The achievement opened the door to expectations of a stable career in major cities and even potential overseas study opportunities.

As expected, after graduation, Lien worked in landscape architecture with a stable income that comfortably supported her life.

However, the pressure and confinement of big-city living gradually affected her mental well-being.

One day while reading a book, she came across two questions: “What truly makes you happy?” and “At the age of 60, what would you regret not doing?”

“When I answered honestly, I realized that I love countryside life, nature, animals and simple things like admiring a wildflower by the roadside. Living close to the things I love is what happiness means to me. Working in landscape architecture also allowed me to visit beautiful gardens and better understand how people can live harmoniously with nature, which made me love rural life even more,” Lien shared.

At the end of 2018, she made the life-changing decision to leave the city and return to her hometown.

Still unwilling to abandon the field she had studied so hard for, Lien continued working remotely for a landscape architecture company while also helping her family manage agricultural production.

Rebuilding the family farm after hardship

Back in her hometown, Lien’s parents operated a farm raising chickens, pigs and shrimp.

After returning home, Lien became an important support for the family, contributing fresh ideas to help expand the farm. Only then did she realize that farming was far more difficult than she had imagined.

Over the years, she and her family have struggled through disease outbreaks, storms and repeated financial setbacks.

In 2020, African swine fever caused devastating losses, forcing the family to cull more than 100 pigs.

Combined with major investments in livestock facilities and prolonged declines in pork prices, the family ultimately decided to stop raising pigs altogether.

Later, they attempted to switch to fish farming. However, unstable demand and low prices meant profits fell short of expectations.

At one point, large tilapia sold for only around VND20,000 ($0.77) per kilogram, while smaller fish fetched just a few thousand dong.

After several adjustments, the family eventually shifted toward freshwater shrimp farming combined with free-range chicken raising.

Today, the family operates a shrimp pond covering around 6,000sqm alongside a flock of 1,200 to 1,500 chickens, providing a stable source of income.

In crop cultivation, severe storms also caused major damage.

Typhoon Yagi in 2024 destroyed nearly 500 jackfruit trees and many other fruit crops on the family farm.

As a result, the family decided to transition to areca palm cultivation, which is better suited to the local environment and more resistant to strong winds.

Today, the farm has gradually stabilized with shrimp ponds, free-range chickens and rows of green areca palms, creating both a sustainable livelihood and a living space closely connected to nature.

Through these challenging yet transformative experiences, Lien realized that agriculture is a long journey filled with both success and failure.

Faith and lessons learned after each setback became the motivation that helped her grow stronger over time.

“I’ve received so much love from my family and feel deeply connected to my hometown. That has become my greatest source of motivation,” she said.

Alongside the hardships, Lien says she has also gained many valuable things from her decision to leave the city.

She treasures peaceful mornings, moments of relaxation and the sight of wind moving across the pond and through rows of green trees.

For her, simple moments such as chatting with her mother beneath the areca palms or quietly watching sunsets in the countryside were once distant dreams during her years struggling in the city.

Now, those simple wishes have become reality.

“The pressure of work has eased significantly, and I have more time to stay close to my parents and loved ones. That is the most precious gift I’ve received from returning home,” Lien said.

“Although returning to the countryside meant giving up certain career opportunities in major cities, what I gained in return was a deeper connection with nature, family and my hometown.”

In her free time, Lien films and uploads videos about everyday countryside life.

She says she feels especially touched when viewers comment that the peaceful scenes help “heal” them and ease the exhaustion of fast-paced urban living.

“I don’t think countryside life is necessarily better than city life, or vice versa. I simply hope my story encourages young people to bravely choose the life they truly want. Whether in the city or the countryside, if you understand yourself and dare to begin, things may not be as difficult as you imagine,” she said.

Thanh Minh - Ngoc Vi