One Giant at a Time

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A friend of Galih once told us to try hunting the Giants of Mandurah. Last month, we finally started the journey with a couple of friends. It turned out to be one of those simple adventures that stayed with us long after the trip ended.

We drove to Mandurah and met our first giant: Seba’s Song in Wannanup, quietly sitting by the sea. We couldn’t really see his face because he was facing the ocean, almost as if he were watching over the water.

From there, we continued to Santi Ikto in Halls Head. He sits in the hills overlooking the coast, and the walk there was absolutely worth it. The journey itself was beautiful, with the sea stretching alongside us. We ended the day with a picnic near Mandurah Eastern Foreshore.

Weeks later, we decided to continue the hunt and find the rest of them 😆

This time, we started at Lake Clifton Thrombolites — we were just drawn to the lake. Then on a whim, we searched for what was nearby and stumbled upon Jyttes Hytte, quietly hiding among the bushes. Total happy accident!

Jyttes Hytte

By then, we were completely hooked, and that day we decided to hunt down the rest. 😄

The long drive became part of the adventure too. We stopped at our first WA rest area, sang along to our favourite songs on the road, and simply enjoyed being together. We’ve always loved road trips, and doing one together in Western Australia had been one of our little dreams.

Vivi Cirkelstone was resting peacefully by the lake at the Yaburgurt Winjan Memorial Park in Coodanup, right in the middle of Mandurah’s famous blue swimmer crab region. Standing there, we promised each other that we would come back to do some crabbing together someday. Little Lui was tucked away in the bushlands of Lakelands, where we also met a few kangaroos along the path. And last but not least, we visited Billie Bob in Subiaco, Perth. Each giant has its own story to tell, and a hidden meaning for you to find.

Vivi Cirkelstone
Little Lui
Billie Bob

Somewhere along the road, the trip became about more than just finding giants. We felt like we were on a mission. When we finally found them all, we looked at each other and laughed like we had just completed something much bigger than a day trip. At different stops, we even crossed paths with several senior couples doing the same hunt, and it reminded us that this is exactly the kind of thing worth doing with the people you love.

Finding the Giants meant discovering ourselves more deeply. It also gave us peace, knowing we had accomplished a mission right before going back to living long-distance again. All the laughter, the walks, the little victories along the way — we’re carrying all of that with us as we face the distance again.

In a way, the giants reminded us of all the “giants” we’ve faced throughout our long-distance journey too. By God’s grace, we’ve been able to conquer them together, and that realization gave us strength once again.

We are grateful to Thomas Dambo, the artist behind the Giants.

Galih later told me that these giants exist all around the world — there are over a hundred of them.

Now we’re officially on a mission to find them all. One giant at a time feels like a pretty good reason to keep travelling the world. 😊

Drunk Text

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Spotify says I played this endlessly. My heart knows exactly why

The Ache That Changed Shape

I’ve played this song more times than I can count this year—especially on the quiet drives home when I’m alone, replaying it until the lyrics blurred into the rhythm of my days. Sometimes I even sing louder when the chorus hits—I wish… —as if those old feelings still know their way through my voice. Every word pulls me back to the insecurity I once carried when Galih and I were “just friends,” to that messy, aching part of our transformation.

There was a time when loving him felt like a quiet bruise—soft, hidden, aching in places I couldn’t name. I wanted him, but held myself back. I hoped for him, but pretended I didn’t. That ache shaped me; it taught me how to love from a distance long before distance became our reality.

Now I’m married to the man I once whispered prayers about. My wish did come true, yet we’re still separated by cities, borders, and time zones. The ache has changed, but it hasn’t disappeared—it has grown gentler, deeper, rooted in the life we’re building.

It isn’t fear anymore. It isn’t insecurity.
It’s simply longing.

The kind that comes from knowing where home is, and waiting for the day my body finally catches up to where my heart already lives.

This song has become my remedy this year. It reminds me that we survived that chapter—and we will survive this one too. Wishes do come true: first when courage gently carried us beyond friendship, into a love neither of us expected. And each time I listen to this song, I gather a little more of that courage. Now, in marriage, our wishes are becoming real—slowly, tenderly, piece by piece—as we keep choosing each other and building the life we want.

Counting the days until we meet again… letting each sunrise teach me how to be brave.

P.S. To be honest, I don’t remember how this song came to me. But I do know this: I’m glad it found me when it did.

Tukiman (di)Peluk Laut

Bintang, Catatan Perjalanan, Sehari-hari

Tukiman kami adopsi dari The Keranjang Bali, sebuah toko oleh-oleh yang kami kunjungi saat bulan madu di Bali. Tukiman kami pilih sebagai pengingat momen pelepasan tukik—bayi penyu laut—yang diadakan di hotel tempat kami menginap. Momen itu cukup menyentuh saya dan suami. Bersama turis-turis bule, kami ikut menyemangati tukik-tukik yang bergerak cepat dengan sirip mungilnya, merayap di pasir menuju laut. Ombak datang, menggiring mereka memulai petualangan pertama di dunia bawah air. Bersama-sama kami mendoakan mereka sehat, bahagia, dan bisa bertahan hidup di lautan luas.

Manis kan? Tukik-tukik mungil itu seperti saya dan suami—yang juga baru memulai petualangan sebagai pasangan baru menikah. Dan ini yang akan bikin tambah manis lagi: ketika pacaran dulu, kami pernah mengunjungi Museum ArtScience di Singapore. Di sana saya mewarnai gambar penyu dengan warna hijau dan menghiasinya dengan tulisan Galih ❤️ Monica di punggung penyu tersebut. Di museum itu, gambar-gambar kami bisa discan dan dipindahkan ke layar laut besar. Senang sekali melihat gambar penyu kami berenang-renang.

So yeah… Saat melihatnya di toko, saya langsung ingin mengadopsinya. Namanya pun saya yang memberi: Tukiman, si tukik yang sudah dewasa. Bisa dibayangkan, ia cukup besar dan sangat nyaman untuk dipeluk.

Sejak hari itu, ia menjadi teman tidur saya. Terlebih ketika saya dan suami harus kembali terpisah samudra—antara riuhnya Jakarta dan tenangnya Perth. Dialah yang selalu saya peluk macam bocil, saat menangis tengah malam karena rindu tak bisa ditahan. Setahun berlalu, skill Tukiman semakin naik level: ia semakin lihai menenangkan badai emosi—terutama saat PMS datang tanpa aba-aba.

Begitulah, kedewasaan Tukiman memeluk inner child saya.
Dia menemani saya menyelam ke dalam dunia tanpa suara dan cahaya, memberikan rasa tenang. Tukiman menjadi penghubung yang meyakinkan kami—saya terutama—bahwa samudra yang terbentang bukanlah ruang kosong. Dia adalah pengingat bahwa sekecil-mungilnya sirip yang kami punya saat ini, pasti ada ombak yang membantu kami mengarungi lautan rindu. 🌊🐢✨

Bersama Tukiman, kami bertahan. Kami terus berenang dan memeluk lautan.
Sambil berharap suatu hari nanti, cita-cita kami di ArtScience Museum kembali terwujud —
kali ini bukan hanya di layar digital, tapi kami berdua yang benar-benar berenang bersama dalam satu kota, satu rumah, satu lautan…. sepanjang umur penyu laut—yang katanya bisa hidup sampai ratusan tahun itu.

Tsah!
Ayo tepuk tangan untuk kami para pejuang LDM!
Dan tolong doakan Tukiman tetap kuat jadi penjaga emosi saya ya