Perfect Place: Wanted.

We’ve been looking for ‘the perfect place’ since we could remember, either consciously or subconsciously. We know such a place doesn’t exist, but we’re looking for it anyway, thinking that there must be something close to perfect somewhere, out there. It may not be perfect for everyone, but it could be perfect for us. Even its imperfection would be just perfect.

Perfect Place
Lazy Cat. A cozy cafe in Ubud.

When I was a little girl, I could not wait for the weekends. Weekends meant a trip to the swimming pool, to the mountains, to the bookstore, to the corner of the street. When I was an adult and had to slay an office job 9-to-5, I could not wait for the weekends. Weekends meant a trip to nowhere but a whole day of reading books and munching chips in bed.

When I’m traveling, I’m missing the comfort and familiarity of being home. When I’m home, I’m missing the excitement and adventure of exploring new territory.

***

My Perfect Place and Yours Can Be Both Different and Similar.

We’ve been looking for ‘the perfect place’ since we could remember, either consciously or subconsciously. We know such a place doesn’t exist, but we’re looking for it anyway, thinking that there must be something close to perfect somewhere, out there.

Our perfect place may differ: from a new house, a job, a spouse, a dress, a state of mind, a circle of friends, an office, a childhood memory, a lost love, a wedding, a family… but we’re all looking for it because we’re craving for the same feeling: the feeling of being in a perfect place; or the feeling we thought we would feel about it.

The feeling of being.
The feeling of settling in, delightfully.
The feeling of snuggling in, safely.
The feeling of knowing that this is enough.

I was back in Ubud a few days ago from the Philippines and got invited by a friend, Gianluca, to dinner. We had a barbecue on his porch and I spent the night learning how to keep the coconut charcoal burning by blowing them with a hair dryer. A few hours later, we started talking about our future plans. He told me that he’s been thinking to move to Barcelona and making the city his base.

“I want to find a place where I can stay and build my own house. That’s my dream, to build my own house,” he said. He’s been working and living in some other countries for some time, before ending up in Ubud. We talked about how Barcelona could be a better deal; a better place; a better option; a ‘perfect place’.

At the end, he shrugged and said, “You know, a perfect place is any place you commit to.”

I told him that it’s a Tweetable quote, and tweeted it away.

***

The Perfect Place to Commit.

We’ve been looking for ‘the perfect place’ since we could remember, either consciously or subconsciously. We know such a place doesn’t exist, but we’re looking for it anyway, thinking that there must be something close to perfect somewhere, out there.

There were many instances in life where I had been thrown into ‘imperfect places‘. Places I would want to run away from, places I would want to turn my back from, places I would want to forget. But during those times, I did not. I did not run away, I did not turn my back away, I did not forget. I stayed.

I, either consciously or unconsciously, committed.
Or chose to commit.
To put an effort through the hardships, the heartaches, the tears, the struggles…

Until I’ve given my best.
Until I’ve had enough.
Until it was time to leave.

We may think that we haven’t found our perfect place yet, but who knows maybe right now, some of us actually have. Here, right where we are.

Because a perfect place could look bright and sunny, easy-going and friendly, adventurous and interesting, vibrant and flowing, but the perfect place could also look grim. It could look like hard work and a sharp tongue. It could look dull and boring. It could look too stressful and too fast-paced.

And still, it could be the perfect place for us to mold ourselves. To hone our skills. To develop a thicker skin, creativity, a sense of compassion, or an appreciation of beauty.

Maybe a perfect place is about choosing what, where, and who to commit to–and make the most out of it.

Maybe a perfect place is about continuously finding balance between where we are and where we want to be–and to be okay in between.

hanny

If you made it this, far, please say 'hi'. It really means a lot to me! :)

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Hi. I'm HANNY
I am an Indonesian writer/artist/illustrator and stationery web shop owner (Cafe Analog) based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. I love facilitating writing/creative workshops and retreats, especially when they are tied to self-exploration and self-expression. In Indonesian, 'beradadisini' means being here. So, here I am, documenting life—one word at a time.

hanny

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