While in Jakarta, her days are occupied with working eight hours a day like an office person and weekends are sometimes used to rest.
In addition, by the time the plague struck, some of his comrades had died.
The fatigue due to monotonous routines coupled with incident after incident of death makes him reflect on life and think how short life would be if only spent working.
“When I was in Ubud, I realized that the world was not just the world of work, plus there was a chance that some friends died. It feels like life is too short to be missed just by working,” said the 38-year-old woman, known as Mimi.
When the world situation began to return to normal, he felt unprepared to return to Jakarta and go about his usual routine.
“That's when I decided to (take) the opportunity first to walk (around) Indonesia to see the beauty,” he said.
Using her savings, Mimi bought a van that was later modified to become a 'home' for her during her travels around Indonesia.
“Luxury is not considered by me, and if toilets are in Indonesia it is quite easy to find such as in gas stations or mushalla,” he said.
Mimi the campervan girl
“There was a lot of fear in the beginning, but the desire (for adventure) was greater. So the desire trumps the fear,” Mimi said.
In addition to equipping herself with enough money, Mimi also prepared several things to protect herself from the danger that could occur at any time.
“I have basic combat, and I have sharp weapons to protect, as well as pepper spray,” he explained.
After conducting a test drive, the trip started in January 2023 from Malang city and continued towards eastern Indonesia.
Mimi the campervan girl - First day the campervan going sailing
Over time, followers of Mimi's adventure stories came not only from among her own friends but also the wider public.
Until now, her Instagram account, mimi_campervan_girl, has tens of thousands of followers.
The original intention was simply to explore and see the beauty of Indonesia develop into streets that bring good to others.
“So, I tried to explore Indonesia. But it feels like something is still lacking. It feels like something has been missed,” he said.
In some of the areas she cared for, Mimi witnessed the difficulty of people getting clean water, toilet facilities, health facilities, and so on.
Some humanitarian projects were successfully completed and he was always transparent in reporting the results of each activity.
Among the humanitarian projects is building a water pipeline in a village in West Nusa Tenggara so that people do not have to walk for one to two hours to get clean water.
In addition, in the Alor Islands, elementary school students who could not afford school uniforms and shoes; in the Maluku Islands a little girl born with cleft lip disorder was assisted with surgery in Bali to improve her condition, and several other activities.
An unexpected event shocked him and decided to take a break from a long journey of adventure.
“I once helped bring a sick person to the hospital, but then had to bring him home in a dead state,” he said. “Yesterday's death was a reminder to me to break first.”
Mimi has been on a long journey alone for a year and eight months. Now the campervan girl is back in Jakarta to stop for a while before tracing her next adventure.
—-- Ade Mardiyati
