Vicky's Dirty Thirty

Oh yeah, still talking about this shit.

Sorry not sorry, because we're entering March. My birth month. I have this can't-let-go habit where I turn to this blog whenever I'm reaching a certain milestone in my life. And being thirty is not just a milestone, it's a HUGE MILE-FUCKING-STONE so... here I am, bragging a lot about this.

Anyways.

Remember my plan to have fun and all dancing before turning 30? Yea it turned to be a rubbish. I was being innocent and naive, thinking that Covid will be rid soon. You know what happened: the fucking pandemic had been on and off and on and off it gave uncertainty to everyone throughout my days of being 29 so... none of those plans happened.

Well it was partly my fault anyway because, who's smart enough to plan all those ambitious dances while at the same time being busy with works and workshops and on top of all spent 3 months in total living in Bali? Me.

Then entering 2022, I began to realize that... Gosh, I only have three full months to meet all my different circles and fulfill that dream goal I set a year ago! 

Super.

So yea! No more stoopid snoozing.
And that's where I began planning this:

Operation Dirty Thirty.

I started to write down the list of my circle - whose WhatsApp groups are pretty active and that's how I thought about them - and sending codes to meet them. Of course I brought up the idea of me wanting to have fun because I'm turning 30, just so it caught their attention.

Some reacted with huge enthusiasm, some were just responded out of courtesy, and some others were kind of wondering why out of the blue I was the one initiating to meet where usually I just tagged along lol. Well this is ME who's turning 30, okay, so of course I'm the one who should be more proactive.

Again, due to the fucking pandemic, those who responded earlier agreed to meet but, sadly, only casually. No dancing and boozing involved. Damn. But hey I couldn't complain because this weird ops aside, I'm actually missing these people. I couldn't remember where and when was the last time I actually met them in person! So of course I agreed to that plan and thanks to that, two of my circles were officially crossed off of my list.

Traveloka Flocks

CMUNNY Delegates

That leaves me with three more circles to go: High School Gang, Ogilvy Survivors, and Lazada Mates—all has to be done within this month. *chuckles* Sounds crazy, eh? Three different circles in less than 30 days, all should include dancings and drinkings?

Well at first I thought it was, but, somehow I came up with a plan just EXACTLY LAST NIGHT.

Involving apartments - yes, plural - renting, a bit of event organizing, schedule fitting, works hijacking, family compromising, and, a little bit too much of ambitious sprinkling. And according to that overnight plan, this should start exactly this weekend. The first weekend of March.

Oh and on top of that, I'm planning to go to Bali mid-March to do something I don't feel like disclosing for the time being, but then I realized I could use this opportunity to ask my friends there to complete this operation and add up more circles to have fun with!

Gosh.

I never thought my 30th birthday would extend to be a 30th birth-MONTH plan. I'm genuinely excited, and a bit grateful also, for not doing it last year and just gather everything to a compact 27-day ops like this! Now this March would be even more special than others!

Really hoping that all goes well this month because...

I feel dirty already for turning thirty.
So please just let me enjoy the preparation of it.

Dirty-less-ly

Dance The 20s Away

You know what's nice?

To be young forever of course lol why God why are we given the concept of age? Well no, okay, no I'm not gonna complain about that now. So hey! Back to the original question: you know what's nice?

To wrap up the years of being 20s real nice.

I just turned 29. But unlike the old me, I'd rather not to make a big fuss of it in this blog. My last birthday post was in... wait let's see... ah, 2017. My 25th birthday. Years after, I kinda felt like I didn't want to keep reminding myself about how I'm getting closer and closer to leaving 20s. So I distracted myself, with my works, my books, my travels, my cats, my ambitions, my every other things expect my age.

But then it came. My 29th birthday. And all of the sudden my "distraction wall" just got tear down. I'm exposed, once again, to the fact that I'll turn 30. And this time shit got even more real because the culprit would come in less than one year.

Well.
No one can deny this, eh?
So I guess it's time for me to give in.
And welcome 30 with grace.

I'm actually doing it now! Exactly one day after my birthday, I fled to Bali for my first ever long trip on the island. The max I ever had was 12 days, and here I am now, writing this thing on my 19th day while I still have one week to spend here. Well I started my last year of being 20s really right—of course I'd do something much better if it weren't for the stupid pandemic so, Bali during this time would be more than enough.

So I'm good for the first month. After this I'd come back to Jakarta, spend the rest of Ramadan, go on an annual family staycation and poof! All I need to think of is just the rest of my 10 months of being 20s. And how would I do that? How could I make these last months of being 20s... worth reminding?

Well, a lot, actually... but one thing I really want to do THE MOST would be...

To dance again.

