“I am just an ordinary girl from Batam Island, Indonesia. Grew up pretty much normally and I’m the type of go with the flow. I got my first job as an English Teacher right after I graduated high school when I was 18 and I am still and English Teacher until the present time. I’m into music, movies and a little bit of art. I was 19 when I started to feel that I should explore more. So I did. I went to more places, visited museums, workshops, festivals and a lot more things. And it eventually led me to Couchsurfing when I was 21.
Since I discovered myself more I know that I LOVE human connections. The firm handshake from a stranger, the spark in someone’s eyes when they become their own story teller and talks about little things that made them grateful or just a simple chilling session over coffee. And that’s what important to me; connection.” I was 21 when I discovered Couchsurfing. A friend of mine was suddenly busy with activities related to Couchsufing like meet ups, gatherings, trips etc. So I decided to give it a try. Little did I know that my decision to explore this new interest can richen me so much. “It was my FIRST OVERSEAS SOLO TRIP and it was a blast!
One memory from Couchsurfing that makes me smile is Chiang Mai Superheroes! It’s a group we made when we were in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Everyone was visiting Thailand that November for this lantern festival. Someone posted a thread in Thailand CS web group about meet ups and long story from all the people that participated in the thread, I managed to meet with 9 of them (from Egypt, Indonesia, Guam, Australia, India and Germany) and we instantly became a family for 3 days straight in Chiang Mai. We rented motorbikes and just go everywhere together. We were basically strangers! But somehow we managed to set aside differences and just enjoyed the companions.” I can’t say this enough but I love this community. It’s a solid one! We are basically strangers but somehow we can end up being friends and family! It really helped me in improving my English and my confidence in socializing. It made me choose to grow outside of my comfort zone. The experiences of meeting different people (hosting, surfing or just meet ups) in Indonesia or outside of the country with different backgrounds and culture has really enrichen me in every aspect. I become more tolerant, more understanding, more listening and seeing the bigger picture. Not everyone can be your friend. But you can be a friend for anyone. I feel that everyone has amazing story to tell and we can always, like always learn something from someone. The old slogan was on point, “You have friends around the world. You just haven’t met them yet.”