High housing prices, rising living costs, traffic congestion and mounting pressure have prompted many young people to leave Hanoi and HCMC in search of a different pace of life. But some choose neither to leave the city nor their hometown behind: they travel dozens of kilometers to work every day and return home in the evening to enjoy a quieter life.

For the past 10 years, Nguyen Thi Huong, born in 1993 and from Hanoi, has regularly gotten up at 6am every day.

After about half an hour getting ready, she leaves her home in Hoang Xa Village, Yen Lang Commune (formerly Hoang Kim Commune, Me Linh District), and rides her motorbike about 40km to her workplace in the area of Bach Mai Ward (formerly Hai Ba Trung District).

“My work starts at 8am. To get there on time, I have to get up early and leave home before 6:30am. I then take the old National Highway 5 route and cross Vinh Tuy Bridge.

“If I leave early, I can avoid rush-hour traffic in the inner city. If I leave just 15-20 minutes later, I may end up being late for work,” she said.

According to Huong, her decision to “work in the city, live in the suburbs” stems from her desire to save money, avoid pollution and the hustle and bustle of city life, stay close to her family, and make use of food produced in her hometown.

After getting married, with her husband working in their hometown, she decided to commute between the two places so she could keep her city job while living close to her family.

“I thought it would be easier for one person to make a change than for the whole family to change. Life in the countryside is better, homes are more spacious and everyone has a stable life, so I chose to return home,” she said.

The 33-year-old woman calculated that if she chose to live and work in the city, she could save a few hundred thousand dong a month on fuel and avoid long commutes, but would spend about VND7 million a month, or two-thirds of her income on other expenses.

Of that amount, about VND3 million would go toward rent, with the rest covering living expenses, food and other costs.

She figured that after paying for essential expenses, little would be left over. Even after saving for decades, she would still be unlikely to afford a house or apartment in the city.

Meanwhile, if she moved permanently back to her hometown, it would be difficult for her to find a job matching her professional expertise while offering the same income and benefits as her current position.

“Although I have to travel about 80km and spend around two hours commuting every day, I still feel this is the most suitable choice for me. I can keep my current job and stable income while living close to my family in a spacious private home,” Huong said.

Savings, better health

Every day, after arranging for her children and making sure everything at home is taken care of, she leaves home and spends about an hour traveling to work.

She said that although riding a motorbike is more tiring and potentially more dangerous, it gives her greater control and flexibility than traveling by car and helps her avoid being stuck in traffic during rush hour.

Because she works for a foreign company with flexible working hours, she can also choose a schedule that suits her personally, from 8am to 5.15pm.

On days with bad weather, heavy rain or storms, her company also allows employees to work remotely.

In winter, she wears several layers of clothing and covers herself with a hat and scarf to stay warm and avoid getting chilled during the long ride.

Huong admits that the only downside is the long commute.

In return, however, she gains many things: she saves about VND7 million a month; her physical and mental health have improved noticeably; her children receive help from their grandparents with transportation and childcare; she can feel reassured about using clean food every day; and she has a spacious, comfortable home.

Thao Trinh