Hello again, my neglected blog. Has it been a year? Or more? I’ve lost count. I’ve finally logged back into this little, dusty travel blog of mine, and you deserve a life update.

Where have I been?

Let me take you back to the COVID era. The year was 2020, and the date was March 30. I remember it clearly because I wrote it in my diary—that was the day I got laid off from work.

I used to work at one of the biggest OTA startup companies in Indonesia. Just like that, I was let go. It was understandable, though, since the world was in lockdown and no one was traveling for leisure. I received a decent severance package, but it would probably only last about a year at most. I was sad, unemployed, and suddenly had a lot of free time. One of the things I did during that time was create this animation video (see below). I loved the song so much because the lyrics deeply resonated with my situation at the time.

Then, out of the blue, I got a job offer from an online friend (who later became a close friend of mine—thank you, Lenny!). Just 1–2 months after being laid off, I started a new job. It was a remote position at a marketing agency. I worked three days a week and spent the rest of my time cooking, sewing, gardening, playing with my dog, and trying out new hobbies.

Around August 2020, my ex-colleague and I started a creative studio called Artgenie Studio—an illustration and animation studio. I was one of the four co-founders. My role was as producer/studio manager, supporting my friends, who handled most of the creative work. To our surprise, the company grew, and now we have three full-time and one part-time employee. I’ll circle back to this studio later because it becomes relevant again.

In May 2021, I decided to move to another city/village.

I wanted to move to Bali, but due to the lockdown, it wasn’t doable. Instead, I moved to Puncak, a mountainous village in West Java, with my dog. I’ve always loved Harvest Moon and Stardew Valley, so living in the mountains and being surrounded by nature made me so happy. I continued my remote job, transitioned to full-time work (five days a week), and spent my free time making pottery, pressing fresh flowers (hydrangeas were abundant), baking, cooking, gardening, hiking, and napping. Oh, the naps! The weather was cold (12–18°C at night), and the village was so dark and quiet—it felt like hibernation.

I promised myself I’d document everything and post on YouTube and Instagram because I’ve always loved creating content. Just look at this blog—I started it in 2015 while interning in Florida and studying in Switzerland till 2017. I’ve always had a passion for creating, especially travel content. But I didn’t follow through. I wasn’t disciplined and kept making excuses (mostly because of my fear of judgment).

While I posted sporadically, it wasn’t consistent. Maybe I wasn’t into daily vlogs since it was still COVID, and I could only stay home or hike nearby. I also didn’t enjoy making marketing or business-related content, which actually my job. What I truly loved was creating content about travel. If you’ve ever talked to me in real life, you’d see how my eyes light up when I talk about traveling. I can talk endlessly about traveling.

Eventually, I got a new offer from another digital agency, which I accepted. It was another remote job and is still my current job. I love it, mainly because of the people. My lead, my colleagues—I’ve been so blessed to have amazing coworkers throughout my career. This job also offers excellent work-life balance and is far less stressful.

After a year in the mountains, I decided to move back to the city and live with my parents. I packed up everything, including my dog, and went home.

Why? Because I didn’t feel like I was growing. Village life is slow, and I wanted to be in a more progressive and international environment (hint: Bali). Initially, I planned to move to Bali for just two months (spoiler: I stayed for 11 months).

I moved to Bali in May 2022, with little expectation, curious about exploring life as a “digital nomad.” It turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life.

In Bali, I made new friends, lost a few, and reconnected with old friends. I hiked, learned to scuba dive, surf, and snorkel. Most importantly, I discovered how much I love being near and in the water. I can’t get enough of the sea (blame my Pisces moon!).

Bali was everything I needed—easy to navigate, full of open-minded people, and rich in culture, nature, and community. I could network with people from around the world, enjoy international cuisine at the tap of my phone, and immerse myself in the island’s magic.

Then, in April 2023, I had an accident. I won’t go into detail, but it forced me to go back home, to Jakarta. While I could’ve stayed in Bali, I felt homesick and needed proper care (nothing too serious—just healing my legs). I’ve always been the kind of person who turns to my mom for comfort when I’m sick. It took me 2 full months to properly walk again and close up my bruise.

