It brought back many memories from my childhood, and later of my teenage years in New Zealand.

My parents have always instilled on some reward mechanism when I was growing up, in order to motivate their children to do well at school. Score first in class, and we get to pick our prize; be it toys, a mini stereo, and one particular year, a bicycle for me.

I must have been 8 or 9 years old when my parents bought me my first bicycle. I recall what it looked like – it was black all over, with a basket attached at the front and a bell you had to flick for it to ring.

There was only one problem – I didn’t know how to ride a bicycle. I may have ridden a tricycle, but never quite manage to ride on a bicycle. I think Dad bought the bicycle with the intention to teach me to ride it, but alas, back then both Dad and Mum were busy working in their respective jobs – Dad as a factory manager, and Mum with her new business venture.

I spent a lot of time after school back then at a friend’s home – who lived close to the school – while I waited for the school bus. She had a bicycle and she knew how to ride it. I would sit at her front yard while she rode it along the quiet alley way where she lived, back and forth from one end to the other. I remember her bike; it was pink. I watched her every move carefully, pushing the bike, one foot on the pedal while the other on the ground. And she’d pushed it forward, faster, then lifted herself off the ground and onto the saddle as she balanced herself.

I would ask her to repeat those moves so I could memorise it in my head, and she would proudly showed off how she could rode a bicycle. The little girl in me back then wanted to do the same.

One day after school, after the bike has been sitting in the garage, untouched for two weeks, I took it out to a sports centre nearby. We lived about 200 metres from it. My right hand held on to the saddle, with my left hand on the bike handle, and carefully wheeled it all the way to the sports centre. There was hardly anyone that afternoon on the track that surrounded the sports centre building.

I stood in the middle of that track, both hands on the bike handles, one leg on each side of the bike. I closed my eyes, recalling how my friend rode her bike. I replayed the scenes over and over again.

One foot on the ground.
One foot on the pedal.
Push forward, push, push, then hop on the saddle…then balance.

The next thing I knew, I was on the saddle, wobbling for a few seconds balancing myself on it, and then I pedalled.

Pedal, pedal, and pedal. Brake a little, pedal, pedal, pedal.

Wheeeee! I was a riding a bicycle.

I was ecstatic, grinning from ear to ear as I pedalled round and around the empty track.

I must have done a few laps until I saw someone jogging in a distance. I pulled the brake just in time as I turned into a corner. Alas, I fell and scraped my knees a little.

But that didn’t matter. I could feel my face lit up and beaming with a smile from the experience.

I RODE A BIKE! ALL BY MYSELF!

There was also an incident where I left my bicycle at a local grocery store.

My grandma used to live with us, and would cook meals for us. Every now and then, I’d be the kid who ran to the grocery store to help her buy some spices, shallots, cooking oil, or whatever it was she needed for the kitchen. One day, I rode my bicycle to the store, and ended up hanging out with the children of the grocery store owner.

An hour later, I walked home, completely forgotten that I had left on a bicycle.

It was only at dinner when my mum asked me where my bike was, and I went into a panic and stormed outside wanting to run to the grocery store, only to find the bike sitting right outside our front porch. The ‘uncle’ from the grocery store had kindly dropped it back home. I went over to say thank you to him, still with some tears in my eyes, and met with a laughter from him and the “you’re such a silly girl” comment.

My experience with bicycles continued throughout my high school in New Zealand, where instead of like other kids taking the school bus, I rode a bicycle. All done in my school uniform dress – a plaited dress in a summer, then a kilt, white tights, and thick jersey for the winter. Some days, I hated riding the bicycle in the bitter New Zealand winter cold. I’d sweat inside the thick wooly jersey while the cold chilly wind hit my face. I even cried once, in the rain, drenched in my raincoat, while pushing the bike up the hill, towards the house where I lived. I was probably missing home and my parents. That was one of those moments I felt so alone spending my teenage years in New Zealand.

It was bitter sweet memories.

I don’t have a bicycle right now, as much as I would love to, since I don’t find Jakarta to be bike-friendly unless they have one of those car-free days. But every time I see a bicycle, some of those memories from the past would come back and put a smile on my face.

As they say, once you’ve learned to ride a bike, you never forget. And those memories, they surely won’t be easily forgotten.

I turn another year older as I write this. The New Year’s celebration is still fresh in mind, and so are the resolutions. It almost feels like I get to celebrate a new beginning twice in the month of January.

Last Year’s Birthday Celebration in Sydney

When I wrote my last post to reflect on 2012, I had one major goal for the new year, which would eventually end the last 18-months period I referred to as my sabbatical. And that is, to finally start on a project in the family business, that would involve me applying some of the things I learned from those years working in the corporate world.

Wait, Wait…What?! I thought you made peace with the whole thing last year after talking to your mother?

The truth is, I never said never to working with the family. The truth is, I was probably 15 when I realised that I would one day want to do this (I just didn’t know it yet). If I wanted to be really honest, I was probably buying time…time to feel ready to take up the challenge?

It took some time and a lot of digging inside for me to realise and finally come to this conclusion.  This included talking to a friend who said this to me, upon hearing how anxious I was feeling:

“Is it the feeling that there’s something else you should be doing and you’re still not doing?”

