Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Fahmi is the writer of the travel blog catperku.com. Graduated in electrical engineering from Brawijaya University, I don’t need to mention the year, because it would be obvious if I graduated a long time ago 😛
I worked in the software engineering world for about five years, but then discovered that writing travelogues and creating travel content was much more enjoyable.
Besides, being a content creator is quite lucrative these days. There are many ways to make money from blogging and being a content creator.
So, now I spend more time creating travel content than being a software engineer. Although, I occasionally revert to being a geek and software engineer when needed.
For example, when someone messed around with my travel blog and website servers using a DDOS attack like this one. Even though my main job is now a full-time Indonesian travel blogger and content creator, I still have an engineer at heart. It’s never going to go away, man! Tsaah!
However, it’s not just the fun of content creation that makes me choose to focus on content creation. But because the job allows me to return to the village, and work from the village.
Why I Came Back to Live in the Village?
First, I felt like I didn’t fit in living in Jakarta.Even though I had to leave my job with a double-digit salary and all the glitz and glamour of Jakarta, I do miss the smell of Jakarta’s pollution.
Besides, during my three years living in Jakarta, I felt like I was wasting too much time. Imagine, if I were unlucky enough to get stuck in traffic. Getting from one place to another in Jakarta, which normally takes less than 30 minutes, could stretch to 1.5-2 hours!! I was stressed 😐
And it didn’t just happen once or twice. It happened multiple times! I felt frustrated because so much of my productive time was wasted on the streets of Jakarta. In 1.5-2 hours, I could have produced at least one article or a simple vlog.
Well, a double-digit salary is still achievable. Working hard in the countryside can also earn that much. Especially in the countryside, a double-digit salary with single-digit expenses is not impossible. It’s different in Jakarta, where I earned a double-digit salary and sometimes even earned double-digit expenses. What a loss! Hehehehe!
Second, I want to learn to be a farmer and livestock breeder.Let’s face it, this job isn’t cool, it’s not sexy, and it’s not as exciting as office work or civil servant jobs in high-rise buildings.
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The important thing is that while I’m working as a farmer or rancher, I can still travel out of town and abroad. I often travel abroad for free, but sometimes I even get paid! Yes, paid, not paid! (Ps: If you are interested, invite me to go for a walk,just check my portfolio link here)
Furthermore, what convinced me that I wanted to continue studying to become a farmer and livestock breeder were several important events, both within Indonesia and abroad.
From abroad,I often observe the scary-sounding hyperinflation incident in Venezuela.From what happened in Venezuela, I’ve concluded one thing: When a crisis strikes, the most important things to ensure are clean drinking water and sufficient food supplies. At least for the family.
Then, domestically, I’ve observed several natural disasters in Indonesia. What I’ve observed is that during emergencies like these, money is of little use for the duration of the disaster. However, food and drink are what everyone seeks most.
From this, I’ve concluded that farming and livestock farming are crucial because they can produce their own food supplies without the hassle of having to rely on money.So, if you have the opportunity to work as a farmer or livestock breeder, don’t be embarrassed.Even if you’re a college graduate with a degree in Electrical Engineering, the important thing is that you find legitimate work.
My goal as a farmer is simple: to be self-sufficient by having a rice barn stocked with enough food to survive for a year. Then, I have vegetables from my own garden, and livestock to supplement my daily side dishes.Regarding water, my village happens to have abundant water because the ecosystem is still well-maintained.
But it’s much easier said than done. As of now, I’m just learning how to be a gourami fish farmer while also working as a content creator. I admit, learning to be a farmer and livestock breeder is difficult. Even after three years living in the village, my level is still below beginner level.
Hopefully, I’ll become more proficient as a content creator, a livestock breeder, and a farmer. After all, when I retire and don’t want to go anywhere, I want to just live a relaxed life in the village, feeding the fish every day. It’s that simple.
So, what are the joys and sorrows of living and working in the village?
What is it?
The Sorrows of Living in the Village First!
1. No matter how much you dislike Jakarta, you’ll still end up with it! You can’t let go of Jakarta!
Yes, because everything is still Jakarta-centric, all projects and work originate from Jakarta. Although much can now be done remotely online, some projects still require me to travel to Jakarta. So, you could say that even though I live in a village, I travel back and forth to Jakarta dozens of times a year. Luckily, the train ride to Jakarta only takes one night.
2. There are projects that cannot be taken
The hardships of being a regional blogger. If a project comes up suddenly, I often can’t take it. I’m told the day before that there’s a project tomorrow in X area of Jakarta. Of course, I wouldn’t be able to do it if it was that sudden. But fortunately, most projects don’t come up that suddenly. And usually, the impromptu projects aren’t that big. So I don’t worry about it. If it’s my destiny, it won’t go anywhere.
3. The airport is quite far away
I’m someone who hopes Kediri Airport will be completed soon. Once it’s finished, I won’t have to travel to Juanda Airport in Surabaya to fly to Jakarta. It’s a long way, taking at most 2.5 to 3 hours from my house to get to Juanda Airport.
4. Applying for a visa is complicated because you have to go to the city.
If I want a Japanese visa, it’s easy; I just go to Surabaya. However, if I want a visa for some other countries, I still have to go to Jakarta. So, this is also what makes me travel back and forth between Blitar and Jakarta more frequently.
5. Watching a movie or shopping in the nearest city takes 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Yes, living in a remote village, you can still be happy just by going to the mall or watching a movie. It doesn’t matter if you have to drive 30 minutes to an hour.
6. Public Transportation is Difficult!
This is the worst part about living in a village. Public transportation is difficult, and almost non-existent. Even to get to the city, there might only be one or two public transportation schedules a day. Because of this, most people in the village own either a motorcycle or a car. I often rely on those two vehicles now.
Do you like living in the village?
1. Fresh Air All the Time
Bye bye pollution! Living in the village, you can breathe fresh air for free every day!
2. The cost of living is much cheaper
If you want to save money, IDR 20,000 a day in the village can feed a family. If you want a more luxurious lifestyle, IDR 100,000 a day is more than enough.
3. Rarely Stressed
This is the most I’ve felt since leaving Jakarta. My stress levels have dropped drastically. If I’m not in the mood, I can just go back and feed the fish or play in the rice fields. Or if I’m bored at home, I can go on a tour out of town or go on vacation abroad. Congratulations~
4. Freedom to Manage Working Hours
My highest goal since college has been to be able to freely manage my work hours. Yes, even though I’m a workaholic who works dozens of hours a day, there are still times when I just want to slack off. And thank God, I’ve been able to do that since living in the village.
I might work every day for a week, then spend 2-3 days relaxing and watching Netflix or something else. Don’t get me wrong, the internet in my village is pretty fast. At least more than enough for watching Netflix. Living in the village, I’m no longer confused about entertainment.
5. Can Learn to Live Simply
No matter how much money you have, it won’t be enough if you can’t live simply. Therefore, living in the village, I’ve learned to live simply. At the very least, I’ve learned to be content with what I have.
6. No Traffic Jams!
Because the population isn’t as large as in big cities, traffic jams are rare, except during events like carnivals or similar events.
