Let’s be honest: Indonesia wasn’t designed to be explored by land. Sure, you could cram into a bus somewhere between rice fields and volcanoes, but why would you, when you could be barefoot on a teak deck, sailing past dragons, jellyfish lakes, and islands that look like they were Photoshopped by Mother Nature herself? With over 17,000 islands (yes, we counted; well, someone did), Indonesia is basically a grown-up playground for sailors, yachties, sea lovers, and pirates with better skincare routines.

I wasn’t planning to backpack through Southeast Asia with ten Vikings. But as all great stories begin, I met a bunch of Danish guys in Medan, and joined them on a trip to Penang and Koh Lipe. What could possibly go wrong?

I graduated with a degree in economics. I followed the path that seemed secure and “successful.” I landed a job at PwC not long after finishing school, 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. And then one day in 2013, while on a much-needed break, I went scuba diving for the first time. I took a deep breath underwater, and something clicked. Something inside me stirred that I hadn’t felt in years.