He met Phan Nguyen Thuy Tien, born in 1997, when she started a conversation with him in a Can Tho park. They later recognized each other on a language‑learning app and soon married.

When Zach visited Tien’s hometown in Dong Thap, he began studying Vietnamese seriously so he could talk with her family. A ride‑hailing driver also helped him give exact change and later fixed a window for free, showing local kindness.

Three years later, Zach works as an English teacher in Can Tho, lives with Tien, and says he deeply loves life in the Mekong Delta. He feels that learning the language and joining local customs made his short stay become a lasting home.