After a year of constant deadlines - from tests to college applications - our Grade 12 students finally had the chance to take a 4-day, 3-night trip to Central Vietnam. It was a precious pause to slow down, reconnect, and add a few more bright chapters to the final pages of their high school years.

In those last periods, hands were still busy taking notes, but minds had already wandered far ahead to the trip. And that excitement only grew stronger, because the moment we stepped onto the train, laughter quickly filled every corridor and cabin.

Huế opened the journey with its quiet, regal beauty. At the Imperial City, history seemed to live on in every ancient structure. Under the Central Vietnam sun, we kept moving, exploring with curious eyes, while cameras clicked non-stop, capturing the vibrant moments of being eighteen.

Crossing Hải Vân Pass, with the whole city stretching out below, we held hands and shouted into the wind—letting go of everything we had been carrying. And just like that, Đà Nẵng welcomed us with a different rhythm: lively, open, and free. We ran into the waves, soaked and laughing, wandered through the night, chased each other like kids, shared late-night instant noodles, and talked about everything until the sky began to lighten.

Then Hội An slowed everything down. Under the golden glow of old houses and the gentle sway of lanterns, we walked across An Hội Bridge and drifted into small streets, blending into the crowds and rows of souvenir shops. And at the “Hoi An Memories” show, emotions overflowed. The stage came alive with stories-of culture, of history, from the Silk Road to the love story of Princess Huyền Trân-leaving behind something that stayed, long after the lights went out.

Our final stop at Linh Ứng Pagoda brought a quiet stillness. Standing before the vast sea and the towering Lady Buddha, many of us took a moment to pause, to reflect, and to send a wish forward into what comes next.
The journey carried us through so many emotions, excitement, joy, awe, and finally, a quiet sense of gratitude. And what stayed most was the feeling of being truly together, no exams, no deadlines, just us, after years of growing side by side.

Youth may pass quickly, but the days we lived fully together - from stressful classes and sleepless nights to this very trip - will never fade.

May our youth never truly end. May the road ahead always be filled with light. And wherever life takes us, may we always remain as bright and full of life as we are right now.

A few pieces of youth, captured by Nguyễn Hải My - 12 Oak.