“I want to spend a day resting and enjoying myself. Right now I am buried with assignments and work. I would love to rest and spend time doing things I love, like binge watching films, laying in bed, and reading books.” (Linh, 17, Vietnam)
I was at Bâng Khuâng cafe, when I overheard the two Vietnamese teenagers next to me discussing College Confidential, a forum for US university applicants. Why not ask them about their perfect day?
Linh’s perfect day:
- Lying in bed, watching her favorite movie or reading her favorite book
- Raining and windy outside
- Going to the coffee shop and doing work or creative projects
- Thinking about life
I then turned to Linh’s classmate, also named Linh, whose perfect day was very similar. Both feel “buried” by studies, work, friends, lovers and family, with no time for themselves.
Linh’s perfect day:
- Lying in bed, watching movies and reading books
- The perfect day depends on her mood and situation
- Wants to be more positive, yoga has helped her
Yet both acknowledged that their perfect day depends on their mood and situation, and that maybe being positive is the answer: “Maybe the perfect day is actually imperfect, because nothing is perfect. We always have disturbances but you have to accept it and make it your perfect day.”