If I will ever have to choose one word to describe myself and my journey, I would definitely take “Duong” without hesitation. It is not just simply because Duong is my name, but it truly does tell a story about myself and the path I am on.
‘Duong’ means sunshine in Vietnamese, in many cases, it also refers to the ocean. It presents my biggest passion for travel and tourism since I was little touring places with my parents. Every single destination I have been to has brought me not only the sense of relaxation, appreciation of natural beauty and human contribution, but also endless curiosity and eager to learn more about people and places. At the age of 18, I decided to take a 19-hour flight from Vietnam to go explore the world, open my eyes about different aspects of tourism and pursue my education in this specific sector in the most beautiful province of Canada – British Columbia.
‘Duong’ in Hai Duong city, meaning “Ocean Sun” is where I am from. Being born and raised in a small city in which lots of cultural activities and tourist attractions were taken for granted, I grew an interest in the development of small community and cultural tourism. It guided me to one of the best decisions in my life to spend 4 years of Bachelor of Tourism Management at Thompson Rivers University in a small city in British Columbia – Kamloops. Here is where I spend most of my time in Canada learning, exploring and enjoying myself with so many wonderful people.
‘Duong’ represents myself as a person. I was named after the Sun in hope that I am growing up to be a positive, loving and strong women who can take care of others and contribute to make the world a better place. No words can describe my great passion for children’ rights, sustainable development and arts and culture. I believe that everyone in this world has their own mission in life. As a global citizen, my mission is to sustain children’s rights, support and ensure a loving and educating environment for all children in the world. As a potential professional in tourism, I am dedicated to make tourism and travel more accessible for everyone in a sustainable way and continue to root for arts and culture sector, especially in smaller communities.
This ePortfolio is where I remind myself of how far I have gone and share with the world about my world view, my journey, my tourism projects and my dream in the tourism industry through the lens of a cultural explorer. Welcome! 🙂