Life Update: Sept/Oct 2019

Taken by Gagah using a 35 mm camera

It's been a while since I write how my life is going. I don't think anyone in particular is too excited in  knowing how my life's going, but writing it out puts me into a sense of clarity... Kind of reminds me of how far I've gone since my last life update.

A lot of things has been going on lately. A lot of changes.

A A few weeks ago I've finally finished my final exam and gotten my bachelor's degree! The overwhelming feeling of relief is beyond your comprehension. I had to go through a lot of the lower points in my life and being able to get back up on my own two feet (with support from my friends) feels refreshing. I cried the day before my thesis defense because of a lecturer who I felt was choking me with his/her words. I know I am slightly the one to blame but it doesn't change the fact that his/her words stung more than the fault I did. But fast forward to today, I am finally clear of it and no longer have to deal with university matters. I mean, I'm still dealing with registering for the graduation on December... but that's another story.

B I did my krav maga grading!!! I remember also almost throwing up and crying at the same time after I got dragged on the floor and choked with the hand of an American man around twice.. or three times my size. But I did it, and I couldn't be any prouder of myself for making myself go through all that pressure. Thanks to Ko Roy for believing that I could go straight to the orange belt, and all the sweet, sweet krav maga friends for attacking and supporting me.

C I'm side hustling! Ever since I face the facts that I will no longer be a university student and it's time for me to get my shit straight, I've been learning about money managing more and more through Youtube and talking about it with friends. Some time two months ago, a krav maga friend of mine offered me a position to manage a financial education class' social media account. I was pumped because money was something I really wanted to learn about, and this offer just came swooping in! The payment's great, the flexibility of where and how I work's great, the team's great, and the office back in Denpasar's astonishing! I realise side hustling can be a burden if I'm not used to juggling several things at once... a.k.a. multitasking. I know multitasking isn't something people recommend, but I personally can still work just as well as I don't multitask (as long as the tasks are light). Other than that, I also open translating services (Indonesia - English, vice versa), especially for scientific reports, papers and abstracts. I'm really happy in having other things to think about other than my main activity right now.

D A month after my thesis defense, I moved to Nusa Lembongan! I'm starting a new post-grad life here by doing an internship at Marine Megafauna Foundation, mainly focusing on manta rays. I'm really excited about my whole year learning at MMF because I have a burning passion for BIG marine animals!! Funnily enough, going back to Nusa Lembongan slightly feels like going home.. Or maybe to the grandma's house. You get the point. I almost know where everything is around here and how everything works. What’s still missing are the friends... Haha I do have acquaintances here, but not many friends. I guess it's okay not to have that many of friends, but someone to accompany me eating once in a while is good too, eh? Glad I got to know the dive masters and instructors perantau and got to know them a bit. The Lembongan weather though, UGH. What a pain. The sun's scorching hot and it stings your skin, all you want to do is drink ice cold coconut water and ice cold coffee lattes, jump into the pool and stay there forever, or stay cocooned inside an air-conditioned room at all times... Way. Too. Hot. Living the island life is also testing the creative ways I dress with the same clothes over and over. I have plenty of clothes but I figure unless I get super sweaty and what not, I would just air dry my clothes and use them for the day after tomorrow. For the past week, I've only been using 6 pieces of clothing (2 shorts, 1 pants, 3 tops) for activities during the day and nighttime. What a life! Gladly, my skin hasn't been acting up. I'm so excited to share my island skin care routine with you lovers (!!!!). Soon... Patience, my love.

E I am no longer heart broken! Haha, for the past several months I've been focusing on my self and the progress I make as a person, a friend, a student, a staff and a daughter. It's hard juggling these roles 100% at all times because sometimes you would have to choose the role you want to prioritise. But either way, I'm glad I went through a self-assessment phase (still doing it right now) and learned a lot of things about myself. My brother's now staying in Bali too, and I'm really happy because I get to have someone familiar from back home. Having him around helps me with a lot of things I could probably do on my own, but it would be a little difficult. Another good news, a senior of mine is now my boyfriend! Haha, I feel bad for him because he's stuck with the weird, slightly difficult, and long-distance me for the time being... But I'm also super happy because he's not only a boyfriend, but also my conversing friend! We talk about a lot of stuff... Deep, uncomfortable, maybe taboo stuff, but it's what interests me! Having a person to talk to about the most random stuff is really comforting.

I think that's it for now. It's Libra season, but Scorpio season is coming and I'm more than excited... Even though Mercury retrograde is probably going to fuck things up... But besides that, I'm pumped!

Photos taken by several different people

Photos taken with iPhone cameras, Lumix GF-9, GoPro Hero 5, and Canon G7X with underwater housing unless stated otherwise

Edited on Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom and Afterlight by yours truly xx.

I'll write soon.