Yes, literally. At the club, especially, or at a concert, or at some home parties would be okay as well. With some people I like, with strangers, with the presence of boozes, and loud music, and crazy crowd, OH MY GOD I WANT TO DO THAT AS MANY TIMES AS I CAN BEFORE I TURN 30!!!

I entered the pandemic being 27, and now I'm 29. And I have no guarantee that we'll be out of this fucking pandemic while I'm still 29.

TWO. FUCKING. YEARS. Of no dancing. Of no partying with my friends. Of no moving weirdly with some intoxicated guys I made friends with at the club. Of no traveling abroad, and getting into some random dance floor only to get a little taste of what it feels like to dance in that country. TWO, FUCKING, YEARS, of none of that, and I'm getting really weary.

I've had some of my best times on the dance floor during my 20s, and I don't want to leave the age stage not doing that.

20 y.o - 2012 - Singapore
This was just several days after I turned 20.
Oh how amazing life was back then...

21 y.o - 2013 - Bali
So many things happened following AND preceding this :')

22 y.o - 2014 - Bali
Yep these two broke up lol so I had to cover their faces.
Your secrets are safe with me Pong, Gan (trus disebut wkwk)

23 y.o - 2015 - Tokyo
Of course even in a karaoke session I dance!

24 y.o - 2016 - Singapore
At the concert of Imagine Dragons thanks to Singapore GP!

25 y.o - 2017 - Jakarta
Probably one of the messiest dance I ever had.
And it was in my hometown lol wth was I thinking!?

26 y.o - 2018 - Madrid
And this, was one of the fun-est, random-est dance I ever done.

27 y.o - 2019 - Monza
But never thought that the best dance OF MY LIFE was a dance to a national anthem.

I know it's a lot to ask during this uncertain times. One can't really predict what the universe has already prepared for the future. Would it be better, would it be worse, would we be more free to see each other, would there be more restrictions? No one knows.

But I want it. No.
I WANT IT.

I want to dance again with EVERY SINGLE CIRCLE of mine, before I turn 30, before everyone else turns 30 on their respective timeline.

And heck, it's always nice to have a plan, right? I mean, now that we are limited to do stuff we love, a plan would make things feel a bit more... hopeful.

So for now I'd just let the imagination runs in my mind. The good times with all my friends and family, let's just play the scenario in the dreamland, hoping that it'd come.

Although if it eventually doesn't come,
At least I had it well played in the back of my head:

The Last Dances of Being 20s

Prepare

For what? Listening to my neverending French trip stories?

HAHAHA—yes, that’s one.

But no, it won’t be going to happen until the end of this month, I guess. I’m still reviving from how incredible the trip was, that I don’t think I’m ready yet to talk about it. Oh wait, before I’m dragging way too far, why am I being a rude host...

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2018!

Okay, that’s it, let’s go on—so yea, prepare, for what?

Well, lots, actually, but to put it in a general sense, maybe, what I meant by “prepare” is for me to be ready to do something for my future. I know, it’s big. And that’s why it needs a good deal of a preparation.

So is it something about, again, and as always, traveling? Or, since I mentioned “future”, does it have anything to do with my career?

I can’t tell. Yet.

What I can tell now is that I’m done playing around -too much. This matter I'm trying to prepare myself for is a serious thing -but still, I need to play around too. And there’s nothing in the whole world now that I want more than this -aside of playing around, of course.

Or maybe something in between?

So, Vicky Amin.

Are you ready -to play?

London It Is

So I mentioned about London in my last post. Now, it reminds me of a thing. Nah, not too much of a big deal. It's just a long lost passion I haven't recalled much lately.

Mmyea. The city,

Used to be my lifetime dream destination.

You know it's not mine. Pic's from here.

And it's not just about traveling. It's literally "lifetime". Because what I meant by "long lost", didn't mean after my desire to travel appeared. It began long—way long long ago. When I was much much younger, still knowing nothing about the art of traveling.

It all thanks to Harry Potter. A book where many dreams of 90s kids began. Dreams to be a wizard, dreams to have such a great fantasy, dreams of literally many kinds. As for me, the book of course was the main reason why I dreamed of being an author. But more than that, it was also the major boost to my dream of visiting England.

Rowling’s description about British touches throughout her novels was so rich and pure. So sincere that every time I imagine England, all I could experience is its peaceful atmosphere, delicious types of meals, serene castles and forests, warmth of butterbeers, beautiful houses with unique names on it—all grew in the back of my mind, and I subconsciously wished to experience that beyond just through words. Feel that in reality.

Then Agatha Christie came to me when I grew up and began to move on from the wizarding world. Peter Pan hijacked my preference of cartoon. Liverpool started demanding my attention. One by one the recollections of Harry Potter disappeared, yet switched to some other British elements. My urge to see England went away with my imagination of Ms Rowling’s novels, but I just didn’t realize that my dream was actually still alive.

