Hello!

Nine days after the new year, I have tons to write about. First, I'm not sorry that I didn't write any event or story about last year because I was busy pursuing my dream (that I didn't know existed before 2021). Second, I'm not saying any promise that I will write more this year because...I'm taking a master's degree!

I started 2022 by walking with my family to Selabintana. It was literally walking! Mbah Din's family had morning walk agenda every weekend, so Keenan and I got to visit many new places around Sukabumi. It was nice. He could hang out with his brothers, and I could exercise. Me, Ama, and Lala also worked out a lot together. Mostly ran in Lapang Merdeka and tried bicycling from home to Lapdek (never again!)

The first thing I had to conquer at work was UKT, aka Ujian Kenaikan Tingkat. I have to relearn all the tax and internal knowledge. I was blessed to secretly join Jatim II Tax Camp with the help of Mas Ratu. Without them, I could never achieve the score, ah and thanks to Arkan, our new member in our section, who helped us so smoothly. 

Then we took a vacation I will never forget because I was soooooo close to missing my flight. But it was a beautiful trip aiming to heal my brother, who failed to join immigration school. Turn out it was the only family vacation in 2022. It was five days trip, and I was glad we took it. (I wish to have one, too, this year!) 

After that, Keenan started his swimming and drum lessons while I learned hard for IELTS. I took the test on 11 February in IDP Bandung. I was accompanied by Lala and Odew and stayed at Braga Hotel Bandung. We could see Braga street from our room, which was really lovely. Lala ordered some Chinese food that was incredibly delicious (I forgot the brand, tho ). The test itself went well (I got 7,5 Band,  you all!!), and we had Sushi Tei for lunch. That was the first time I got a birthday compliment from them. Happy!

This year my husband and I celebrate our birthday from afar. He was scheduled to go home at the end of February, but he got covid, so he finally landed home in the middle of March. We missed him soooo much. Keenan even ran toward him at the airport. What a scene T_T

March was the month of dating my husband. He drove me off and picked me up from the office. We even had lunch together every day. Like we've been far for three months, we need to make the most of our two weeks together. Long Distance Marriage sucks. Better to find a way to make it works. 

March also marks the LPDP journey. After finishing learning in Schoter, Votes, and securing the IELTS score, I continue hiring Schoter to help me draft my LPDP essay. I recommended Schoter only for LPDP, but for college? Nah. After submitting my essay and CV, the journey continues with Scholastic Test. I watch every video about it on youtube. I even asked my brother to teach me because my brain was so frozen that I needed help to warm it up. Hahaha, Thank God I pass the test. (another good news: Kalina was accepted into Harvard!)

But I also had a piece of bad news, Lala was placed in Tanjung Balai Karimun. It was so far and contained a lot of drama. Alhamdulillah, Odew could accompany her since he still learned from home. Looking back now, perhaps that was her way...to be where she is. The drama and the people she met are a big part of her life now. But still, watching her in the boarding room was so heart-aching.

In April, I finally made my long-planned hampers. It was filled with childhood games and sent to my friends. Really glad they loved it too! Then we celebrated Eid Fitri in Sukabumi and drove to Jogjakarta on the night of Eid Fitri. Taking a roadbike to Jogjakarta seems easy now. We're used to it. There I met Ratih and Mbak Sun, and we had lunch together. It was the first time I drove alone in Jogjakarta (Tho my husband asked me to share my location all the time, hahaha). At that moment, we went to Praci to visit Simbah, played at the Trans studio Jogja, and had a nice dinner at Jolla to celebrate Keenan's birthday. What a nice mudik day.

As part of my commitment to give back, I took a role at Votes Indonesia as an IELTS instructor. It was 6 weeks program with almost 10 students. I was so happy partnering with Mas Amru. He did an excellent job teaching the writing and reading sections (things I couldn't explain), so the program went well. Some students took the test after it and got excellent scores. Alhamdulillaah.

I loved several occasions this year: lunch to breakfast with Teh Siska, Teh Ritu, and Teh Ranti. We talked, laughed, and cried together. Dinner with Ajeng in Bandung, it's been so long that I didn't remember the last time we did it. Going field working a lot with Pak Aep, Pak Aji, Yuga, and Arkan. Sukabumi was so big. Thank God I could visit places I've never been before while working. I also managed to impress the Head of the Regional Tax Office with my report about false asset appraisal by a local bank (related to PPS). A group study with Rizka, Iwan, Nabil, Silvi, and Oci. We spent days and nights perfecting our LPDP interview. I Will never had an interview that smooth without their bits of help. 

In July, Keenan graduated from Kindergarten. I was sooooooo....overwhelmed because now he was ready for elementary! This also marks the end of our journey to finding the right school for Keenan. We went to many schools with my husband to see if the value matched. Ultimately, we choose the one closer to our expectations, bismillah. 

July also gave me a turning point surprise. I became an LPDP Awardee !!! I cried reading the announcement. It was so unbelievable that I cried in my husband's arms. Life will be different because this opens so many doors and so many probabilities. So I thank God that my family was on the same board altogether.