And how right he was.

The anxiety I had at that time, talking to my mother, was because I wasn’t done exploring. I needed to keep exploring. And I felt that, had I say yes to her back then, I would just be doing it to keep her happy, regardless how I felt.

I felt like I had to give up everything that was important to me, back then.

And I’m glad I kept on going because everything that happened in the second half of last year was more than anything I could have ever asked for, especially with all the travelling I got to do in Indonesia. 

This time around, strangely, even to me, I want to do it, not just for my family, but…for me. The timing is right, and more importantly, it felt right.

Maybe I was meant to do all those things I did in the last 18 months. May be I was meant to “run away” from it all, go out, explore and finally come back home, ready to do something more substantial with my life.

Who knows. But, if there was anything to go by from the last couple of years, is do what feels right. Trust your hunch. Do what excites you, even if it scares you.

This new journey scares me. It makes me feel anxious. There’s a lot of uncertainty ahead. But apparently, uncertainty is a good. It’s a sign that you should be doing it. As crazy as that sounds, I know.

Coincidentally, I also read this line from Edward Suhadi’s latest post yesterday, one that resonates so much with what I am feeling right now. (A really good post that I highly recommend you to read)

“The right things will either bump you on your path or they will come knock on your door when you are ready.” 

He is making history, realising his dreams, one step at a time.

And here I am, treading carefully, trying to make another dream come true.

Timing is everything.  This time, I think I am ready.

PS: And In case you are wondering,  I am not abandoning my travel, writing or photography. I am still going to be around (here, on the blog), and taking up some travel and writing related projects on the side, when time within my main work allows it.  

…experiments and explorations, full of spontaneity with a dash of serendipity.

This time last year, I was in Sydney, in time to ring in the New Years in a few days, with that spectacular Sydney fireworks display. It was the start of a very eventful three months stay. Everything was hazy then, for I didn’t know where I was heading this year. All I knew was, I needed more time to fulfil my curiosity, to see if my love for writing, travelling and photography would lead me somewhere.

And, they kind of have led me to where I wanted to be. Or…have they, really?

On Writing, Travelling and Photography: The Experiments

I got a few more articles published this year on the glossy magazines, including some travel related ones out of my time in Australia. Then there was the various technical writing jobs that kept me busy, including some that involved fashion and IT as subjects. What did I learn? Writing jobs that pay the bills, are not always that fun. At the end, it’s work and you don’t always have to like it. The difference is, freelancing allows you to pick the jobs you do like.

I got to travel more this year that I have ever been in a year, with trips to many new places in Indonesia such as Menjangan, Lombok, Gili Trawangan, Gili Air and Tanjung Lesung. Then there was the ultimate dream project of travelling around Indonesia with the International Travel Blogger, as part of the Indonesia Tourism promotion, to places such as Mount Bromo and Komodo National Park, and many more.

Then there was also the Singapore trip I took this year, the only other overseas trip from Sydney, that left me with a different set of sentiments about the place.

Not everything was rosy though. I started off Project 365 at the beginning of this year. While I still take photos and posting these on Instagram, Project 365 was neglected – it is currently posted up to Day 146. It takes a lot discipline to take not only photos, but also posting them. Somehow, in the midst of everything that was going on this year, I couldn’t find the time to keep at it, lost the motivation and stopped posting.

Then there was the strange relationship I had with my DSLR this year. While I still love taking photos with it, I found myself often neglecting it for iPhone – unless I was out on an assignment for an article. Not exactly a good move for someone who had wanted to improve her photography. I kick myself for slacking off on this, but eventually, I know I’ll pick up the camera again.

On Everything Else in Between: People, Uncertainty and Finding Balance

This year, I got to meet up with many of them for the first time, especially people I had previously interacted online. I like how Mike puts it here on his 2012 round-up post – “turning two-dimensional head shots into 3D I could sit and eat cake with.” Well, in my case, there were dinners in Jakarta, Singapore, Bali, and even all over Indonesia. It was a real pleasure meeting every one of you. For those I haven’t met, let’s do that soon.

There were also many low points in this year – moments where I felt I didn’t know what I was doing in this journey of discovery. Or when I had my heart broken. Or when I faced uncertainty and fear, that I felt my world was slipping away. To those people who have given me their helping hands, yes, even you whom I have yet to meet, thank you. You have no idea how grateful I am to have many of you in my life.

There were moments when I felt I wasn’t going anywhere this year, including when I struggled to write here. In the last few weeks, after 18 months of drifting along on this path, my head was noisy with questions. I was constantly restless – not just this last few weeks, but possibly for the last 18 months.

I confided to several friends on what I felt and as I approached Christmas, one day I got a big piece of paper and wrote down everything that was important to me. I wrote dreams that seem impossible right now. I list down everything that I wanted, not caring whether I will get them or not.

I wrote all my dreams and wishes that doing so, scared the hell out of me.

And as moments of clarity came through, on Christmas Day in fact, I realise that the people I often resented all this time, my family – my parents and siblings – were people who are important to me. More than I realised.

