The Year of Flying

It is already the first of the last ten days in 2011. I hope not too early for another annual life-recap (after this & this).

2011 has been a wonderful year. I always said that 2007 was my best year because I achieved my dream for Institut Teknologi Bandung and started a new life (which was super great). But then, running through the finish line felt super great too.

2011 has been the year of flying for me. I’ve been flying for (almost) the whole year. People around me have been flying (in with hello and out with goodbye). The year itself’s been flying quietly; far & fast.

January: Flying to Borneo for On Job Training. Flying on helicopter for the first time to a drilling rig called Maera (which became the name of my future daughter).

February: Flying back home to fly again. Flying to Norway for “The Scream” in Oslo then ISFiT in Trondheim. Flying back home from Amsterdam after leaving pieces of heart in Gothenburg, Copenhagen, and Brussels.

March: Ended the ‘flight’ of being a functionary in Liga Film Mahasiswa ITB. It wasn’t a literal flight, but a life-flight.

April: Started doing my thesis. Not flying, but spent days on the 21st floor in Jakarta for and look through the glass windows with broken heart while handling a cup of instant coffee. Felt more or less the same though.

May: Flying to Thailand for family holiday with  the magic of Oriental India. Flying back home for finishing the thesis.

June: Not flying. Too busy staying on the ground, cities-switching from Bandung to Bekasi to Jakarta in ‘repeat and shuffle’ mode. Cried quite much but then finished the thesis and completed the bachelor program. Attempting to come back to Borneo by sending CV and transcript. At the end of the month, cities-switching to Kebumen and Magelang because Zakki, my brother, got accepted in Taruna Nusantara high-school. Another farewell.

July: Flying again to Borneo for job-interview and getting accepted as a junior wellsite geologist in Total Indonesie (which might be every fresh-graduate’s dream ;D). Flying back home for farewell-s and graduation ceremony. Flying again to Borneo for a brand new life.

August: Turning 22. Started flying to work by helicopter. Holy Ramadhan and Eid on the rig.

September: Flying to work. Work and work.

October: Flying to work. Flying back home. Coming for another graduation ceremony and being there in the last moments of my (best) friends before flying away.

November: Flying back to Balikpapan. More flying to work.

December: Flying to work. Planning the flights for 2012.

Another accomplished missions were ‘to write more’ and ‘give more and more’. However, my biggest achievement for 2011 has been the part of keeping smiles on my parents’ faces and inspiring Zakki.

I know some of you might think that I’m so lucky. Yes, I am indeed, but I have to say that I’ve been working hard. Things got difficult. There were tears and doubts as much as loneliness and too many good-byes. There were too many things I missed on the ground while I was flying.

There were too many feelings to handle, too many promises to cancel, and too many drops of rainfall.

What a year, but at anyhow, the best is always yet to come.

Until then, Alhamdulillah.