We celebrated Ied Adha in Jogjakarta, see? We're getting all too cozy driving there, haha. We also met Mas Danang's family this time and had a trip to Dino Park. Short yet memorable trip. Then we went home to celebrate my father's birthday. This marked the end of his government's official job at the moment. He will find a way to contribute to society. We took family photos, and seeing them made me realize how far we've come. 

I gained a lot this year, so I tried running again every afternoon after work. I went there alone or sometimes with Pak Nando too. It was like our routine before covid. So glad that I was progressing from only being able to run 3 laps to 6 laps! 

Then August...another big news coming. I moved to Cianjur!

It was the closest office to Sukabumi, but it was still a big move for me. It took a 1-2 hour drive from home to the office, so my habit changed for sure. I could no longer drive off and pick up Keenan from school or his courses. But thank God...THANK GOD. The timing was perfect. I moved to Cianjur just in time when my father retired, so he could take care of Keenan's activities. Without him, everything will crumble. Haaaa... Eight years in Sukabumi, I lied if I didn't cry. I was so sad yet thankful that I closed this chapter nicely. I met a lot of friends and families in 405, and I wish to do the same in 406. Ya Allah, may You allow me to work in Sukabumi again later. aminnn

Ah ya, Teh Ritu was also moved to Bandung, her hometown. We ended up buying matching shoes for our farewell. Will be missing you so much teh :*

I got two weeks to finish my job in Sukabumi, and I also used it wisely for many farewells and for accompanying Keenan at school. The first day at school gave us a lot of drama. But Alhamdulillah, we could handle it before I started working in Cianjur. See? God's Timing was really nice. At first, Keenan cried, knowing I was moved, but after a lot of explanation and a trip to my new office, he decided it was okay. I think he had an issue with moving because the last time someone moved, it was his father to a faraway island.

Moving to a new place was always scary because I didn't know what will I faced. Luckily, I had Teh Ranti in Cianjur, who told me many things and introduced me to everyone, so the transition was rather smooth. I was also helped by the fact that some of my husband's friends were still there, so... I felt welcomed. I made an instant click with Sintya and Rara there, nice girls. There was a moment when I was soooo happy because people from Sukabumi rode to Cianjur to have lunch with me. I know it was also because they loved riding, but the feeling of being checked up was so.....I lost words. 

I just realized that Cianjur has so many culinary spots! Everything tastes good!!! I think I spent the first month there tasting one place to another. No wonder I gain a lot, hahahaha. At first, I was still able to work out after work, but mostly...I couldn't do it anymore because the traffic was crazy! There was a time when it took 4 hours to go home. So frustrating.

The government decided to fix the road between Sukabumi and Cianjur in September. The result was...massive massive massive traffic. Driving was no longer an option, so Fadil, Fadil, and Pak Omay, my officemate who lived in Sukabumi, gave me a ride. It was quite an experience because, first, it was the rainy season. Second, I'd never used a motorcycle like that daily. And third...they love porridge a lot, so we went to a lot of porridge sellers in Cianjur. Geez...Everything was so cheap in Cianjur. I could buy a bowl of porridge for just 4K. Since I felt bad burdening Fadil too much, I then choose to use the train (Its only IDR 3K!) or bus for my morning ride, along with Teh Ranti and Teh Ridar. So I tried motorcycle, angkot, bus, and train in just a month of road renovation. Complete! hahaha

My husband went home in November after three months! Me and Keenan went to Jakarta for him, but before that, I met my girls! Oh, it's been ages not seen Rizka Katya and Afril in person. After picking up my husband at the airport, we headed to Depok looking for a hotel. After having a slow and lazy morning, just cuddling in bed, we went to Mas Danang's house to meet Mama. Ah, this was the first time my husband's come home after I moved to Cianjur. It was so different because he couldn't drive me, and we couldn't have lunch together like we used to. So I took some days off to go to Bandung or just stay at home with him. 

Just after my husband took off to his office, I got another big news...THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH GAVE ME LOA!!! This was surreal. I cried when I read the email and instantly called him to share the news. Thank you, God, for sending me a lot of people who helped me during this process. This is never my own victory because I would never achieve this alone. Ya Allah Ya Allah...2023 will be so thrilling. Alhamdulillah.

What else happened in November? Starbucks opened in Cianjur, and I spent a lot of money there. Can't believe that they're that good! Keenan was hospitalized and didn't make it to his first school trip. It was heartbreaking, but we made it up in December. The three of us went to Dufan! A massive earthquake in Cianjur broke my office and took a lot of lives. I've never felt that kind of earthquake before. So scary..so traumatizing. I experienced working from the tend and had a chance to meet the Director General of Taxes because of it. Odew got accepted into Immigration school on his second attempt. Alhamdulillaah ya Allah.

December consist of Dufan, husband's come home, Keenan's first exam (which went really well because of his father!), I became an MC in two office events, Mom got hospitalized, and I got COVID. What a way to close this year. Being alone for 10 days in my room allowed me to see what this year was all about. And I think it can be explained with two words change and growth. Not only for me but for many around me. 

Two years ago, I was afraid to dream like it was too fancy or someone as ordinary as me. But then God showed me the way, helped me plan and move my step, and sent me a thousand support til I'm where I'm right now. So my takeaway would be...It's okay to be afraid, just don't let it stop you. Pray, pray and pray..we never know what life will bring. 

2023, here i come.