There were other things I discovered to be important for me, and I need to find balance for everything, and ultimately work towards that bigger picture.

So with that, I am going into 2013 with several options and plans. Plans that may work out or totally fail.

But, as with anything, you never really know until you try.

Well, I hope your 2012 has been a grand one, with lots of fulfillment. If you were out there exploring like me, I hope you found what you were looking for. If you haven’t, keep digging. The truth is, I am still not sure if I have found what I am looking for.

Thank you for reading and following my journey this year. Here’s hoping for a more exciting and fulfilling 2013 for all of us with more dreams and wishes to come true. Happy holidays!

***

I thought I was fearless ever since I took up scuba diving, when I was terrified of the sea back then. Or when I finally quit my day job in July last year.  I thought nothing would scare me much after taking several leaps of faith in the last year.

Wrong.

I found myself blanketed with fear in the last few weeks. I wish it was over sharks, like Torre had or anything else more exciting than…writing.

You see, I had a writing job I was going for in the last couple of weeks.  I spent some time doing the research on the topic and decided at the end, I just could not do the piece. I backed out. I couldn’t figure out why at the time, considering that the topic wasn’t terribly difficult.

I have had writers block before (case in point: this blog when it’s quiet). But, if there was ever a moment of how writers get paralysed, as in really paralysed, that would be it for me.

I spent the next few days after trying to analyse why I did what I did.  (But not before I lost myself in a book, lots of sleep and useless scribbles on my notebook!).  I even questioned my sanity with internal dialogs like these:

“I thought you are a writer? I mean, you have had pieces published before, so what was the big deal?”

“I thought you want to write for that publication?”

“What the hell were you thinking?”

…and many other questions which probably ended up making me feel even smaller. (Tip: Never have a dialog with yourself when your confidence is at the lowest).

Looking back at it today, I let fear took the better part of me. It crippled me. Yes, fear, that one thing I thought I was getting good at conquering. I let myself feel inadequate after doing my research and reading what others have written, that I felt I could not possibly have something different. Instead of getting inspired by others – which is what I usually get when reading other people’s writing – I got intimidated.

It’s not the first time I felt intimidated by others’ work, but it’s the first time that I had let it become destructive. All because of my mind playing stupid tricks on me, and letting fear win on this game.

Fear is supposed to be good, and it is. I should know that. It’s a sign that you care for the result of your work. My friend Edward once wrote about how Fear is Good, that it means you are on the right track.  Whenever that fear came around, you just have to push through.

In my case, I failed to push through. But it’s okay. I have accepted that this is probably what I needed to remind myself that I have so much more to learn on the craft of writing, technically and mentally.

Fear will always be around. I just need to get better fighting it when it creeps up on me.

It has been one amazing trip, courtesy of the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, that showcase what Indonesia has to offer. The first half of the trip saw us going from…

…the remote jungle of Kalimantan to witness the Orang Utans up close and personal, then…

…immersing ourselves – albeit in a rush – in history and culture at the Borobudur temple and city of Yogyakarta, to…

…a 3am start to see the magical sunrise view from Pananjakan, overlooking Mount Bromo, Semeru and Batok. We later climbed a-250 steps stair across the sea of sands to check out the crater of Mount Bromo.

We left the history, culture and mountains of Java to start the second half of the trip with a transit in Bali before flying across to the island of Flores, to explore the Komodo National Park.

It was during our time at the Komodo National Park that saw some of us with energy level dipping to its lowest, even falling sick. Luckily, the rest of our time in Bali, the last leg of our journey, was relatively easy – thanks to some last minute change of the itinerary – allowing us some time to recharge our energy before home time with some leisurely walk around Ubud, great personal conversations (my favourite part of the trip) and a spa treatment just before everyone left.

Was the press trip a successful one? It depends on how one looks at it.

Meticulous organisation is required when arranging a large group travels, with itineraries built by the hour. Thanks to our fixers, who were quick to attend our needs even when things changed along the way, we were treated to some of the best food, accommodations and service available in this country. At the end of it, while many of us felt some days could not get any longer and we could do with more free time, we all agreed it was one hell of an amazing trip. We all loved it. A successful one from that perspective.

As for the impact of the trip on Indonesia’s tourism, it’s too early to say what, or how much it has made. It definitely got a lot of people talking on social media networks, creating some buzz for the two weeks we were travelling, both within and outside Indonesia.

It’s a start to working with travel writers and bloggers. Ultimately, it would be nice to see the impact of this trip for the longer term.

The trip has given us the opportunity for a taste of what Indonesia has to offer, and it has a lot to offer. For a couple of the bloggers, it gave them the first step into the Asian continent; if there was any culture shocks on their part, it was hidden pretty well – or I was too tired to notice them.

The trip has certainly fueled the desire in many of us to explore this country more in the future on our own pace, taking it slow and immersing ourselves more within each place.

I am still in Bali as I write this, having extended the trip on a personal account to meet with some people here, and spending some time to clear my head and the knots in my body. There are post-trip homework that I need to do that includes some reports for the Ministry. Then there are also stories I need to pull from the trip and write about.

