Serendipitous

Serendipitous is a project my friend Co May and I started. We had gone to breakfast one day and got lost in one of the conversations we often get lost in about mental health. We both view mental health maintenance as something that is equal in value to the maintenance of many other functions like physical health; however, in Vietnam, that is quite a privilege to be able to do. Mental healthcare facilities are not often treated with such seriousness in Vietnam as the consideration of mental health as a problem pales in comparison to hunger, disability, homelessness, etc. Most seeking for care and can afford it will look abroad; however, few have that luxury.

Co May and I wanted Serendipitous to be a remedy for this problem: a magazine that prints stories submitted by readers who want to share their journey with mental health, interviews with mental experts, resources in Vietnam, and any other resource helpful to understanding mental illness. The team started with the two of us but grew into more once we began pitching the idea to our friends. Compiling everything for the first magazine took really long as we worked out the structure of what we wanted to share, how we want to introduce ourselves, how we should divide work, expectations, etc.

We eventually pulled through with three stories and six articles.