groups sharing experiences of driving across Vietnam, read many articles, and then manually took notes and created a detailed spreadsheet of the itinerary for each day: departure times, rest stops, accommodations, and eateries," she recounted.

She calculated so that they could check into their rooms for a midday rest at around 1:00–2:00 PM every day, so that the youngest daughter didn’t have to sleep in the car.

"I was the only driver on the trip and had children with me, so we couldn't just stop wherever we liked. Thorough preparation helped me be more proactive and gave me greater peace of mind," Mai shared.

Before the departure date, the car was thoroughly inspected. Mai simultaneously used Google Maps and Vietmap Live for navigation. The luggage was also neatly prepared: instead of using large suitcases, the mother and her children divided their clothes into separate bags for each day, so that upon checking in each time, they only needed to open the exact bag of items required.

The family also agreed on a special rule: on every long stretch of road, the three children were not allowed to sleep at the same time. There always had to be at least one person awake to talk to their mother to help her stay alert while driving.

Thanks to careful preparation, most of the itinerary went according to plan. "The children usually love to sleep, but throughout the 9 days, they all voluntarily woke up at 4:30–5:00 AM. In the morning, the mother and her children moved and participated in outdoor activities before 10:00 AM; rested at noon, continued exploring in the afternoon, and minimized driving at night as much as possible," Mai recounted.

Even so, minor incidents still occured. The family left behind their handbags, computer, and camera three times, but the owners of the eateries and homestays proactively contacted them to return the items.

"What the four of us remember most after the trip is not just the beautiful scenery, but the kindness of the people we met along the way. Perhaps seeing only a mother and her children traveling together, people everywhere very enthusiastically inquired and helped us," Mai shared.

Lessons not found in textbooks

Mai determined that the trip would not only consist of beaches and famous check-in spots. Half of the journey was dedicated to historical relics such as the Quang Tri Old Citadel, Thach Han River, Hien Luong Bridge, Vinh Moc Tunnels, and Dong Loc Junction.

Before the trip, Mai's son had watched the movies Red Rain and The Scent of Burning Grass multiple times and had always wished for an opportunity to visit the Quang Tri Old Citadel, where thousands of soldiers fell.

Meanwhile, the youngest daughter caused a surprise by walking through all three levels of the Vinh Moc Tunnels by herself, listening attentively to the tour guide's explanation and constantly asking interesting questions.

Linh Trang