Vivian
“Every woman who has overcome hardships, worked her ass off and kept going, been shot down, felt like a failure only to stand back up and persevere - all of those women continue to be my source of encouragement and aspiration.”
Vivian is a sailor, an artist and a free spirit. She is highly adaptable, as she is familiar and comfortable with embracing the unknown. Throughout her childhood, she moved around a lot, and she continues to today. Home for Vivian is on the sea, aboard a sailboat, with her husband Nathan. When Vivian isn’t navigating the open ocean, co-running a sailboat delivery and passage training business @OceanPassages, she is behind the camera, utilising her artistry through photography or filmmaking. She is passionate about connection - to her natural environment and those she loves - and awaits that day that she can reconnect with her estranged sister. Meet Vivian. This is her story.
Vivian, at sea (her happy place)
P: Please introduce yourself!
V: I'm Vivian Vuong and I live aboard my 47' sailboat, Ultima. I teach people how to sail with my husband Nathan and we run our own sailboat delivery and training passage business, @oceanpassages. I’m also a photographer and have worked on two documentaries. I love learning about our world by boat, bike, or foot. I am most myself when I'm surrounded by trees, oceans, or mountains, I just love being in fresh air.
P: Describe or define yourself in your own words.
V: I am a silly, adult kid who enjoys being secluded in nature. I love hiking mountain trails and sailing on long voyages. I love being cozy and reading books and spending time with my family and friends.
P: What is your favourite thing about yourself?
V: Hmm, I grew up constantly changing, going to 12 different schools before graduating high school. I had to move to different states across the country, was constantly the new girl in school, and traveled a ton. All of that gave me the ability to adapt to new experiences easily and as an adult I am comfortable with the unfamiliar, invite change, and let life evolve naturally without stressing too much.
P: Tell us a story. Have you had an experience that’s defined you or made you stronger?
V: I grew up as an only child until I was 16 and my Father and Step-Mother had a baby. For 5 years, I was part of my sister’s life until they separated and divorced, and I was no longer allowed to see little sister. It has now been a little over a decade that I’ve been forbidden from having any contact with her. I think about her every day. I’ve gone through different emotions throughout our time apart and I find strength in knowing that when she turns 18, I have the opportunity to reach out and let her know that she is loved and that she will always have a place in my home, that my ears are open to hear any problems or praise her for her achievements, that my arms are open if she ever needed encouragement or support. Even though we may be estranged, I am not a stranger and I hope that one day, she gives me the privilege to finally be the big sister I have always intended to be.
P: What is one piece of advice you would give to your younger self?
V: Be open to letting new experiences, whether they be hard or easy, give me the opportunity to learn and grow. And to be kind to myself as I progress through life.
P: What does being a woman mean to you?
V: To me, being a woman means that I have the ability to be a positive force to my network and community. To be someone my family and friends can count on. That I can be the best version of myself and to not feel weak when I fail or falter, but to find strength in knowing that my impact could help and nurture someone who ever needed it.
P: Who is one woman that inspires you? What would you say to her if she were here now?
V: One woman? That’s really hard to answer so, I’ll cheat and say that every woman inspires me. Every woman who has overcome hardships, worked her ass off and kept going, been shot down, felt like a failure only to stand back up and persevere - all of those women continue to be my source of encouragement and aspiration.