Actually Adulting

I remember putting on a hashtag akhirnyalulus after my high school examination results came out. My close friends and I put on a party celebrating #akhirnyalulus and their personal project accomplishment, which finally came to an end. I'm glad to say that I get to use the hashtag again, because after four and a half years or so of struggling with the big swells and heavy current marine science have dragged me into, I finally made it out... alive!

 

I remember talking to my friend in our shared laboratory about our fear of the unknown of what's about to come... And it made me feel less excited about actually finishing my degree, because it means I would have to adult very soon (which I've already started by now). Fast forward to today, I'm pretty glad I have finished all academic matters and I can finally focus to what I've been doing for the past month... Conservation! Before I get into why and how I am in conservation, I wanted to establish of how grateful I am of getting this opportunity right after I finish my degree. I know how some of my friends are struggling in finding jobs or internships, or merely an activity that can fulfill their days instead of staying at home... So I am really blessed to be able to fulfill my days with work that I enjoy!

Back to what I'm doing now, the organization I did my field-work experience at, the Marine Megafauna Foundation, offered me a year long internship, learning more about marine megafaunas (obviously), and sharpening my skills and knowledge before I continue my masters in the next few years (can I hear an Amen?). I am very pumped about everything my internship offers, including... the traveling! When you work in conservation, going to new places is definitely on the list of what you're going to do. I am now living in Nusa Lembongan, a small island 40 minutes away from Bali, and that's not all...

I just got back from the Derawan Islands last week after a whole month of growing the manta ray population, and I couldn't be any happier... I saw my first ever thresher and leopard shark, tens and tens of green and hawksbill sea turtles, crazy amount of stingless jellyfish, and of course, made new friends and acquaintances! (More on my Derawan adventures later, in the upcoming post ey!) Funny thing - this year I had plan of either going to Sumba, Jogja or Derawan for my graduation trip - and I actually did it! Derawan... for free and with a purpose in mind! We never really know what the universe has for us.

I'm back safe and sound in Nusa Lembongan, with less friends... Some people I have grown attached to have already / are going to leave the island soon and it's kind of confusing me on who I should hang out with afterwards. I just got settled into a new rent, for around Rp2.000.000/month. That is expensive but I feel it's quite worth it, as it's not by the road side, AC, electricity, water, and WIFI included (in this island, you kind of need the AC), I only have 3 other neighbors (viva introvert power!), and the room's pretty spacey... I'm thinking of getting some things from my rent in Bali and moving them here, rather than buying new things. The team leader lent me her friend's mountain bike until March, but it appears that the bike is a little bit too tall for me to use, has uncomfortable seating, and got its brake and chains broken. I'm trying to get it fixed but the bike shop I went to said it wasn't fixing bikes anymore... And then I thought about renting a motor bike instead... Which I might do. I'm not so sure. The things you need to do when moving to a new area, hey... Fun.

But anyways, for the time being I'll be here for the next year. What I'll be doing after that, or what island I'll be living in afterwards is still buried in the void... For now, I'll be diving around Indonesia a lot more (I hope), and not just for fun, but also with a goal in mind... Which is basically, the best kind of diving there is. ☆
Currently on repeat: Every song sang acoustically by NIKI