Nastilicious: Next Destination: Blue Indonesia

It seems quite funny for an Indonesian to say my next destination for traveling is Indonesia (her own country) , I mean most of the people rather to list another country than his/hers. But this actually tickles me that I haven't really been around anywhere here, only some of places like North Sumatera, some parts of Java Island (not even Karimunjawa Island!), North Sulawesi (Manado), and Nusa Tenggara: Bali only. You see, it's nothing compare to the places I have been to in Europe: Italy (Venice, Padova, Mantova, Bologna, Verona, Naples, Sardegna, Rome), Croatia, Barcelona, Germany (Frankfurt, Heidelberg), Switzerland (Zurich, Luzern), The Netherlands (Utrecht, Rotterdam, Amsterdam), Brussels, Paris, ok stop, basta..

Not to blame the geographical structure of Indonesia, an archipelago country and to praise Europe that it's such a very close continent that each country is connected, in the same land, it's just like one Kalimantan (Borneo) Island!

Another thing is that, I list traveling as my hobby when I started to live in Europe, which is two years ago. However, the kind of traveling you''ll enjoy in Europe is a complete different with what they offer in Indonesia. In Indonesia traveling is about nature, sea, tropical forest, gastronomy and the surrounding. Going to a super crowded traditional market, a bit smelly, things you can't find in Europe, but that's the part of your vacation, you can eat from a fine dinning restaurant or savor some snack from food seller who uses a kind of cart to stash all the food. Things like that, you can only find it in Indonesia!

Yesterday, my family has mentioned that we're going to do a road trip, while I am in Indonesia. As usual, my parents just simply put Pacitan a village in East Java as one of the places that we will visit. It a very innocent place, it's not as crowded as Bali, but they have two beaches that is as wonderful as Padang-Padang Beach or Tanah Lot. However, it's not so accessible that you need a car to reach those two beautiful blue lagoon.

I suggested my parents to try new places for a road trip such as Karimunjawa Island in Jepara, but you know most parents just don't want to step out from their comfort zone and they adventurous sense is not even closed to high anymore. Especially my mom, she is just not into taking a 5 hours trip to cross another island. She (and most Indonesian/Jakartan moms) says the weather is not always good, the wave is always high. This was also happened when my friends and I went to Tidung Island last month, our parents were actually worried that somehow we will sink.

You see now, this could be the problem for a young Indonesian to travel, parents. Most young adults 17-24 are still dependent to their family, it is nice to travel with them, but since they are the money maker, you should not complain, some things can be negotiated but not all of them. This is what happens to me sometime, lately I'd rather to go and taste new exotic places with a group of friends. I desperately need to find travelmate who share the same passion. Young people just match each other. For example, once we went to Srau Beach, one of the three most beautiful white sands beach in Pacitan, it was an hour drive, we arrived, and took a look, got some pictures for only 45 minutes and went back to the hotel, I mean if I were with my friends we would have definitely dipped our body into the water. You can't call it a holiday if you haven't dipped your body into water!

I was really fall in love with my own country when I went to Manado, North Sulewesi in 2008. Early in the morning, we sailed to Bunaken National Marine Park, we went (just) snorkeling not so far away from the shore and I was just amazed with the sea animals that they have, colorful starfish, corals, splendid! Bali always makes me fall in love, but everybody just love that island for so many reasons, so magical. But there are way just too many beautiful beaches, sunsets, sunrises, white sands you can find in Indonesia. And this is why, Indonesia is my next destination. Either I will travel Indonesia, when I have traveled the world or after I have graduated from the university, but I absolutely will explore its archipelago, above and under the sea!

Here are some places that I've "missed" out instead traveling Europe...