Meet your favorite sailor

I spent years in the finance world, crunching numbers for PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), wearing heels, and navigating client meetings, quarter-end audits, and tax reports. My days were defined by deadlines, spreadsheets, and the soft hum of office lights. But one day, everything changed...

Climbing the Finance Ladder

I graduated with a degree in economics, with a minor in tax and audit. Like many ambitious students, I followed the path that seemed secure and “successful.” I landed a job at PwC not long after finishing school, a dream for many fresh grads in Indonesia. I dove headfirst into the high-paced world of financial auditing, spending long nights poring over numbers and learning how to speak the language of balance sheets, client risk, and audit strategy.

After gaining a few solid years of work experience, I decided to pursue a master’s degree abroad. I packed my bags and moved to New Zealand, where I expanded my knowledge and global perspective. I returned to Indonesia even more qualified and motivated, landing a role as a senior finance consultant. The hours were still long, the stakes still high, but the paycheck was good, and from the outside, it looked like I had it all figured out.

But deep down, something was missing. I had ticked all the boxes, degrees, job titles, promotions, but there was a quiet emptiness I couldn’t shake.

The Day I Took a Breath Underwater

And then one day in 2016, while on a much-needed break, I went scuba diving for the first time.

It’s hard to describe the moment that changed everything. I remember descending slowly, equalizing my ears, and then suddenly… silence. Peace. Color. Life. My eyes locked on vibrant coral reefs, manta rays gliding by, and fish moving like synchronized dancers in the current. It was like seeing the world in color for the first time after years of grayscale.

I took a deep breath underwater, and something clicked. Something inside me stirred that I hadn’t felt in years.

That single dive did what no spreadsheet ever could: it made me feel alive.

From that moment, I couldn’t stop thinking about the ocean. I started carving out time between consulting work to dive more, travel more, and explore Indonesia’s coastlines and remote islands. I became obsessed, not just with the marine world, but with the feeling of freedom and curiosity that came with it.

The Leap: Sabbatical, Scuba, and Sailing

When the Sea Calls, You Answer

Within months, I made one of the most impulsive, and, to many, incomprehensible, decisions of my life: I handed back my work badge, packed one suitcase, and walked away from everything that looked good on paper. My corporate career paused. My heart slowed, and my soul exhaled for the first time in years.

“There goes years of studying,” someone said. “Your bachelor’s, your master’s, your CPA… all for what?”

“You’re not gonna make it.”

“That’s career suicide.”

Those were the things I heard the most after I broke the news to my friends, family, and colleagues. For an Indonesian girl in her early 20s, quitting a well-paid, stable job in a respected firm wasn’t just unconventional, it was considered reckless. In their eyes, I was throwing away everything I had worked so hard for: the late nights, the promotions, the validation. A few even bet I wouldn’t last more than a few months before begging to come back.

But I wasn’t running away. I was running toward something, I just didn’t know what it was yet.

What I did know was that my body was exhausted, my creativity was suffocating, and I didn’t recognize myself anymore. So I gave myself permission to pause. I booked a one-way ticket. I didn’t have a five-year plan. I didn’t even have a one-year plan. I only knew I needed to stop numbing myself with spreadsheets and performance reviews and start listening to the part of me that still believed life could feel a little more alive.

Landing My First Job On a Boat

Somewhere during that sabbatical, somewhere between sunsets and spontaneous conversations, chance and courage collided.

I struck up a conversation with Maria who happened to be hiring crew for a yacht. One conversation led to another, and before I had time to overthink it, she offered me a job on the spot.

Suddenly, I swapped boardrooms for bowlines. I went from structured work weeks and high heels to barefoot days under the sun, learning to tie knots and read the sea. It was the kind of “questionable decision” people love to gossip about, but for me, it was the beginning of everything.

I traded balance sheets for tide charts, corporate jargon for star maps, and performance bonuses for quiet joy. I had no maritime experience, no long list of qualifications, just a willingness to learn, a curious spirit, and a gut feeling that this was exactly where I needed to be.

And here I am, a decade later. Still proving every “you’re not gonna make it” wrong. Still living my dream, every single day.

Navigating the Yachting Industry: A New Career Path

Let’s be real, my finance degree didn’t exactly scream “qualified deckhand” or “yacht marketer.” I had zero maritime experience, no STCW certificate at the time, and no cruise ship résumé to wave around. But I said yes anyway.

I learned everything on the job, how to steer, moor, clean, assist guests, prep cocktails, and eventually, market charters. Every day I fell harder for the ocean and the freedom that came with it. My adaptability became my anchor in the yachting world, especially in Indonesia, where the industry looked very different a decade ago.

