When I had a conversation with a friend, he’s a bit suprised to know that I never take an economy class train despite of the fact that I use train a lot. Oh well, it is true that I always take the executive class, not because I have money, but because I use to travel alone. Single female traveler in an economy class train? No way.

I have been out of home since high school. My parents teach in elementary schools distant in Wonogiri, Central Java [go south of Solo]. I entered a public school for my kindergarten, elementary school, and junior high. When it came to junior high graduation, I genuinely thought that I would continue to another public school just in the city, because all of my friends were there, and it was not so far from home. But my parents asked me to try for a private school in the small town of Muntilan, near Merapi Volcano [it is so close, you know]. It is a boarding school. Let just call its nickname, VL. Its students must [MUST] stay in the dorm. Okay. What did I do?

First of all, I didn’t know the place, barely heard the name, and I felt I don’t want to go. But since it was a request, okay, I’ll try to pass the entrance test, I said to myself that time. Oh yeah, there was [and still] several examinations for entering the boarding school. VL only recruits maximum 160 students each year, 100 males and 60 females, out of roughly  700-800 applicants. So do you consider it hard?

Well, I tried it. I had to go through the IQ test, physical examination [run along 3 km for female, 5 km for male], and an interview. Anyway, the applicants come from anywhere in Indonesia. At that time, my friends came from Lampung, Jakarta, Riau, Balikpapan, Manado, even Papua. Well, I got in. And so it was, I moved from home to dormitory .

Yeah, that’s the approximate representation, since Muntilan is not in the map . I spent three years there, and I am so glad that I have lots of friends from anywhere. It is easy to go to some cities, and just call someone to pick you, or get you walk in the city. Miss you all friends .

Okay. Senior high, passed. I didn’t want to continue my education in Jogja, Solo, nor Semarang, since those cities are familiar to me. And as my father said, go out of the box.  He really believes in me, no matter the fact that I am female, and the first child of two. So, without any long consideration, intuitively, I chose to apply to a private university in Surabaya, East Java. Far? 5 hours by train, 7 hours by bus. It was really what people call, do what comes out first in your mind. I have no friends there, no experience, I just decided that by instinct. How extraordinary . So, again, I moved from Muntilan to Surabaya.

Okay, see the red line? That’s my second route . Then I spent 4 years in Surabaya. Second largest city in Indonesia, but very authentic. I screwed up my Java languange here [as I used to live around Solo, my Java language is pretty good, and I can speak in a very polite manner -- what people call krama inggil  -- but Surabaya people speak in a very 'plain' way -- check my friend H or S ]. When it came to a field work, I went to Cilegon [in the west edge of Java island], to the one and only alkylbenzene manufacturer in Indonesia, P.T. Unggul Indah Cahaya, Tbk. Where is it? I’ll show you. It is near Krakatau Steel, that might be more familiar to you.

Look at the blue one . Why did I choose it, whereas so many factories around Surabaya that I could pick? I want to go out of the box . So for a month, I lived in Cilegon. It is sort of small town, but since it has industrial estates [because its strategic locations, with Merak harbour at the west side], Cilegon is sufficiently developed. I enjoyed there. 

And now, I am currently living in Taipei, Taiwan. I always love to go out of the box . Thanks Dad, for encouraging me to enjoy new experience. After this, which place to go? Or settle down? Who knows .