A Quiet Spark in the Hustle

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August opened with a sense of rhythm.
I followed my husband to Jakarta for his meeting with a lawyer. Our 2-hours drive was filled with more than just traffic and to-do lists; we talked deeply. About mindset shifts, micro-skills vs. macro-skills, the small habits that shape big outcomes. He’s been thinking about forming a startup union, and I love how his thoughts are always one foot in the future. My job is to keep him awake and engaged on the drive, since he only slept for 5 hours last night. 

While he stepped into his legal meeting, I waited at The People’s Café.
It felt like a slice of me I hadn't visited in a while: being alone in the middle of people. The kind of solitude that doesn’t isolate but nourishes. I opened my ipad and keyboard, let my fingers wander, and wrote a blog post. Words flowed easier in that ambiance. There's something about cafes and noise that makes my thoughts feel like they're sitting beside me, rather than hiding in the corner.

Next stop: a campus 34km away.
Just a quick lunch in campus canteen before he had to record a mentoring program. I almost waited outside the meeting room to avoid disrupting anyone. But to my surprise, the mentor in the meeting room came over and introduced herself. Her name’s Mba Dina. Turns out she had been following me on Instagram for some time. And just like that, two hours disappeared in the best way: stories, ideas, health journeys, startups, the beauty and challenges of pre-menopause (yes, we went there). A reminder that sometimes the best conversations are the ones you didn’t plan.

When it was her turn to record, I stayed in the room. 
My husband had to jump on another investor call in the next meeting room. More waiting, but it didn’t feel like it. I went back to my writing, then switched gears to promoting property listings via WhatsApp. It’s funny how some days feel long and short at the same time. You move through spaces, physical and emotional, and you’re not quite sure how much you’ve done until you pause and look back.

We rushed home just in time for dinner; a sweet reward.
Our daughter had cooked us a hearty meal: curry and savory beef. Her way of saying “Welcome back,” and it filled more than our bellies. Moments like these remind me that love doesn’t always speak in words. Sometimes it shows up on a plate, warm and waiting.

The day ended quietly, side by side with my husband.
We watched a film, My Oxford Year in Netflix. It’s something calm to wind down, and reminiscing our time in UK. While watching, my hands were busy sorting out fresh laundry. Then lights out before 10. Rare, but welcomed.

It wasn’t a big day by world’s standard, but it was full by mine.
Ideas were exchanged, friendships found, love fed us in small and big ways. Here’s to noticing the quiet sparks in our daily hustle. They’re not always easy to catch, but they’re always worth it.

What was a quiet spark in your day today?

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