Meet Linh Vo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Linh Vo.

Linh, before we jump into specific questions about your work, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My story starts across the Pacific in Vietnam, where I was born. My parents both came from low-income families and had to work over getting a proper education. My dad met my mom when he was doing an apprenticeship as a mechanic and truck driver in Quy Nhon. They had met in their teens and when I was still a baby, we immigrated to America, the land of opportunities.

We landed in Phoenix, AZ and lived in a small apartment. My dad supported us working as a truck driver for a local oriental supermarket and my mom stayed home raising three kids. We started moving East as my family’s income grew. I was always the new kid in school so I learned how to be very outgoing and talkative if I wanted to make friends. We lived in Tempe, Chandler, and ultimately resided in Gilbert.

Over the years, I grew a passion for Asian culture. I love to travel to dense Asian populated areas to find authentic cuisines that reminded me of my birth country. Arizona didn’t have many restaurants at the time. So I loved going to places like Southern California for all my indulgences. I take pride in diligently reading reviews and combing through apps such as yelp to create a list of restaurants to try out. I love finding hidden gems and sharing them with all my friends on social media. When my daughter Evelyn was born in March of 2015, I had different priorities and goals. I just wanted to be the best mother to her and that meant instead of reading restaurant reviews, I am reading stroller reviews. I got comfortable with my new domesticated lifestyle and gradually lost sight of my passions. I pushed myself to chase what I love and that was photography. Booking photoshoots a few times a month helped boost my confidence. I started a new Instagram account @Linh.veee to share my photos professional and personal publicly in hopes of inspiring other moms to live their best life. My new interest includes looking for new places that are family-friendly to take my daughter to. Although I have become much more private as a mom, I try to document our adventures on my account. One day I would love to have a blog or vlog our daily life.

Has it been a smooth road?
Nothing is ever a smooth road—however, the more obstacles you overcome, the bigger the reward, in my opinion. I suffered postpartum depression when Evelyn was about one year old. I had been a stay at home mom for months on end without leaving the house for days. I need ready or took care of my health. My mental health took a turn for the worse and anxiety crept up on me and controlled my life. This was all behind closed doors as I did not tell anyone and one day had a panic attack and knew I had to shift my priorities. I realized to take care of my baby. I had to take care of myself first. I brought this up to my family members attended and they were able to lift me from a dark period. Even though I’m in a better place now, the anxiety never left.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
My goal is to allow everyone into my life and see the high and lows of raising a child. I post photos and captions with humor and real life struggles of being a parent in this day and age. I’m happy to research new places and restaurants still to share with my followers. I am a single mom working to raise my daughter, who is about to start kindergarten. My own experiences shape my life as it helped me become open-minded and a well-rounded individual.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Arizona is an ever-growing state, as more and more people move here to start a family. Gilbert is one of the top ten cities to raise your kids in and I can agree as I was a kid who grew up there. Chandler is a neighboring city and there are a lot of great restaurants that have opened. I no longer need to travel far to find authentic ethnic cuisines or family-friendly places. The east valley is a wonderful area full of hidden gems and great new parks. You will not grow tired of living here or run out of things to do.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: Linh.veee

Image Credit:
Trish

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