What is a Good Life? | Hanoi, Vietnam

Added: 2026-05-12

[00:00:12]What is a good life?

[00:00:15]Is it chasing the next big thing in pursuit of something greater than us?

[00:00:21]>> Good morning. This is what my day looks like on a business trip.

[00:00:28]It's actually my first business trip of the year. Last year, I think I went on five five business trips. I saw my dad have so much business trips when I was growing older, so I thought I'd wanted to be something like that. I wanted to do something like that. So, I kind of manifested this while I was still young.

[00:00:43]Is it comprised of slow days sulking in the world around?

[00:00:48]I'm 25 and as I grow older, I think that question's been lingering in the back of my mind.

[00:00:54]What does a life well-lived look like?

[00:01:02]>> I found my answer in Vietnam.

[00:01:09]>> You can do it.

[00:01:22]Now, Vietnam's not just a place of good cheap food.

[00:01:26]Well, don't get me wrong, I'm obsessed with buncha and bame at this point, but there's a way of life that's so intriguing.

[00:01:35]So, why Vietnam?

[00:01:38]>> Well, the simple answer, chairs. Tiny ones everywhere.

[00:01:45]Whether in Ho Chi Min or Hanoi, you'll see them everywhere. In nice cafes, along the street, almost every corner will most definitely have them. You'd see friends gather around in tight spaces, family sharing meals elbow to elbow, and people just by themselves drinking coffee, watching motorcycles go by.

[00:02:11]It's a way of life.

[00:02:14]A way that reminds you that even the simplest of places, the cheapest cuisine can be enjoyable.

[00:02:21]At home, you're taught to want to take up space. Bigger tables, quieter places, vast landscapes, more room. But here, people choose closeness.

[00:02:34]>> They make space by being with each other.

[00:02:37]I've been so focused on building a life that looks good that I forgot to ask myself if it even felt good. Maybe a good life isn't how far you go or how fast you arrive. Maybe it's just this.

[00:02:50]Sitting down even when the chair is small. Making time even when the moment is simple. Being present even if nothing big is happening. Maybe a good life is a life that doesn't wait for picture perfect conditions.

[00:03:03]Not something you chase, but something you notice. And maybe, just maybe, it's been right in front of you this whole time.