Until my passion in traveling bloomed. And I realized that England is not on the same page with Europe and northern lands, that making a visit to the country needs separate plan from having a trip to the continent and the ice worlds.

So I began this fantasy of continuing my study in England. Not only for the sake of education, obviously, but for the sake of traveling. One year of study. Exploring England before school starts, going down to mainland Europe during summer break, and flying all the way up north after graduating. This plan was real, and if I ever got a chance to do so, I’d do exactly so.

At first it was just a stupid fantasy. But then signs after signs kept coming like the city is calling me. From F1’s rumor to move British Grand Prix from Silverstone to London, then me meeting a new awesome friend whom apparently live in London, to a college friend who just finished a trip to London, and finally, you know what it is: a coworker asking me to create a travel itinerary for the city.

I mean, wow. I thought it’ll only remain a dream. But it feels so close now. And I feel like it’s just not right to treat it only like a dream.

So I guess it's where “the promise” part comes in.

I promise—lol, no. I'm not going to make it sound too formal. But yea I need to make a deal with myself, to focus on this. Find the school, find the scholarship, find everything it takes for me to fly my ass up there. To try traveling, living, and studying in London.

To be honest, it’s sometimes more than just mere "visiting London". Or traveling far, or living with myself, or even going on with my study—no. Sometimes, it’s because I can no longer stand being jealous of my friends who are currently doing what I’ve been dreaming doing.

Yep, they who are now studying in Japan, settling down in Canada, just graduating and started career in Netherlands, looking for lovers in Australia—fcvk, no, HELL NO! I can’t let you guys have the worldwide fun while I, the apprentice of Mr Worldwide, got stuck here in front of my office screen in Jakarta. No.

Original pic's from here.

I am so, going.

London it is, but if God has other plans, then why not?

But yea, no.

London it is

한국의 계획

Back in college days,

When I still had difficulties in saving money and managing my own agenda, yet I, being reckless and impulsive as a college student in general, had a big trip planned -and fixed- without knowing much about my financial status nor availability—I used to make a deal with myself.

Like just before I went to Bali in 2011 and Malaysia - Thailand in 2013, also Vietnam - Cambodia in 2014 which all happened during my university period. I was so blinded by how cheap the flight fares were, that I didn't realize that I had to work extra hard to save money, and secure my calendar so I could actually go. Growing up as a better traveler, I could manage to overcome all those matters so, as you might see in this blog, I never made any more oath ever since.

But then.

The long lost me strikes back. Another airline promo came, and me, being reckless and impulsive as a college student I used to be, booked another ticket for a big 10-days-long trip abroad to

South Korea

Pic's from here.

So? What makes me act like this is something big?

Considering I said I've grown up as a "better" traveler?

Because this time, it's neither just about money which I need to work on, nor it is about the schedule I have to settle with.

It's freaking both.

Remember that I just finished my Australian trip? Yea? It was a big one, financially included. This Korean trip will actually happen exactly one year after that, and of course I can save money in such long period of time, but hey, it's not as simple as it sounds. I have five other planned trips coming my way from this second to December -and I-don't-know-how-many-other from January to May, two of which are fixed. Now yea, you do the math.

Now about schedule, oh schedule... As a full-time employee, in an advertising agency, my schedule is kind of, unexpected. I could be having this campaign or that campaign, with plannings and preparations stretched way back to months before. Not to mention about the limited number of annual leave I still have yet to use. I've dodged all the similar bullets for Australia, but, remembering all the plans I've made so far, I'm pretty sure it's going to be a tough one to get a go for Korea.

So yea, here I am, kneeling with passion and perseverance, about to make an oath I haven't done in almost FOUR YEARS.

"I, Rifky Ramadhan Amin, will officially announce that on this THIRD YEAR after college, I will rarely spend my MONEY and TIME for flash-term pleasure things such as watching movies, eating out and buying things prodigally, by working EXTRA harder to IMPRESS MY BOSSES, get BONUSES, and earn PERMISSIONS." 

-South Korea Trip Oath-

So, what makes me act like this is something big again?

I didn't make any oath for my Hong Kong - Macau trip,
Not even my big six-freaking-week journey to Japan!

The answer is simple.

It's because I've grown as a better traveler.
Whose plans, whose future and what not,
Are somewhat planned, but better be

Unpredictable

Restart Starts Now

You know what I’m so excited about 2017?

Of course you do, I’ve spilled everything: it’s about all the stuff I’ve ever done in my life, that I’ll be doing again this year. From parties to anniversaries, from planning this to realizing that. It’s more about the plan of my life, but as for now, let’s just stick to something I love the most.

Lord, what else but

Traveling.

