After leaving my past behind in Java, I found myself in Kalimantan.
For nearly a year, I worked under someone's supervision — a contractor. Life was different here. The salary was better than anything I had earned before. People respected me, my work ethic, and my quiet but reliable nature.
At last, I could send money to my parents through Aunt Rini, since I didn't have a bank account yet. Knowing my family would receive support, even from afar, gave me a strange sense of relief.
The days passed in hard labor, carrying materials, and supervising small tasks. I stayed focused. I avoided any unnecessary distractions — especially with women. In Kalimantan, messing around could lead to serious trouble, and I had learned to survive, not to play.
But work was never completely smooth. After four months, conflicts with my boss started to appear. He was unfair, particularly about pay. Tensions grew, and the environment became increasingly unbearable.
I endured as long as I could, but eventually, I had to make a choice.
So I left.
I moved to Sampit, renting a small place with my brother. Life was hard. Without familiar faces, friends, or support, I had to start everything from scratch.
I applied for jobs everywhere, knocking on doors, presenting myself, trying to prove I could do more than just manual labor. Slowly, opportunities began to appear. I got a project — just one at first — but it opened the door to more connections.
People began to notice me. My reputation grew through my work, not through words. I met new colleagues, built relationships, and bit by bit, I could make my life sustain itself.
But trust and luck can be fragile. My brother, managing finances for a project, made mistakes. Money from the project was not handled fairly. I could not rely on him.
So I took a bold step — I left my brother behind in Palangkaraya and continued in Sampit alone.
From that point, I worked independently. I managed projects, met new people, and built my own network. It was lonely, but it was mine.
In Sampit, I learned something crucial: survival requires more than hard work. It requires independence, courage, and the ability to stand alone when circumstances demand it.
Every day was a test. Every project, every negotiation, every encounter with a new person taught me lessons that I could not learn anywhere else.
And slowly, I realized that this struggle, this life far from home, was shaping me into a man capable of facing the world on my own terms.