Honestly, I’d already outgrown my Bali phase, so it felt like a blessing in disguise. By this time, international travel was becoming more accessible, and I began dreaming of traveling abroad again.

And so, I began my journey to travel internationally again. The last time I went on an international trip was in December 2019—a winter trip to Hokkaido, Japan. So it’s been 4 years since my last international trip. In 2023, my goal was to explore Southeast Asia. Why Southeast Asia? Because I don’t need a visa for most countries, and I can stay for up to 30 days per entry.

I’ve embraced a budget-friendly, minimalist approach to travel. Starting in October 2023, I experienced the freedom of traveling with just a backpack (you can see my travel history recap table down below). I fell in love with the simplicity of it—detaching from unnecessary belongings and carrying only what truly matters.

If you knew me back in 2013, you’d be amazed at how far I’ve come. I was the queen of overpacking. Once, I brought seven pairs of shoes for a weekend trip—seven! Looking back, it feels absurd, but it’s also amazing to see how much I’ve grown and evolved.

Now, I’m all about practicality, functionality, and adaptability. A backpack holds all my essentials, and it’s incredibly freeing to move through life so lightly.

Travel recap (2023-2024)

I won’t go into the details of my past international trips (there are too many stories for one post!), but here’s a quick recap of where I’ve been so far:

Date	Destination	Activities
10 – 17 June 2023	– Chiang Mai, Thailand – Bangkok, Thailand	Solo travel, 1-week getaway
13 Sep 2023	Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam	Layover for 4 hours, met another solo traveler from Indonesia
14 – 23 Sep 2023	Taiwan: – Kaohsiung – Tainan – Taichung – Chiayi – Hualien – Taipei – Bali	One cabin luggage, remote working, hiking, eating
14 – 16 Oct 2023	Merbabu, Central Java	Hiking, camping, backpacking, 2D1N
31 Nov – 10 Nov 2023	– Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Phnom Penh, Cambodia – Siem Reap, Cambodia – Luang Prabang, Laos – Bangkok, Thailand – Singapore	Backpacking, remote working, Petronas Twin Tower, Angkor Wat and other temples, Kuang Si Waterfall, foodventures
10 Feb – 25 Feb 2024	– Kyoto, Japan – Hakuba, Japan – Fukuoka, Japan	Backpacking, snowboarding, stayed at friend’s house, remote working, dogsitting my friend’s dog
25 Feb – 6 Mar 2024	Taiwan	Backpacking, remote working, traveling around Taipei, Chinese new year vibe
30 May – 2 June 2024	Hanoi, Vietnam	Friend’s wedding, saw baby friend’s baby, mostly shopping and food
12 July – 21 July 2024	Australia: – Sydney – Melbourne	Family vacation, 4 days trip to Melbourne with friends, remote work
24-27 August 2024	Singapore	Stardew Valley Orchestra, stayed at friend’s place, sleepover at friend’s hotel, bar hopping, typewriter bar
14-16 September 2024	Banyuwangi, East Java	Stayed at Revive by Snooze with friend, Mount Ijen, Kawah Wurung, Jagir Waterfall, Baluran National Park, Djawatan Forest Park, crossing by boat from Ketapang to Gilimanuk
16-22 September 2024	Menjangan, Bali	Stay at Mangroove Bay Hostel, dived at menjangan island with Bali Diving Academy, snorkel in Biorock Pemuteran, hiked at Pura Batu Kursi
22-29 September 2024	Amed & Tulamben, Bali	Stayed at Saka Villa, Mimpi Resort Tulamben, dived at USAT Liberty Shipwreck, Tulamben coral garden, Amed Pyramid, Amed wall, Pantai Jemeluk, sunset point amed, celebrate mom’s birthday
29 Sep – 3 Oct 2024	Umalas/Canggu, Bali	Stay at friend’s villa in Umalas, Surfing, remote working
16-20 October 2024	Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara	Island hopping, liveaboard, diving, hiking, chilling

Here are some photos from my travel

Now back to the creative studio.

