It’s 1 a.m. as I write this, tucked inside a hotel room in Blitar , freshly back from a New Year’s Eve celebration at Aloon-Aloon Kota Blitar . Yes, that is the actual name. I didn’t make it up. The photos will prove it. 😀 We left the hotel at 10 p.m. sharp with intentionally empty stomachs. Strategic hunger. Because where else should one welcome a new year if not in the middle of a giant field filled with food stalls selling everything edible, drinkable, and probably regrettable in large quantities. Skipping snacks would have been morally wrong. After circling the bazaar in our best food-hunter mode, we finally docked at a humble tent stall with carpets spread out for lesehan seating . Dinner was rawon rice and chicken soto rice , both at the very comforting price of ten thousand rupiah per portion. The flavor, however, was elevated by a surprise plot twist: salted eggs pulled dramatically out of my mom’s bag. Emotional support telur asin , clearly. We had forgotten to bring UNO...
Road trip day! We hit the road at 8 a.m., thirty minutes later than planned. But honestly, who cares? There was no deadline, no race to win. As long as everyone was accounted for and nothing important was left behind, we were good. Bonus point: I actually slept well the night before, which meant as the navigator of this journey, wasn’t half-asleep behind the wheel feels like small but crucial victory. Our first stop was at 9:30 a.m. at KM 57 rest area . The reason was simple and non-negotiable: coffee. My husband also needed to stop to do some office transfers, because work apparently travels with you now. While he was busy, I took Coffee Kenangan promo : buy two Toffee Nut Lattes , get one Americano free. Perfect timing, because my mom had specifically requested an Americano. Total damage: 50k. Cheap joy is still joy. While my husband was still glued to his phone, I dragged my mom to participate at Jasa Marga survey . The prize? An umbrella. She was ridiculously happy because, surpri...