Check Two

So I've crossed the second point on my list.

I had an awesome trip with my company.

And that's not the only highlight.

In this second visit to Hong Kong - Macau, I brought back my book. The book I wrote, about the two cities. And I had my second experience in Disneyland. And I went here and there for the second time once again, and ultimately, I met one of my best international mate, also for the second time.

Well, first time's a blast,

Second time's a wonder, eh?

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

That Friday Night

“Yea we danced on table tops,
And we took too many shots,
Think we kissed but I forgot.”

One of my favorite song, sang by a singer I’ve always loved. I always take it for granted, that the song would be just something I could only sing—never thought that when I change all the we’s with I’s, it becomes a story of that Friday night.

That, Friday night, of mine.

Pic's from here.

Well it’s actually not a thing I’m proud of. But let’s see the bright side: I had fun, and it was the first check on the list of stuff I wish I’d be re-doing this year.

Many more to go.

Can’t wait to scream,

“Do it all again”

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

Terima Kasih, Dua Ribu Enam Belas

Each of 2013, 2014, and 2015,

Served different themes for me.

The combination of those three was all centered in traveling and my ambition to befriend the world, and my ultimate trip to Japan by the end of last year wrapped it up re~al good.

It was too big, and emotionally slash financially draining. So I promised myself that for the following year, 2016, I’d be staying still and just focusing on the other aspects of my life. The more realistic and essential aspects of my life.

And that’s why for 2016,

I assigned the 366 days as

“The Year of Settling Down”

This is the face of somebody who's ready to settle down. Taken in Bali, 00:02AM

The year of building my career. The year of figuring out what to really do with my life. The year of no big trips, no short-term jobs, no soon-resigning plans. No.

It's my year to start acting as most professionals do, daily.

All began by my first overseas-remote job with the company I did my internship with in Japan, as well as working on two more books I released this year, followed by a series of interviews I walked into –after all, work-from-home type of job won’t be enough right?– which led me to end up in Ogilvy. Yes, an advertising agency. I’m back in this industry HAHA. And this one is a big one not just locally, but worldwide. So no, I’m not planning to go out soon. I’m settling down.

Very "settling down" that even my traveling life revolved only around two of my favorite cities. However it was okay, because

It’s also my year to travel in a calmer sense as locals do, daily.

Opened the year in Bali (again), laying low in Nusa Lembongan and Ceningan, then returned to the island two months later for only relaxing at a good hotel and eating out here and there. Then when it came to my annual trip, I only flew to Singapore. Nothing big like the previous three, only Singapore, and all I did were just visiting an island, cycling with my earphones on, reading a book by the ocean, interacting with locals, eating out here and there. Then I went back to Bali again during Ramadan, which was, so not a trip regular tourists would want to do. But I committed to have a local-sensed type of journey so yea, there I was in Bali, fasting, and no swimming which was, kinda odd for a so-called Bali trip eh? Finally three months ago I was back in Singapore. For nothing but F1, and its awesome concert. A trip many of my friends and relatives responded with “Are you serious? Just F1 and then home?”. Well, “No”, I answered. “Because I also met some friends, even a highschool friend, and of course I went eating out here and there too,” so yea, I’m settling down with this habit.

So settling down that now, here I am, typing the last paragraphs of 2016's last post in Singapore (again), as I want this year to end in this dear city. Country. City—oh, whatever.

Anyways. Yea.

I want my career to be like exactly like what I'm doing. Regular ones where I need to commute like cool businessman, work on a desk like I’m a busy office worker. And writing ones too, where I bring my notepads everywhere I go, seen walking around public places carrying my laptop, or sitting on the corner of a hip coffee place somewhere. I wanted to settle down this way, and I did it this year.

And I want Bali and Singapore to be a part of my settling down plan too. Traveling back and forth to both cities for thrice each, waking up on the first day of 2016 in one, and counting down the last seconds of 2016 in another, well, it just showed how "I want them to be a part of my plan too" eh? I've always wanted to settle down with these cities, and it seems like I did.

But the best part of 2016 is

How these two, career and traveling,

Both went side by side so well all year long.

A type settling down I been dying to have.

And this, is the face of somebody whose "Settling Down" plan worked
the way he wanted it to be. Taken in Singapore, 00:25AM

And pretty soon, when I could add a little more of traveling, and less of work, I'll find every year me saying to myself—just like this year I'll say:

"Thank you, 2016.

Let's restart, shall we?"