Since 2020, we’ve been growing the studio to the point where we could hire employees. Honestly, I never imagined I’d have a side hustle that’s fully remote (as a service-based company, we’ve been fully remote from the start and still are!). It also became an additional stream of income for me.

For the last four years, I’ve been growing the company alongside my co-founders. I still remember the time when I was in Laos, Japan, and Taiwan, answering calls and chats from clients of our creative studio. I was exhausted, but I felt incredibly grateful that I was able to do it. Balancing my 9-to-5 full-time job with my side hustle was a challenge, which is part of the reason this blog has been so neglected—even though I’ve been traveling frequently.

I also put my dream of becoming a travel content creator on the backburner—a dream I’ve been carrying since I graduated in 2017 (seven years ago). Actually, now that I think of it, it was a dream even before I graduated. This dream was born in 2015 (ten years ago!) when I started this blog.

As of November 25, 2024, I have officially stepped down operationally from my role at the creative studio (though I’m still a stockholder). After months of discussions, consideration, and weighing other options, I decided it was time to let go of my position and hand it over to someone who could give it their full attention and dedication.

This decision wasn’t easy—it took many tearful nights, pages of journaling (yes, I journal when I’m stressed), and sessions with my psychologist to arrive at this point. It also means letting go of one stream of income.

Why did I decide to let go of my creative studio instead of my 9-to-5 job? Some might think it makes more sense to grow your business rather than stay in corporate life (where, as my 2020 experience showed, a company can cut you off anytime). But the income from the studio isn’t as stable as my full-time job, and the stress of being an entrepreneur is significantly higher. Plus, I feel like my corporate career isn’t over yet. In my mind, it’s easier to pause and restart entrepreneurship compared to corporate life. If I ever leave my corporate job, it’ll be with no intention of returning.

From juggling my full-time job and the creative studio, I’m now transitioning to balancing my full-time job with travel content creation.

And the biggest reason behind this decision?

My dream

Cue Dramamine by Flawed Mangoes, specifically at 0:34. (Yes, that “hopecore” song from TikTok.)

I’m in my late 20s, and I want to give travel content creation one last try. I’m turning 30 in a couple of years, and I’ve always believed your 20s are for exploring, failing, and learning as much as possible. Now, I finally have the time, energy, and money (not Jeff Bezos-level money, but enough for a well-planned travel budget), and most importantly—I still have the dream. If you’ve read The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, you’ll know how dreams can fade as life happens. “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

I’ve always been the kind of person who lives with a bucket list. That bucket list is full of things I want to do in life—my dreams. I don’t think I could exist without dreams; they’re my fuel for a meaningful life.

But my biggest fear? Regret.

I don’t want to look back someday and think, “What if I’d given travel content creation another shot when I was younger?” I can’t live with that kind of “what if.” I’d much rather say, “It didn’t work out, but I gave it my all, and it was one hell of an adventure.”

Best-case scenario: I make it my full-time job, traveling the world while creating content (manifesting).

Worst-case scenario: I end up with a treasure trove of incredible memories and destinations and continue with my 9-to-5 job.

So here’s to me, to one last try. To chasing my dream. As of now, I’m letting go of the fear of judgment, the fear of failure, perfectionism, overthinking, and all the bad vibes holding me back. I’m just going to do it.

It took me 2 internships, 4 jobs, 1 side hustle business, 1 journal full of rants and gratitude, 17 trips, and 10 years to reach this point. I think 18-year-old me would be proud of this decision.

Okay, you can stop the Flawed Mangoes song now.

As I write this, I’m waiting for my flight at Soekarno-Hatta Airport, about to fly from Jakarta to Bali. This won’t be my typical solo trip, but I plan to reflect on the year, map out my adventures for 2025, and strategize content for this blog, TikTok, and Instagram. Soon, I’ll be ready to explore the world and document it all.

To anyone reading this, thank you for sticking around. I’m tearing up a bit as I write this. I hope my stories inspire you to step out of your comfort zone, go after your dreams, and explore the world in your own unique way. And if you decide to stick around in the future, welcome to the start of my journey. ❤️

Until the next post,
Michelle

P.S. I’m more active on TikTok and Instagram these days—follow me there for daily updates! 🙂