At that time, there were hardly any women working on deck, and definitely not in leadership roles. It took months, maybe years, to earn the respect of other crewmembers, 95% of whom were male. One of the first yachts I worked on had an all-male crew. I was the only woman onboard, sleeping in a shared mess with eight men. Privacy was non-existent. Personal space? A luxury.

There were trips where the boat was overbooked and I had to give up my own cabin to accommodate a guest’s baby-sitter. I’d sleep on the floor or rotate sleeping in a crewmember’s bed while they were on night watch. I was constantly improvising, constantly proving myself.

And while there were unforgettable sunsets, manta ray dives, and laughter-filled nights under the stars, there were also moments that nearly broke me. Navigating a male-dominated industry wasn’t easy back then. I faced harassment, both mental and physical. One crew member used to brush up against me inappropriately, touching my lower back and bum under the guise of “accidents.” It was disgusting and infuriating.

Thankfully, I had allies, senior crewmembers who didn’t just turn a blind eye. They stood up for me. That particular crew member was eventually fired after a separate incident involving guests, but I never forgot how vulnerable and isolated I felt in that moment.

Still, I stayed. Not because I had something to prove, but because the sea gave me something the corporate world never could: a sense of self. And slowly, I began carving out space for myself, not just as a crew member, but as someone who could bring value beyond deck work.

The Life I Never Planned

After years of sailing, I finally walked away from full-time boat life in December 2024. It was time. My back needed a break, and so did my soul.

For the year that followed, I shifted into a new chapter, working as a yacht sales broker and marketer for a yacht agency. It was a different rhythm, but still deeply connected to the world I knew so well. Instead of living onboard, I found myself translating that life for others; through listings, conversations, and strategy. Helping people find not just a yacht, but a version of life at sea that suited them.

Because I’ve been there.

I’ve scrubbed decks, hauled lines, crossed open water, and stood watch under endless stars. That experience now shapes every detail I write, every yacht I represent, and every client I guide.

Today, I work remotely for a superyacht company based in Southeast Asia as Director of Marketing and Charter. The title may sound far removed from where I started; but in many ways, it isn’t. I’m still telling stories about life at sea. Still connecting people to it. Just from a different vantage point.

These days, I still use spreadsheets, but mostly for yacht campaigns, and planning journeys across the region. My office shifts between land and sea. Some meetings still happen onboard. Others happen quietly, from wherever I’ve dropped anchor for a while.

People often ask if I regret leaving the corporate world after years of study, a master’s degree, and a promising career in the finance industry.

The answer is no. Not for a second.

That world taught me structure and strategy. The ocean taught me presence.

It gave me a second chance, to build a life shaped by curiosity, freedom, and a quieter kind of joy.

And honestly, what’s more valuable than that?

Why I Started Happily Roaming

Part Travel Diary, Part Therapy

I launched Happily Roaming to document all facets of this life: my travel stories, yachting mishaps, reef discoveries, and unexpected friendships. It’s not a how-to guide (though you might pick up tips), it’s a logbook, heartfelt, unscripted, and sometimes sea-sick.

Lessons I’ve Learned From Corporate to Coral Reefs

Lesson 1 - Passion Beats Paychecks

Sure, my finance job paid well, but it didn’t feed my soul. The perfect job isn’t always the one with the highest paycheck. I’d choose coral reefs over cubicles any day.

Lesson 2 - Comfort Zones Are Overrated

My life in corporate was stable, but stable isn’t the same as meaningful. Taking that sabbatical leave was terrifying, and the best decision I’ve ever made. Embrace discomfort. You never know where it might lead.

Lesson 3 - You Don’t Need Experience to Start

I had zero sailing credentials when I started. What I did have was curiosity, grit, and a willingness to learn. In yachting, enthusiasm is as vital as experience. Show up eager, and doors open.

Lesson 4 - Community Matters

On deck, you rely on your crew. In life, you rely on community. I’ve found support in fellow sailors, yacht industry pros, and readers like you who cheer me on, even when I send emails from the middle of nowhere.

What’s Next for Happily Roaming?

Exploring More Ports of Call

I plan to chronicle more destinations, from secluded anchorages to bustling ports. Expect tales from Indonesia, Vietnam, Mediterranean gems, and beyond.

More Boat Life Diaries

Boat life is unpredictable. I'll share more cruising catastrophes, magical moments, and underwater epiphanies, unfiltered and unedited.

Captain’s Picks and Gear Reviews

I’ll dive into what gear keeps me afloat, which island snacks actually get eaten, and which books (or podcasts) make long passages feel shorter.

Photo Dumps That Don’t Skimp on the Salty

Expect reef-colored sunsets, manta ray whispers, morning coffee on deck, and the occasional seaweed sandwich, moments that don’t need retouching.

How to Connect with Me (and Roam Happily Too)

Join the Conversation

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