The “Billionaire of Time"

Waking up in a homestay surrounded on all four sides by plants, flowers, and leaves, Nguyen Thị Kim Trinh (49, HCMC) opened the door to welcome the dawn. Brewing a cup of coffee, she sat at the edge of the swimming pool located halfway up the hill to enjoy the chilly weather of the highlands.

This place is a temporary stop on her endless journey of wandering. 

The passion for travel has followed Trinh since her youth.

15 years ago, while still working for a foreign company, during each Tet holiday, she would spend 20 days to 1 month traveling abroad. Up to now, she has set foot in 29 countries, passing through 5 continents.

Two years ago, she decided to retire early to live for herself. She submitted her resignation in the morning; that evening she flew to Paris, France.

There, she made a 4-month trip through 5 European countries. Then she went to Turkey, Morocco, Laos, and returned to Vietnam.

Back home, she celebrated Tet holiday in Phu Quoc, stayed 45 days in Da Nang and Hoi An. After that, she bought a motorbike to ride through the Central provinces up to the Northeast and Northwest.

“I chose single life. Before retiring, I prepared financially and no longer have to worry about making ends meet.

In mid-March, I turned down an interpreting project with a salary of over VND40 million per month to have more time to care for myself. I often joke that now I’m a ‘time billionaire.’

So, I choose to live nomadically from place to place. I go where the season is most beautiful, the weather is coolest, giving me the most comfort, and stay there until I want to leave,” she said.

On her nomadic path, she chooses to wander alone. She calls her trips "slow backpacking" because she wants to stay at her stops for as long as she likes.

“On the journey to explore Vietnam, I have stopped at 86 different accommodations: from beautiful little homestays, affordable motels, and comfortable hotels to peaceful resorts.

When traveling, I enjoy the roads, the strange roofs, and the unarranged meetings.

I realize that the most precious thing is not how far I have traveled, but that each morning I wake up, the feeling of eagerness for the road ahead remains completely intact,” she confided.

Fateful meetings

On her solo travel journey, she faced heart-stopping moments many times. She once rode a motorbike for 120 kilometers along a border road with no residential houses and no phone signal from Chi Ma border gate (Lang Son) to Hoanh Mo (Quang Ninh).

She also remembered the time she was stuck for many days in Pac Bo (Cao Bang) due to rainstorms and landslides. There, she had many beautiful memories and was particularly moved when imagining the scene of President Ho Chi Minh living and working in extremely difficult conditions.

During long trips, she also met people and immersed herself in romantic love affairs. That was the time she went to Turkey during days when the scenery was in full bloom. At that moment, a local man made her heart flutter.

The two had 2 romantic weeks together. But because she did not want to end her wandering journey yet, she decided to leave Turkey for Morocco.

Afterward, the two still kept in touch and met in Cuba and Vietnam. Finally, because they had their own ideals, the two decided to maintain a friendship.

The most recent time she met and loved was in Vung Tau, former Ba Ria - Vung Tau province. She had plans with 3 friends and by chance met a French man. After talking, both felt a connection.

Even so, this sweet romance lasted only over 1 month.

“I choose to live true to myself. When I love, I love wholeheartedly. But I also don’t give up my journey for anyone.

More importantly, until now, I still haven’t met someone who could make me stop this wandering journey for them,” she said.

Currently, Kim is temporarily staying in Nam Ban commune, Lam Ha, Lam Dong province. She plans to go to Nepal in September, staying at the foot of the Himalayas for about 6 weeks. Then, she will go to India with a one-way ticket, with no return date set.

Ha Nguyen