"Just like drugs which is so addictive"
When people ask me…..
“What is your hobby?” I always answer “climbing volcano”
“What is your favorite activity?” I always answer “climbing volcano”
“What do you do in your free time?” I always answer “climbing volcano”
“What makes you happy?” I always answer “climbing volcano”
“What are you doing when you’re sad?” I always answer “climbing volcano”
“If you need to mention one word, what is that?” VOLCANO
Why I got you on my mind?
I just can’t get enough to always find volcanoes.. again and over again. I grow up in a small gorgeous village which is in between two mountains. Every time I wake up in the morning, I can see the beauty of the volcano from my window. The weather in my village is extremely lovely. My village is the best place to take some rest before continuing my next journey. Since elementary school, I was being part of the boy-scout activity until I graduated high school. Exploring wild nature is such a big deal for me. New adventure, new experience, new challenge and new experiment. I love outdoor activities.
Because of my environment is so supportive to do many different outdoor activities, I took some benefit from it. I did camping with some friends during high school. I climbed the valley with my friends as well. The biggest thing that I’ve done is climbing my first volcano secretly with my best friends when I was in the final year of high school (re two weeks before graduation). It was illegal. We did it undercover. We lied to our parents. It was wrong. But we were really curious to experience the real wild nature.
As the only daughter in my family, my mum is super protective. My mum expects me to be feminine instead of being a tomboy. But in reality, I’m a typical tomboy girl who loves to do boys’ kinds of stuff. Because of that, my mum always worries about me every time I ask her permission to do boys’ kinds of stuff. She never gave me permission and always get mad after I ask some non-sense permission especially for climbing volcano.
MY MUM LOUDLY SAID “NO WAY”
Well, I couldn’t easily accept that answer so I got an idea to manipulate the situation. I told my mum and dad that I would join school camping for one night. Since I mentioned school stuff, my parents allowed me to leave home for that.
But in fact, I lied to them.
I can say it wasn’t 100% a lie, because I went to the volcano with school friends who were in one boy-scout organization with me. So it was still connected to school stuff (re well I’m trying to make an excuse HAHA)
I still remember, on my first climb, we started around 8 PM and we arrived around 5 AM to see the sunrise. We spent 9 hours climbing and trekking but we weren’t lucky because of the clouds as we couldn’t see the sunrise. It wasn’t out of our expectation. Even though it wasn’t really perfect for my first shot, but at least I reached the top. Once I came back home, I showed my mum all the pictures on the top of the volcano. Of course she went super mad at me (re typical mum). I just said “at least I’m still alive” while my dad just smiling by saying “I knew you lied to us but I didn’t prohibit you to go because you still gonna go anyway even though we banned you. I know you so well my child”
My father was right. My curiosity always kill my fear to try.
Since that moment, I can't stop climbing volcano again and over again.
Even though I have been to the same volcano before, I don’t mind to climb the same volcano for the second time because I believe different times will bring different moments. I tried different methods to reach the top. On the first time I climbed, I started at night and I arrived earlier morning. On the second time, I started at mid-day and I arrived before sunset. On the first time I climbed, I didn’t stay on the top for a night since we went down before sunset. But on the second time, I went there, I stayed one night by setting up a tent. On the first time I climbed, I just carried a small bag for water and some snacks. But guess what, on the second time I climbed, I prepared a lot of things to survive on the top (re stove, gas, rice, noodles, nuggets, chips, water, pan, bread, eggs, milk, tent, row, sleeping bag, and mattress). What a heavy carrier.
Lastly, the big difference is,
On the first time I climbed, I spent 9 hours on the way up to the top while on the second time I climbed, I only spent 3-4 hours because I climbed with some foreign friends who climbed so fast.
What a big change! So Proud of Me.
It was really fun by meeting new people during the hike, made some new friends
Next, what I like the most about the volcano? He’s the real mood booster.
Sometimes I love to put myself at risk in order to find an answer.
Sometimes I leave my comfort zone in order to find the truth.
Sometimes I break the limit in order to achieve my goal.
Sometimes I cross the line in order to reflect my passion.
But when it comes to the idea of passion, I combine everything. I leave my comfort zone to break the limit as well as to cross the line by putting myself on risk in order to find out my final destination.
Volcano is a unique property for me. In my real life I need to deal with a lot of things which somehow trap me under the stressful condition. Of course, I need refreshing to heal my brain. I choose volcano as my solution to bring me back to life. Especially when I manage myself to see the crater.
The character of crater is always inspiring me in appreciating my hard working. Even though the smell is so strong, but the crater always serve good view for every single climber who reach the top. I reflected it to my life as well. Even though sometimes I’m so stressful doing things in life, but I never stop to make people smile around me.
No more bad mood. Because I found the medicine for it already.
I'll tell my grandchildren about it when I saw the view from the top I'll tell my grandchildren about it when I reached the top I'll tell my grandchildren about it when I found my freedom I'll tell my grandchildren about it when I felt my soul I'll tell my grandchildren about it when I got my spirit back Climbing wasn't that easy at the beginning. Trekking wasn't easy as well. But ....... I believe volcanoes are exist because of something. Simply because they want to be climbed
For me climbing a volcano is not just a hobby. It’s not only about how to reach the top. It’s not only about how to pass the track perfectly.
I climb because I see something.
I climb because I feel something different.
I climb because I realize the value.
It’s more than reflection for myself. Once I climb I can reflect it to myself to never stop trying. To never stop fighting until I reach the top. In my real life, I implement that value to myself to never stop trying to get what I want especially to achieve all of my dreams. I learned a lot from it. Being a strong person with a strong commitment.
In between sunrise and sunset, I couldn’t choose I wanna have both.