More thoughts on my own journey of discovery

I have been following the travel blogging industry (yes, we can call that an industry now, can’t we?) for quite some time now, through spending (too many) hours on social media as well as interacting with people in the industry. Perhaps it was one of the reasons I wanted, and luckily landed, a role to help organise this trip.

Prior to this trip, I know a little bit about how things work behind the scenes with press trips and living the life of a travel blogger, but I got to know even more as I travel with these bloggers and got to know them personally.

There is more to just travelling, having fun, tweeting and blogging about them. Those outside the industry, including a few members of the entourage travelling with them, often wonder how these travel bloggers can travel continuously. Some happen to have long term savings they could dip into, some are long enough in the game to make a living out of travel blogging, and some score, ahem, press trips.

But in most cases, press trips don’t pay the bills. The work that many of these bloggers do outside these trips is what pay the bills. Barely, sometimes.

Being a travel writer and blogger takes a lot of work, that for some this includes continuously maintaining the blog(s), social media networks and audience, even when you are on the road. For others, this also includes meeting freelance work writing deadlines, or moving them days ahead knowing you’d be stuck in areas with no internet access. Or staying up late on Indonesia time trying to interact and deal with your editor who just wake up on the other side of the world, knowing you’d have to be up in a few hours to start the next day.

Sure, no one’s forcing them to do this, and I am not saying all the above things to put them on a pedestal. It’s a lifestyle they have chosen and they’ve taken all the consequences that come with it. But for those out there looking at them with rose tinted glasses, I can tell you it’s not all fine and dandy.

A member of the travelling local team, who recently quit his job and got pulled into this trip as one of the photographers, got a chance to really get to know first hand what it is like living the life of a travel blogger. A funny moment happened when he said this during one dinner,

“I see what you guys do, I admire you guys, and it’s great, but…I don’t want it”.

He meant that with great respect and said it in a way that made all of us on the table chuckled. To him, it’s amazing to see these guys all still full of smiles and staying upbeat, knowing it had been many tiring and sleepy days in Insomnesia, I mean, Indonesia. (Credit to @michaelturtle who came up with that “Insomnesia” on one of his tweets)

The drive to keep going on this path, with many uncertainties, not knowing where they’d travel next, or even sleep, or where they’d find their next paying gig, is what amazed him. It takes a lot of guts to go on this path, and for him, it was something he knows will not work for him.

And indeed, it’s not for everyone. Some people prefer the certainties of a full-time salaried job, and that is okay.

Where does this leave me as part of my journey of discovery?

I had intended to sit and write every night during the trip, processing my notes from each day, to think of stories to produce, only to find myself falling behind on those notes and instead opted for nights of recuperation. I sometimes question my own determination to be a (travel) writer. For now, whatever little notes I have, are still scattered all over my smartphone. I barely touched my notebook.

The trip gave me a taste of what it really feels like being a travelling writer. I think it is safe to say, that I like having my base in Jakarta, and don’t see myself being a nomadic travel blogger in the near future – in case anyone was wondering.

The trip does present me with potential opportunities to create work and mix the things I love doing – writing, travelling and most importantly, sharing more about Indonesia’s tourism.

Freelancing can be fun in terms of the flexibility to come and go as you please, but it is easy to fall into the “go with the flow” mode, without someone kicking your butt. I have to be real when it comes to making a living from it. I have to chase those opportunities – they don’t always fall on to my lap.

For now, sorting out my notes for the time being might be a good start, so, while this is my own wrap up note for the trip overall, stay tune for more stories from the trip.

Note: All photos are taken and processed with my iPhone, and this entry is the first one I made on my iPad/iPhone WordPress app. I guess, I can travel without a laptop.

(Photo courtesy of the talented Jessy – as featured in National Geographic)

September  was a mixed bag of things. Some idle time, some crazy chasing deadlines time, and some too much time spent on social media (gah!) despite it being research sometimes.  The internet can be a curse.

I was also working on two relatively big projects.  One is on an event that was supposed to happen in November, but for reasons beyond my control – despite being the project manager and supposedly having “control” – the event will not materialise in November. It will be postponed until further notice. I am a little disappointed given the time, energy and enthusiasm put into the project, but these things happen.

It doesn’t matter now. You can plan anything and everything meticulously, but when it comes to certain bureaucracy, or how others work, some plans will just not get executed. And if there was anything I have learned in the last year or so, things happen (or don’t in this case), for a reason. A blessing in disguise perhaps.

Luckily, my other project, which I am so very excited about, is definitely happening. As I write this, a bunch of travel writers/bloggers are making their way, half way around the world, to Jakarta for a two weeks trip around Indonesia,  hosted by the Ministry of Tourism and Economic Creative.  I have been working as part of a team that supports the Ministry to research and select the bloggers to go on this trip as well as liaising with them. Many of these bloggers are ones I follow and interact on Twitter. So, I am looking forward to spend time and getting to know them better in person.

Where am I going?

• Tanjung Puting (Borneo)  - to see the Orang Utans and do a river cruise.
• Yogyakarta & Borobudur - culture and food!
• Mount Bromo - where I have to wake up at 2 am for the sunrise hike.
• Komodo Island - pink beach, snorkelling and checking out the Komodo dragons
• …and last but not least Bali - the island I spent the most time as far as Indonesian travel is concerned, and probably the only one most of the world know about Indonesia.

