(Dan Tri) - Hanna used to love shopping and own many branded items, but now she has cut down on her material needs as much as possible. She and her husband use second-hand items, live frugally, and only buy things that cannot be exchanged.
All plans change when you have children.
American girl Hanna Larsen (30 years old) met and got to know Thanh Duc (37 years old, from Nghe An) when they both attended an acting audition in Cat Ba (Hai Phong). Their love bore sweet fruit in the form of a little daughter.
Previously, Hanna planned to live long-term in Vietnam because it has many beautiful landscapes and abundant fruit sources, suitable for her vegan lifestyle.
However, when she was pregnant, Hanna wanted to be close to her family so she decided to return to the US to visit her parents.
Her mother tried her best to convince her daughter to stay in the US to give birth so she could enjoy the best welfare benefits for mothers and children in this most developed country in the world.
However, Hanna and her husband decided to leave the city and return to the countryside. The beautiful girl confided that their daughter was the biggest motivation for both of them to give up their comfortable life.
"I have always loved living close to nature, in places with lots of fruit trees and beautiful scenery. When I knew I was having a child, I thought about giving birth and raising my child in a place with fresh air, birdsong and lots of trees and grass.
When living in such a place, people will be more comfortable, breathe easier and can live more slowly. In particular, I can focus on the most important things like time with my child. During this period, I want to accompany my child instead of sending him to daycare while burying myself in work," she said.
Hanna and her husband chose to live in the Andes Mountains in southern Ecuador, known as the "Valley of Longevity" - a valley where many people live long lives thanks to healthy habits.
This area has many high mountains, no shortage of rivers with pure water and beautiful waterfalls. Here, she has both the living space she wants and the convenience to meet her family in the US.
Live frugally by exchanging and using other people's old things.
Currently, the American girl is creating content for a vegetarian company in Vietnam. Occasionally, she sells organic products because she wants to share healthy food with the community.
Her husband, Thanh Duc, has income from real estate in Vietnam. In his free time, he often teaches Salsa dancing to people who have the same hobby.
Despite having a stable income from real estate in Vietnam, the couple chooses a minimalist lifestyle.
The reason is that life in the peaceful countryside has made them change many of their living habits. They used to love shopping, owning many shoes, cosmetics, and branded goods, but now the American girl has cut down on her material needs as much as possible.
She cares about environmental issues, minimizing "damage" to nature, and limiting waste. She and her Vietnamese husband use old things, make organic products such as soap and shampoo, save on living expenses by exchanging clothes and belongings with people around them, and only buy things that cannot be exchanged.
Hanna said: "There are a lot of young mothers in the community. We often share baby things with each other.
Every now and then, my mother in America sends my daughter new clothes. When my daughter outgrows a dress, I give it to a younger girl."
The wooden house where the two lived with their daughter since she was born.
According to Hanna, the "valley of longevity" is about 50% local, the rest of the residents come from many different countries. People not only have in common a love of nature. They also especially appreciate the family element.
They almost forget about the existence of technological devices, limiting the use of phones. Here people often meet, play music, dance or go hiking together.
For Hanna, sometimes when friends or relatives send messages or call, it takes half a day for her to reply.
Some people in the community are retired. Some make crafts to sell. And Hanna and her husband choose to work remotely.
Teach your children multilingualism to make their lives more colorful.
Wanting to spread the wonderful benefits of living in harmony with nature, Hanna occasionally shares a few pictures and clips on social networks.
Many people expressed admiration for the couple's peaceful life, away from the dust of the city and the pressure of making money and making a living.
But there are also some opinions that living like that is "miserable" and "boring"... Even Thanh Duc's father is worried that he will have a hard time.
However, the couple shared that they feel happy with their current life because each day is very lively. They discovered their own abilities when they can adapt to the lack of conveniences, serve their own needs, and make useful products.
The beautiful daughter gets to explore nature every day.
For the Vietnamese-American couple, moving away from the city helps them live simply and listen to what they need most: love and time with important people.
In this valley, Hanna and Duc do not go to restaurants, nor do they have luxurious meals. Every day, when cooking breakfast for her children, Hanna will make herself a smoothie from papaya or mango...
"I take healthy eating very seriously. I have been on a 100% fruit-based vegetarian diet since living in Vietnam. Even though I only eat fruit, I still run marathons every day and once completed a 42km distance in Phu Quoc. Currently, I still mainly eat fruit for 3 meals," the American girl said.
The couple therefore feed their children a lot of fruits and vegetables on the daily menu. They never give their children sugar and rarely use spices when cooking. Occasionally, Duc cooks Asian dishes such as noodles or rice.
Anh Duc has a habit of eating boiled vegetables in the morning and Vietnamese dishes such as corn, cassava, and boiled sweet potatoes.
In the morning, the Vietnamese man takes his daughter out for a walk and sunbathes so his wife can have some time for herself. While the child is napping, the couple will take advantage of the time to study Spanish, read, work or spend time together.
In the afternoon, they go for walks together, go to the woods, go dancing or go to the rivers to bathe.
Because they want their children to preserve their roots, the couple spends a lot of time teaching their child Vietnamese and English. Currently, she can understand 3 languages (English, Vietnamese and Spanish).
"I think it is important to teach children to be multilingual and I believe that their lives will be more colorful if they understand many cultures and languages of the people around them.
I only speak English to my son, Duc speaks only Vietnamese. When he goes out, he hears Spanish from the locals. He has already started saying a few words in Vietnamese. My heart was touched when he first called me "mom" in Vietnamese.
Currently, the two have not set a date to return to Vietnam because they want to continue their journey of discovery throughout South America.
"However, in the near future, I will definitely return to Vietnam. To me, this is my second home, a land I love very much," Hanna Larsen shared.
Photo: Character provided
Dantri.com.vn
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