Back in Siena

Three months passed just like a blazing light, suddenly I was thrust into plane for a 22 hour journey (1,5 hour transit in Bangkok and 5 hours in Kuwait) and found my self pushing heavy luggage along ancient streets of Siena.

Very few things change here, after all the centro storice (historical centre) at city of Siena remained pretty much the same for the last 300 years. One thing that changes is my accommodation, albeit still on the lavishly comfortable Collegio Santa Chiara, but now I am assigned to a single room. It’s really good to have a room on your own.

After a good night sleep yesterday, now its time to reflect on my summer sojourn back home. One thing for sure, I don’t feel like 30 years old. That is if being thirty means loosing more of idealism and dynamism (which I think I still have plenty) while worry a lot about how to pay for car and home mortgage (which I have none). Some of my friends that already turns 30 also starting to review how they have been living their life, but I am quite contend on the life I live and might not change much if given chance to re-do it again. I know I am on the right track and living the life I always wanted.

As for the 3 month holiday, there are things I wish I do more (like going to QB closing sales more than once), friends I wish I saw or seen more, spending more quality time with family (instead sluggishly finish the two overdue papers (one for class and one to be refereed)) but I am happy that I managed to collect data for this year research (to attend more conferences (a.k.a free trip)) and hopefully managed to publish some at respectable journal). Its good to be able to gave workshop at UI, seminar at Undip and met up with old friends as well as tightened up some muscle at fitness centre. However, I do wish I did not forget my sarung back home.

So, let this be a beginning of a better year than before. It’s certainly good to have more Indonesian (in Siena and Italy) than last year, especially with Hengky starting his PhD in Rome. Hope I will managed to go to Netherlands to visit some of my friends that start or continue study there, as well as fulfilling some impending invitations to Germany, Switzerland and UK.

Now got to finalize a paper to be presented at a conference in Bordeux Uni, France and drafting opinion on some recent events.