A Lunar New Year Letter from the Great Ocean Road

February 2026
Dr Helen Hoang | 2x Amazon Best Seller 2025

“People forget what you say. But they never forget what you make them feel.”

This New Year, my son and I stood at the edge of the Great Ocean Road.
The wind was strong.
The cliffs stood like ancient teachers.
The ocean moved with quiet confidence — wave after wave, never rushing, never stopping.

We had planned this trip carefully. Budgeted petrol. Chosen accommodation. Packed snacks instead of buying everything on the way.

And somewhere between logistics and laughter, I realised:
A family holiday is an economics lesson in disguise.

Scarcity by the Sea

We couldn’t do everything.

One lookout meant skipping another.
A café lunch meant fewer souvenirs.
An extra night meant adjusting next month’s spending.

Scarcity wasn’t a textbook concept.
It was in every decision.

But my son didn’t see limitation.

He saw wonder.

“Mom,” he asked, staring at the Twelve Apostles,
“Why are the rocks standing alone?”

Because time shapes everything, I told him.
Waves remove what is weak.
Pressure strengthens what remains.

Economics works the same way.

Choices shape futures.

The Opportunity Cost of Staying Home

We could have stayed home and saved money.

But what would we have lost?

His laughter carried by the wind.
His questions about erosion and time.
The quiet car ride conversations about why some towns grow and others shrink.

Economics is not just about what we spend.

It’s about what we choose to experience.

And sometimes, the greatest return is memory.

A Question That Started Everything

Kinh tế học không bắt đầu từ thị trường.
Nó bắt đầu khi một đứa trẻ hỏi:

“Tại sao mình không thể có tất cả cùng lúc?”

Economics doesn’t begin in stock markets.

It begins when a child asks:

“Why can’t we have everything at once?”

That question — asked years ago — became the foundation of Economics for Kids.
Not in a lecture hall.
But in motherhood.

As he fell asleep in the car on the way back, I realised:

This wasn’t an expense.

It was an investment.

In curiosity.
In confidence.
In connection.

And perhaps that is the kind of economy we should build in 2026.

Not one driven only by scarcity.

But one guided by intention, ethics, and love.

From the ocean to the classroom,
from family trips to fairy tales,
economics is everywhere.

And it always begins with a feeling.

With warmth,
Dr Helen Hoang
Economist | Author | Founder of EconTech
2x Amazon Best Seller 2025