And that is exactly the point of this trip. Indonesia is more than Bali.

I for one, have never visited any of those destinations, other than Yogyakarta, Borobudur and Bali, and I am so looking forward to this trip. It is going to be a challenge doing that many destinations in two weeks – while I am typically a slow solo traveller these days – but, while working on the project, I’ve kept in mind the main goal of promoting Indonesia as a destination to the world, while attempting to balance everyone’s interest on this project.

Personally, this is a project I have always wanted to do. One I dare to say, I dreamt about. I really want to see Indonesia getting the exposures it deserves and at the same time, exploring those places myself.  We, as a country, have a long way to go as far as promoting our own backyard, even to the people right at home. But this is a start. We have some learnings to do, and I am excited to be part of this.

So, while one project didn’t quite work out the way I wanted,  my dream project did. And I am okay with that, more than okay in fact. Excited at all the possibilities coming my way. Excited at the thought of writing stories about this trip.

I leave Jakarta first thing Sunday morning. Since everyone is arriving tomorrow, and I am spending tomorrow meeting and greeting them as they arrive, and later possibly hanging out with them in the hotel in Jakarta, I should probably start packing now.

As much as what I want to do right now, after too many late nights this week working on many things on the go, is…sleep.

This is still part of work, this whole trip, not quite a free holiday as some would claim.

But boy, this is going to be fun.

I’ll be on Twitter mostly updating on the trip, so feel free to follow me there at @MissLaiLai. Actually, I have always been on Twitter. Possibly too much on Twitter, possibly one of the many reasons I don’t blog enough. And possibly, that is another story to post…after the trip! Wish me luck!

I can safely say that the road less travelled, is not an easy one to walk on. Obviously.

Most of the time, it’s fun. But this week, it hasn’t been so. It doesn’t help that I have only managed on average a four-hour sleep each night, simply because I can’t seem to go to bed before 4AM, and my body can’t seem to sleep beyond 8AM.

Four-hour sleep. Meh. One aspired for what should be a four-hour week.

One of the most frustrating things about the whole ordeal is when dealing with people who probably care less about the bigger picture of what I am trying to achieve.

This, from my best friend’s tweet, probably sums it up best:

“You can argue for purity until your face is blue and refuse to deal with people ‘beneath’ you, or work within constraints, and prove your true worth”.

But, boy, trying to prove your worth with a four-hour sleep on most nights, is pretty tough.

Having said all that, the road less travelled, is a little easier to walk on when you’re not alone. Like-minded people, find those. Keep ‘em close.

You will need them to keep you sane. Especially…when you’ve only had a four-hour sleep last night.

07.09.2012

He grabbed a girl’s arm, his cousin, Miss MK, and started introducing me to her.

“She quit her job last year and gets paid to travel”, he said to her.

I almost spat out my drink. What??! No, no, no!

Yesterday, I met up with Adam of Sit Down Disco and his wife, who are in town for a short visit. They have recently come back from a two-month backpacking trip around New Zealand and Australia for their honeymoon – or their term, “backpackneymoon“. We had a great time talking, catching up on what’s going on in our respective non 9-to-5 lifestyle. It was only when a hunger pang hit me, that we realised we had been talking for almost 4 hours.

Adam is one of those people I became friends with through Twitter sometimes last year, as I was going through my sabbatical leave. I followed his blog religiously, taking his tips and advices on how to deal with the things I went through, mainly many moments of “what the hell am I doing” and more.

Now, Adam gets paid to travel. He writes for a guidebook on Travelfish.org

I, on the other hand, contrary to what my friend introduced me as, don’t get paid to travel. While I did quit just over a year ago, and yes, I did travel, I am not quite at that stage that I now get paid to travel. Somewhere along the way, by some stroke of luck, a couple of magazine editors (and bless their hearts) thought I was good enough to write some travel articles, and I got published. Still a small number, but it’s a start on the path of a being a writer.

These days, to those who have been wondering what I fill my time with after one year off the corporate world, I write and take on projects which are aligned to some of my passions in travelling, writing and photography.

The stories of people quitting their jobs to do what they love and follow their passions, always intrigue others. It made them curious how one can do it. After all, such stories told at TEDx Ubud were what pushed me to take on the sabbatical. I told Miss MK about my story.

Learning from my experience, my first advice to her was this: don’t quit your day job just yet. Unless of course you hate it so much and it’s making you miserable. Second advice, start saving up. You will need money (and having too much of them should never, ever, be a problem).

You see, everybody loves the romantic side of my story. I don’t have to wake up in the morning to go to work and get stuck in traffic. I get to do whatever I want with my own time. I get to travel – spent a month in Bali and then later three months in Sydney among the few other trips here and there. And yes, sometimes, I get paid to write.

But I didn’t get where I am today – and I am far from where I want to be – if I didn’t make the sacrifices.

