The 30-Day Writing Challenge
#LivingWriters #Viettothon30days
Week 1 – Day 4 – 24^th Jan 2025
Topic #3: Where you feel safe

“A house is just a cage when you don’t feel safe.”
This is a quote I’ve held close for many years. I remember coming up with it while standing on the balcony of my rented apartment one lonely night. I even took a photo of that balcony—it resembled a prison door, or maybe a cage. It was a dark time, and the feelings I had then were heavy and negative.

I haven’t yet found my true home, but I’ve always had a dream house in my mind, ever since I was a child. I first drew it for a painting contest organized by OMO, a brand from Unilever. The topic was “Your Dream Work,” and I painted three pictures: a flower shop owner, a fashion designer, and a farmer living in a cozy little house on a grassy hill. That house stuck with me. Over the years, I’ve drawn similar houses many times. I even remember a friend—my dad’s friend’s son—asking me to draw those houses on the hill again and again. He now lives in Finland, where I imagine he can see those dreamy landscapes more vividly in real life.

For me, safety and peace come from being surrounded by greenery—forests, hills, and the sounds of nature. Listening to birds chirping, streams flowing, and other natural sounds brings calm to my heart and makes me feel safe. That’s why I listen to natural soundscapes every day, even while working.

I didn’t fully realize how much these natural settings meant to me until one day at the hospital. As usual, I disliked being there; hospitals always carry a heavy, uncomfortable atmosphere. I was waiting nervously for some test results, my stomach in knots. Then, a TV screen in front of me displayed a serene natural landscape, perhaps an island from a Western country—like something out of an insurance commercial. I immediately felt calm, like I had been to that place before or knew it intimately. It was familiar and comforting in a way I hadn’t expected.

That’s why I find my deepest happiness when trekking or walking in the forest, surrounded by nature. I could walk for hours, saying nothing, just listening to the sounds of the world around me. Sometimes I’ll take a few photos, but mostly, my mind becomes a space for reflection on the past and dreams of a bright future—of my dream house.

People often say we have two houses: one to live in and one to rest in. But for me, I dream of a home that feels like I’m on vacation every single day. My future house will be a place where peace welcomes me every time I walk through the door—a true sanctuary where I can feel safe, happy, and whole.

Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don’t need to escape from.

Seth Godin

Thank you for your readings.

***

Updated 9th Feb, 2025

Life is truly incredible. Sometimes, the things you least expect just happen—like a little miracle.

I wrote above article on January 24th during Lunar New Year, mentioning an old childhood friend. He was someone I had only met a few times when we were kids. Our fathers were close friends, so we occasionally saw each other, but then his family moved to another province, and I never saw him again. For over 25 years.

At one point, he moved to Finland, and I reached out to him once to ask for advice about my master’s studies. But after that, we never contact again. So for more than 25 years, I never thought about meeting him in real life again.

Then, suddenly, on January 30th, just six days after I wrote about him, he showed up at my house.

I was completely shocked.

He had changed so much over the years that I barely recognized him. But as soon as I saw his father, I knew it had to be him. I hesitated for a moment, then asked, “Are you S.?” And yes—it was really him.

More than 25 years without seeing each other, never expecting to meet again, and then, out of nowhere, he was standing in my house with his parents. Turns out, he had been back in Vietnam for a year! My mom kept saying how unbelievable it was, and honestly, I still can’t process it.

If everything I write comes true, maybe I’m actually a witch and need to be careful about what I put into words. HAHAHA!

But I take this as a sign. A sign from the universe. He returned to Vietnam, and maybe that means it’s my turn to go to Scandinavia. A switch. It suddenly feels so close to my dream. HAHAHA!

(I used ChatGPT to generate the picture for this updated article, but not really satisfied with the results this time, anyway, that’s the best they could do).