And this is not just a mere traveling. This is a type of traveling I’ve always eager to do.

Hong Kong – Macau, with friends.

Pic's from here.

I know, I’ve been there. But that’s the essence, right? Trip to Hong Kong was one of the best I ever done. And I’ve made a book out of it, which thank-God-ly turned to be one of my best selling. Bringing my book to where it began? That’s a dream come true.

Better yet, I’ll be here with friends. One type of a trip I barely do. And by friends I’m not just talking about my coworkers—but also actual friends I’m going to meet in Hong Kong. And it’s not just random friends. These are people I formed this weird relationship with in Hong Kong, during my first trip there.

Australia, with myself.

Pic's from here.

I won’t treat my travel plan this big and necessary, if I don’t include any solo trip within. I know, a trip with myself is something I’ve always done. But again, that’s the essence! Plus it’ll be somewhere I’ve always been dying to visit! I’ve long planned this east coast route, from Goldcoast to Melbourne, and I’ll be actually doing that! With myself! Another big solo trip I’ve never get tired of!

But hey, I’ve told you all that. Why would I bring these all up if I don’t have something fresh and new to share? Yes, I’ve added a twist to my 2017 trip plan. This is much better, much more exciting, and the best part is, it’s local. I will be going to

Manado, with my family.

Pic's from here.

This is really big. Not just for me, but for my family. We’ve been planning to go to Manado for ages. My mom was born here, so paying a pilgrimage to her hometown is really a thing we gotta do. But our schedules never meet. And traveling to another island, even further than Bali, is something we have to plan really sleek—especially with the cats we have at home.

But then, this is happening. We’re finally, actually flying there, next month. Going on a vacation, all five of us, once more. We haven’t done this for a fair long time. When it comes to long-haul vacation it has always been only me, only mom and dad, only my brothers separately—we haven’t actually flew together anymore. Last time was Bali, and it was six years ago. Oh of course, we do road trips and stuff, but flying? That’s just a dream.

Nice, huh?

All these repeated trip plans,

I never thought it’d be happening soon!

So what next? Local snorkeling trip? Overseas internship? Endless party journey? Last-minute F1 catching? Oh I’d love to do it all all over again, really. And when it ends,

I’ll just start restarting

Sunrise

It's always exciting to have something to wait for.

Like during Ramadan, during the whole 30 days of fasting. Each and every single day, the wait for sundown can be considered becoming the vein of the month. And topped with the Eid celebration, days and weeks after the holy month often times felt so... Empty.

Good news for 2017,

I've set many plans and stuff,

For me to wait for, along the year.

Just so I feel excited to embrace each and every single sunrise.

Well not for the whole year though, it's for at least the first half of 2017. But it's not bad, eh? Not bad at all. More plans for the latter half of the year would definitely be set within the next two or three months so, let's just stick to what has been planned first.

New Year Party

With my co-workers. It is known that this certain party is my company's best night to happen. With booze and performances, social interactions and 'social interactions' LOL JK. This year, it'll be this month really, in January, and I'm really looking forward to that.

Bonus Trip

Okay I've been working really hard these past 9 months. An outing with the company sounds like a good prize, no? Yes! It's my first ever trip with people I'm working with, and it's going to happen in February! It's Hong Kong and Macau though, in which I've been there to. But this time some other people will have everything done for me. Everything. So it's seriously going to be a rewarding moment I won't miss.

Vroom Vrooms

Mmyeah. F1 will start again. One and its first Grand Prix is in March. And thrice in April, twice in May, and so on and so on, until late November Abu Dhabi will once again close the worldwide parade. This alone, will make my year awesome.

Work Anniversary

May will mark the 12 months of me working for Ogilvy. It's a big big thing for a traveler that can't ever settle his ass down for a while like me. So I gave an idea to myself, well, why don't give me a little reward? Enter Australia Trip. Yes, that trip I told you about last month, it's actually going to happen during my work anniversary. A professional milestone in which I'm supposed to celebrate at the office, that I will party for from down under.

Ramadan & Eid

Just several days after my trip, the holy month starts. It'll give me one whole June full of joyful waitings, topped with the Eid celebration—the exact same euphoria I explained earlier in this post. Only in my case, days and weeks after the holy month won't feel empty.

Because all these plans, are excluding any random plans I'm always known to make. Local island hopping, self birthday gifts, quick weekend escape, Bali, random staycation, another Grand Prix watching, or maybe a long-haul Christmas/New Year trip?

I don't know.

I don't have to think about it now.

The past me had planned much already.

The present me will enjoy all those, so...

I'll just let the future me to surprise me.

What I know now is that, this,

Is a bright start of a wonderful thing

Everybody has always gone hunting for:

Spectacular Sunset