I don’t get my regular paychecks like I used to, or that yearly holiday allowances or bonuses (oh how I miss those for the big trips!). I have cut down my going out for fancy lunches, dinners and drinks – pretty much changed my lifestyle. I don’t see my family and friends as often as I would like to, for I’ll mostly be stuck working on some projects, or chasing deadlines through some ungodly hours, and wrecking up my sleeping pattern. Like lately.

Don’t forget the number of moments I feel lost, or when people such as your family don’t agree with what you do. Those moments are never pleasant. But luckily, I have met likeminded people who made me see that everything will turn out okay.

If all you want to do is travel, don’t quit your day job. Take holidays often to the many different places. And if you live in Indonesia, for the love of god, start here, at home.

But if you want to quit the 9-to-5 rat race, to give you the freedom to travel and do whatever you want, make sure you have saved up enough to do that. It takes a lot of sacrifices. Adam did save up, reaching a financial independence that allows him to have the location independence lifestyle. He had a plan back then and followed it through.

Me? Well, I wish I planned things differently. Wish I knew about people like Adam, and a few other travel bloggers and writers who trail on the same path, much earlier on. But, that is the beauty of hindsight. Everyone’s story and the process to get where they are today is different. I wasn’t going to quit work the way I did. It just happened through a series of calling, that I finally listened to.

I didn’t think I would last for more than six months, or maybe a year at most, before I’d have to go back to work – and by work, I mean the 9-to-5 desk job. But somehow, I managed. The change of lifestyle, of not spending as much has helped to stretch the funds.

I have managed to land some writing gigs, contract work, and yes, even travel-related projects, that paid me just enough to keep going on this path for the time being. Those gigs and projects will need me beyond the 9-to-5 role, and while there has been an opportunity for me to take up a job in an area I am interested in, it won’t be fair to explore such opportunity until I have the capacity to fulfil it. The next coming months will be filled with a few projects, including at least one that will require me to go away and … travel.

Oh. Wait.

Maybe The Bald Guy is not so wrong after all. I will get paid to travel after all. I have always dreamt of it, or at least have work that requires me to travel. One of the projects I am working on will allow me to do that – travel. And I got a taste of that world on a recent press/blogger trip . I have landed such gig, through a series of serendipities, as well as perhaps my rambling on Twitter that show some people my love for travelling and writing.

It’s one project for now, and it won’t make me a millionaire, but it’s been part of my dreams.

I wouldn’t be here today if I didn’t take that leap of faith. The leap of faith that came from knowing that one day, I could be waking up with a regret from not trying. Trying and see if I could reach my dream.

And that’s pretty much the last advice I told Miss MK. You will never really know, until you try.

As someone once told me, the only failure you should avoid, is the failure to try.

Note: That graffiti photo was taken at one of the hostels I stayed on my trip to Singapore last year.

Sure, I spent a month in the Island of Gods, Bali, last year. Then there was a weekend getaway in Lombok and the Gili Islands earlier in May this year. But among the approximately 18,000 islands in Indonesia, I have only seen a fraction of this beautiful country I am proud to call home.

So imagine my delight when I was invited on a trip to Tanjung Lesung, a quiet peninsula on the West Coast of Java, in the province of Banten. Finally, a chance to see a bit more of Indonesia! While I have been to this side of the country – mainly to visit the beaches such as Carita or Anyer back in the school days, and later to Umang Island a few years ago – I have never visited Tanjung Lesung and the surrounding areas of the Ujung Kulon National Park.

I joined the trip with five Indonesian travel bloggers consisted of Trinity (The Naked Traveler), Rini, Mumun from Indohoy, Barry, and Harris ; all very passionate about travelling and almost every one of them has seen more of Indonesia than most people I know.

After a three-hour drive from Jakarta, we arrived at Tanjung Lesung Resort around lunch time and checked into our accommodation for the next three days, at Kalicaa Villa a 3-bedroom spacious villa, that comes with open air lounge and kitchen, and a private swimming pool. We all had big grinds on our faces at the thought of lounging and relaxing by the pool for the next three days.

But before all that, we were called for lunch at the seaside Club Villa restaurant with this view.

The resort spreads across an area of 1500 ha, surrounded by several beaches, with parks built around the area. With facilities such as restaurants, a beach club (with snorkeling gear and boats available for use) as well as spacious outdoor area to take a walk or ride on a bicycle, the resort makes a great weekend getaway spot.

A few of us went on bicycles to explore the resort while the rest, that included me, went off for the afternoon to swim by the beach club. Now, I didn’t expect to see this view coming in, maybe because I never thought such scene would exist on the island of Java, having been to places like Bali and Lombok.

But it does.

View from the resort’s beach club

Around 5pm we moved to Bodur Beach, another gorgeous beach on the site, in time to watch the sunset. The sunset that evening, despite a little cloudy, was still mesmerising.

Sunset over Bodur Beach.

Some of us often get so engrossed in taking pictures, that we actually forget to just enjoy and be in the moment. I took a few shots of the sunsets, and later put down the camera, sat on the bench staring at the sun as it went down disappearing into the horizon. Just gazing at the empty space. Stillness. Until my travel buddies, all in the water, giggling and chattering, excitedly called out encouraging me to jump in. I obliged.

