Side Quests

After I started earning my own income as a software engineer, I realized there were a lot of things I could finally try–because I could afford the lessons now. Trying out new things has always been one of my favorite hobbies. I love progress, especially the feeling of something that’s completely unfamiliar slowly becoming second nature to me.

I created this page because I want to make sure that I document all of my adventures and the new skills i picked up. It’s also a way for me to show some more personality beyond my professional side. Most of the “quests” that I did stems from my curiosity, or as simple as if the thing chases me out of my comfort zone. And honestly, I love doing those kinds of things.

My family had a car until I was in middle school, but we had to sell it due to certain circumstances. So during my entire “driving-age” years, we didn’t have a car at home. That’s why I never learned how to drive. Sure, I could’ve taken lessons at 17 like everyone else, but without a car to practice with, why bother?

I recently bought my very first car on February, so I took a driving course like 1 week before it came, hahaha. It wasn’t actually my first time learning though. I was first taught by my ex’s dad–in which I failed miserably. I couldn’t figure out which way to steer when reversing 🤣.

Now I would say I'm pretty decent at driving, especially in tight space. There’s this narrow road near my house, and I have to pass through no matter what, so I’ve gotten used to it. I’ve developed a good enough spatial sense whether my car will hit something or not.

Here’s a clip of what the road looks like during peak hour 🤯

I don’t know why, but for a whole 23 years, I never properly learned how to swim. I could float by lying face down, but I couldn’t do any real strokes or breathe correctly. I actually drowned once when someone pushed me into a two-meter pool back in middle school. It wasn’t serious enough to turn into a full-blown phobia, but ever I always felt little bit uneasy in deeper water.

So I finally learned how to swim as an adult! I took multiple swimming lessons, and now I can say that I'm comfortable in the water. I still couldn't do freestyle that well—I keep running out of breath, lol. But breaststroke and treading water are good! Also, little did I know, learning how to swim unlocked another adventure of mine.

Three months after my swimming lessons, I did an impulsive thing which is to sign up to a freediving certification course. It was a two-day course in Nusa Penida. At the time, I was working remotely from Bali. Out of boredom, my friend and I booked the course on a Wednesday, and by Friday we were on a speedboat heading to Nusa Penida.

I actually had been quite curious about freediving. Back in 2024, I went snorkeling in Labuan Bajo, bear in mind that I couldn’t swim back then. I remember wondering why I couldn’t dive down no matter how hard I tried. Turns out I didn’t know the technique.

During the course, I learned how to hold my breath, equalize, and duck dive properly. I managed to dive down to 16 meters and officially became a certified freediver. As of writing this—July 13th, 2025—I can hold my breath for around 3 minutes 🔥

And the side quests don’t stop here. Here’s to a life full of stories 🥂