I moved to Yogyakarta, exactly three months ago.
What a time to be alive, finally, I moved to a city I never expected to live in for a long time. I still remember it vividly, it felt so complex, joyful, worried, curious, and many other things that cannot be explained, yet forever etched into my memory.
This is my first photo when I moved to Yogyakarta, a photo of the road leading to Malioboro near the Station. Although I often visited Yogyakarta as a tourist destination or for any university-related activities, it always feels different and enjoyable when visiting this city again.
Yogyakarta is relatively close to my hometown of Surabaya, only about a four-hour train ride away, or perhaps half a day if traveling by motorcycle. I’m well aware of this because I’ve frequented Yogyakarta numerous times, possibly dozens, making the journey alone on my motorcycle from Surabaya.
Actually, Yogyakarta and Surabaya are quite similar in many aspects. While there might be certain aspects that I prefer in Yogyakarta and others that stand out more in Surabaya, overall, I find them to be more or less the same, but because I don’t see much difference, so I can adapt more quickly. I don’t know, maybe if I were to move to Jakarta, it would take longer to adapt, particularly due to differences in attitude and the layout of the city streets.
Yogyakarta is indeed a complex and diverse place, serving as a melting pot for people from various social classes, ethnicities, races, and religions in Indonesia. Perhaps, because there are many big universities like UGM, UNY, and others, which attract individuals from all corners of Indonesia and even from around the globe.
“Why Yogyakarta?” is a question that I find challenging to answer myself. It’s possible that this is simply a part of the life path laid out for me, a destiny that I must navigate and confront to the best of my ability each day. A destiny that I must live and face optimally every day. Maybe. Could it change? Who’s to say?
Going west, to the east
Indeed, Yogyakarta is located further west than Surabaya, but their culture is more eastern than Surabaya itself, My time here has been filled with fascinating experiences, many of which have been entirely new to me, I feel like I know myself better than before, this is not hyperbole, it’s just what I truly feel.
In Yogyakarta, I’ve felt more connected to spirituality and culture than in any other Indonesian city. Life here moves at a slower pace, without the need to rush or compete with others. It’s a place where I can truly appreciate and enjoy the richness of life.
I always tell people, I can still consider having breakfast at 2 in the afternoon, I mean, because living in Jogja feels very timeless, not bound by time, maybe it’s different in Surabaya especially in Jakarta. We can’t say breakfast after 10 in the morning.
I believe many native people in Yogyakarta hold strong traditional values, which align more with the “Eastern” cultural norms of Indonesia. This makes me feel more connected to Eastern culture while living here.
Living in Yogyakarta has made me feel like I’ve become a more cultured and religious person, embracing aspects of Eastern traditions and values. Surprisingly, I feel more connected to these cultural elements here than in cities even further east of Surabaya, such as Probolinggo, Lumajang, Jember, or Banyuwangi, which are located on the easternmost side of the Java island.
I also don’t know why I categorize something “Eastern” as cultural, religious, or in terms of manners they are better, maybe it’s just my personal perception, I prefer to call these things “Eastern”.
So what?
Of course, moving to Jogja for better reasons, who would want to wander far from home without a strong reason? I mean, we will feel more comfortable when we are in our comfort zone, right?
I moved to Jogja earlier this year with the intention of continuing my education to a higher level, of course, to become a better person, to be able to have a greater impact on people around me.
Business school turns out not to be as easy as I expected, honestly, for anything. Although I have a basic understanding of management and economics, there are still many things that I need to learn from scratch. I find myself needing to revisit fundamental business and management principles, as well as familiarize myself with various definitions and concepts.
To be honest, I am very grateful, I have the privilege to continue my education again, to be in an environment that makes me keep growing. I appreciate being in such a complex setting where I have the chance to learn from diverse experiences and individuals around me..
I feel like I am a competitive individual in a positive way, so it’s fortunate for me to be in an environment that I think is very cool.
There are many things I want to achieve in my current “phase”, there are several figures who inspire me to this point, of course, family comes first on that list.
During my college days, while working on my final project, I developed a strong intention to pursue a career in academia. My father inspired me to be a sincere educator, who can help many people and have a big impact on others. I feel being an educator is noble, something not everyone can do.
Besides, of course, the dynamics of the family that make me like this, I am the eldest, so I have to be an example for my younger sisters, I have to be the best of the best, so I hope and expect all my sisters to be much better than me, or I become a good example for them.
Because of all the experiences I have gained in life, I will not sing my life in this “phase” again, so many things have been wasted, so many opportunities not optimized, so many dreams shattered, and of course, so many tears shed.
I am committed to improving myself and have taken up the challenge of learning to write, among other things, including this piece. I hold hope for many positive developments in the future. While consistency may pose a challenge, I believe that if we never attempt to embark on new endeavors, we’ll never discover what we’re capable of achieving, right?
