So Long Surabaya!

14 months after I stifled the heart-stopping, breath-stealing, seeing-black anxiety of signing a contract for 12 months, I’m finally on the doorstep of bidding farewell to this city. However, 9 months after I decided I wanted out of SE Asia forever and began counting the days until I could make that a reality, I’ve chosen to brave one last challenge that will keep me here for another month or two. Opportunity presents, I can’t help but take a look. And that look leads me down paths I couldn’t have imagined had I had the rest of time to plan. So yes Indonesia, you have me hooked a little while longer but Surabaya, we are finished. I’m sorry, centre of East Java, but we are just not meant to be. Jigsaw-puzzle concrete chaos and skyscraping shopping malls, frenetic, senseless paces and maniacal daily mayhem, and let’s not forget the endless, endless, endless noise; we have very different needs. I’ve been well taken care of and will never forget you but it’s time, I must go. Selamat tinggal. Reflecting on the road I’ve recently traveled as I set out for the next journey is always a bit of a tricky way to begin but it’s what I tend to do. That reflection is meant to focus on the highlights, let go of the low points, and keep perspective when sentimental clutter threatens to get in the way of taking that next first step. So let’s reflect, shall we? What have I done and seen in Indonesia this past year? I’ve been on 7 dive holidays, climbed 2 volcanoes, gotten up close and personal with dragons, swam with whalesharks, nearly died in an ocean-fed lagoon, seen a bizarre Indo style zoo, amusement park, and rope course, experienced dangdut, the gamelan, and batik, missed a flight by an entire day, explored some very impressive temples, snorkeled my way through a lake full of jellyfish, saved a couple of cats and lost a couple too, dodged stampeding bulls, hiked, camped, played in waterfalls, learned to ride a motorbike like a demon, crossed SE Asia’s largest bridge several times, paraglided my way high over beautiful country side, held newly laid turtle eggs in my bare hands and chased off poachers, taken 24 hours to travel 350kms more than once and didn’t murder anyone, been in the company of fascinating new creature critters and comforting familiar ones, managed to not miss one single day of work, and a million more little things that elude my overwhelmed mind at the moment. A pretty successful year nonetheless, yes? Yes. Absolutely. I’ve barely scratched the surface of the adventure brimming and bubbling here in Indonesia. With an ability to turn a blind eye to obscene corruption, environmental devastation, religious turmoil, and a slowed state of progress, this country could keep me exploring for the rest of my life. A must-see country to travel, an interesting country to settle in. However, for me it’s time to move on. Sort of. Through random paths crossing, ideas suggested and finally considered, I’ve decided to hop on over to Bali where I’ll take the next big step in my love affair with diving. While I’ve never had an interest in working as a diver, I simply want to be in the water. It’s the only thing I can think of that gives me giddy butterflies in my stomach, scares me cold, lets time stand still, continuously allows me to learn, makes the debilitating sea-sickness worth it (not fair, by the way!), surprises me, feels strange yet soothing, and invokes a mind-bending sense of wonder every single time I'm in that big, deep blue. And I’m still new to this thing. Next logical step, I’m off to take my instructor’s course. The anxiety is already mounting as I realize the task I’ve taken on but I will charge head first regardless. Fear of failure is my motivator, wondering “what if” will push me on. In keeping perspective I know that this course and this challenge is miniscule, a blip, a no big deal. 20 year olds blow through it in a half sleep daze. It’s not another 4 year university degree or a shift in core beliefs. It will affect no one’s life but mine and may not even alter the course I’m on but it’s something new and big and a little bit scary for me. And I’ve chosen to make that enough. For all you people out there changing the world, I’ll meet up with you at some point. For now, I’m gonna go splash around with the fishies. And that’s the catch up and sign off. School ends Sept 28th, I fly to Bali Oct 1st, my course starts Oct 18th and will keep me wet and wild until Nov 5th. As for what happens after that … you know the answer by now. We’ll see where the wind takes me, what the universe has in store for me, what windows open, and how the road turns. As I pack up my bags, again, and look back on a full year, I know this is nowhere near the end. Reflection is good like that, isn’t it?