I think the last time I swam in the sunset was that one afternoon in Bali on Balangan beach, with a friend. That was almost two years ago, and I had forgotten what it felt like.

If there was one blissful moment from this trip, it was this – swimming in the ray of light, feeling the white soft powdery sands on my feet as I was standing on the soft sea base, with waves came gently crashing on to us, all laughing in joy, being in the moment.

As if we weren’t spoiled enough with the beaches on the first day, the next day we were welcomed by this view as we docked on Peucang Island, an island that would usually take an hour to an hour and half from our resort. The wind was quite strong on that day that our trip took slightly longer, as our boat captain navigated his way through the rough sea. It took us about two and a half hours to cross the strait.

But what a sight to welcome us.

I was telling my travel buddies that the best beach I have seen so far in Indonesia would have to be the ones I saw Gili Air, one of the Gili Islands off Lombok. Obviously, they have seen more of these pristine beaches having travelled to the eastern side of Indonesia, but Peucang Island beach, as we all agree, would rate pretty much up there as the best beach for the west side of the Java region. It has super clear water – check out the photo of a jelly fish I saw in the gallery – and soft powdery sand, that actually made me want to lie and roll around on it.

As much as I wanted to do that, we had some exploring to do on the island.

Peucang Island is part of the Ujung Kulon National Park, declared as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. We went trekking through the forest, 6km trek that saw us walking past some of the craziest looking trees, simply because they are hundreds years old and a sweet looking wild deer.

It took us one and half hours to reach the top of the cliff, overlooking “Karang Copong”, a big piece of rock that looks more like a tiny island in the middle of the sea. We spent about an hour up at the top before we headed back down to the beach for lunch.

I had wished that we spent the whole day on the island just lie on the white sand beach and swim in the clear water, but on our next to do list was snorkeling, which in fact excited me more since I’ve missed diving for quite some time – yes, I realise it’s not quite the same, but it was good enough to see the underwater. We did this about half way between Peucang Island and our resort, at a site called Cimayang.

I dreaded the boat ride back to the resort as the sea was rough, even worse than when we left the resort; bumpy ride, strong wind and waves up to probably two metres high, water splashing in the boat and all – you name it. All I could think of then was my DSLR camera, not being in a dry bag, a rookie mistake one might say. But luckily, while I wasn’t so dry, the camera was when we got back safely to the resort.

The last day at the resort was spent lazying around before we were due to head back to Jakarta after lunch. We repeated the first day experience of swimming in the sea, off the beach club and added snorkeling this time since it was high tide. I was very pleasantly surprise at how much there was to see snorkeling, not far from the dock by the beach club. I saw butterfly fish, trumpet fish, trevali, some puffer fish even some clown fish. It was only when I saw a trigger fish that I decided to head back to the shore. Every time I see a triggerfish, I am reminded of that dive trip in Amed, Bali, when a pregnant triggerfish attacked me. I thought it was funny at the time (it got my fins instead of my ear), but knowing how bad it could have been, the sight of a triggerfish has become a trigger of that memory (yes, pun intended) and always made me a little nervous.

Since the sensation of feeling the white sand on your feet while swimming was so pleasurable, we went for another dip at Bodur Beach. In day light, as opposed during sunset, you could see how blue and clear the water was.

We made the most of that swim, and I was reminded again on how beautiful Indonesia is, with all these hidden gems. And I still have a long way to go to explore the rest of them.

Note: I visited Tanjung Lesung Resort as a guest of PT Jababeka Tbk, the holding company behind Tanjung Lesung Resort. However all opinions expressed above are all mine

The Marina Bay Sands Promenade

Type the word “Singapore” on Google and you’ll be inundated with all the information you can get your hands on, to visit Singapore.  To end this Rediscovering Singapore series (here’s part 1, part 2 and part 3) , here are my personal tips and recommendations from my last two trips, some of which I was shared to by friends.

How to get there
Almost every airline in the world would stop in Singapore, so you are bound to find one that suits your need. If you can afford it, fly Singapore Airlines. Heck, fly Singapore Airlines ANYWHERE in this world if you can. (No, this is not a sponsored trip or post. I just want to fly Singapore Airlines everywhere. Period). Make sure you compare prices for the great deals often offered by the airlines within South East Asia.

Where to Stay
Accommodations are not cheap in Singapore. Talk about meeting almost every budget points, I got to experience quite a range of accommodations during the two trips I made within the last year; from backpackers hostel to the 5-star hotel.

1) The Hostels: Where the travellers (backpackers) hang out 

It was during the start of my sabbatical that I stayed in backpackers hostel in Singapore; I was travelling solo (after Miss Sassy left during our September trip) and I thought it might be fun to check out the backpackers hostels for some travel stories and meet other travellers.  I have to say, I was impressed with the standard of hostels here. Clean, comfortable and cosy. I will never forget one thing said by the receptionist of one of the hostels, a Malaysian, who said “Well, this is Singapore. They are very anal about everything, including not seeing your footwear all over the place. So yes, please make sure they are in the shoebox”.

The standard shoeboxes, one for each person in the hostel – Rucksack Inn

Both award-winning hostels I stayed in over the two nights period are  located in the same building on 33 Hong Kong Street in Chinatown, a central location within walking distance to Clarke Quay. For just under S$30 (check their websites for latest rate) you get a bed, free breakfast, free wi-fi, a homey feel lounge and common room, most likely filled with fun conversations from other travellers. Don’t feel like sharing your bedroom with strangers? They have private rooms as well.

Rucksack Inn
River City Inn 

2) The Hotels:  the budget to mid-range options (S$100 – S$150 per night)

Hotels in Singapore are generally small in space that I feel claustrophobic at times. But when you are out and about most of the time exploring what Singapore has to offer, it’s probably best to spend your money elsewhere and settle for some of the value-for-money hotels available. Note, that there are “cheap” hotels (in price, quality and who or what goes on there)  and there are “value for money” hotels. Go for the latter.

Here are the ones I stayed in and why I’d recommend them.

Victoria Hotels, 87 Victoria Street  Singapore 188016  :  The hotel might feel a little dated in design, though it is simple, clean and staff is very friendly.  Location is great being  5 minutes walk to Bugis Junction, and very close to the MRT station and the museums district.

Value Hotel Thomson: 592 Balestier Road Singapore 329901  (Website)  : This is a good value for money hotel in a good location. Again, rooms are small, with clean minimalist design.  I was pleasantly surprised with the facilities which include a gym and a rooftop swimming pool (see the picture below) . It’s  close to transport, and  a short walking distance to Novena Square Shopping Mall, where the MRT station is located.

3) The 5-Star Resort: Marina Bay Sands.
Thanks to Finally Woken, I got to experience this hotel on my last trip. But we weren’t that impressed with it.  The hotel is your standard 5-star hotel with a clinical feel that comes with a massive hotel, where you are one of the thousands customers around.  The lobby is one huge open space with a sea of people coming and going, one can easily gets confused in trying to figure out where to check in and what to do. Someone should have figured out the guest-flow design a little bit better.

Don’t get me wrong though, the hotel is not bad. The room is generous in size with plush comfortable bed, iPod docking and flat screen TVs. I did find one design flaw in our hotel suite – there was no electrical plug in the bathroom. There was a hairdryer in that spacious bathroom,  but I looked everywhere and couldn’t find one electric plug.  I thought I had gone mad. After all, it’s a 5-star hotel, surely they wouldn’t miss such important element in a bathroom?

I kid you not.  Upon reading reviews on Trips Advisor, it turned out, I wasn’t the only one who noticed it.

For the price that one pays to stay here, I’d say head out to other 5-Star hotels in the city or even the boutique hotels around (see below). Unless of course all you want to do is sip cocktails by the infinity pool on the 57th Floor, which is exclusive for the guest use only.

4) The Boutique Hotels – Where I would like to stay in next time

I have had friends staying in these hotels and they seem to keep coming back. Just take one look at their websites and the quirky design of the rooms.

New Majestic Hotel
The Wanderlust Hotel

Other travel tips

Getting around: Get an Ezy Link card from any 7-11 store or the MRT stations and this will allow you to travel on all the extensive bus and MRT network. (The card can also be used for other services and purchases where applicable).  Another great thing I discovered about the transport system is this website gothere.sg that will tell you what transport options to take to your destination and how long the journey will take. You can also purchase the iPhone app that comes with it.

Walking is pleasant in Singapore, but not when the sun is out in its glory; Singapore can be very hot and humid.  Stay in the air-conditioned malls until it’s good to come out and explore. One of the best walk is along the Singapore river from Clarke Quay, all the way to Marina Bay Sands through the Esplanade. A long walk, but do it just in time for the sun set.

Food:  Food is a big part of my travel attraction and luckily, Singapore is a food haven; even friends travel to Singapore just to eat.  Singaporeans love their food –  from the hawker centres to the Michelin-star restaurants, Singapore has them all.

The Hainanese Chicken Rice and Char Kway Teow are my must eat on any visit to Singapore. I don’t have any favourite so far as I tend to explore and stop at any hawker centres or restaurants I find along the way, despite the list I have from friends on places to visit in Singapore.  Best tips? Ask the local friend.   Or check out this foodblog site on the food of Singapore : I Eat, I Shoot, I Post

What to do:  There are too many things to list on what to do in Singapore. (And you obviously have not been reading my part 1, part 2 and part 3 of this Singapore travel series). From shopping, eating, the Sentosa Island resort,  the Universal Studio, art performances and exhibitions, and even the beaches (albeit  man-made), they have got it all covered.   Check out their events calendar (via YourSingapore.com, the official Singapore Tourism website)  for what’s on before you head to Singapore. There is bound to be something on while you visit.

If you are anything like me, head out to the museums and galleries. Check their opening times as free admissions are applicable on specific times.

*****

So there, I have said it;  I am officially infatuated with Singapore. The museums and galleries, the food, the architecture, the comfortable footpath to walk everywhere and the obsession with everything efficient and organised, it makes the place so easy to travel. There are plenty that I want to explore as it is, and given the track record of the Singaporean government’s effort in trying to make Singapore as a tourist destination instead of just a stop-over, I trust there will be something new the next time I am in town.