When I was a kid, my mom told me I wanted to be a kung fu master. Not the usual dream for a five-year-old growing up in Sukabumi, a small town in West Java, Indonesia. But maybe that spark for the unexpected has always been part of me.

I didn’t end up as a kung fu master—sadly. Instead, I became a journalist. Over the past ten years, I’ve been everything from a reporter and field producer to a television host and producer. Maybe it sounds more “newsroom” than “martial arts dojo,” though sometimes I feel like I am living the dream in its own way.

Like the kung fu heroines I used to watch on Chinese television series, I travel widely, moving from one quest to the next, meeting diverse people and picking up new techniques along the way. My career has taken me from CNN Indonesia TV to SouthEast Asia Today TV, covering everything from breaking news, politics, to entertainment and embracing my role as a “jack of all trades.”

In 2023, I trained in Norway with SKUP to sharpen my investigative journalism skills—who knows, maybe someone will send me on a covert mission one day!—gaining a whole new perspective on the craft.

Most recently, I’m a freelancer, like Ivanhoe in Sir Walter Scott’s 1820 novel. I’m a mercenary, bound to no single lord or kingdom, free for hire and often working with foreign media outlets.

My origin story is a little offbeat: my degree is in French literature, which might not seem practical for a journalist, but it shaped my storytelling approach. My side quests in acting and directing for theatre and cinema influenced my career as a television journalist. How so?

Acting on stage taught me how to bring a story to life, how to channel emotions into text and expression, and how to prepare my mind to “stay in character” even during crises like breaking news. Those experiences also honed my discipline and teamwork. My love for movies helped me visualise words as moving pictures. In 2014, I directed a short film that won Best Comedy Short at the Forum Film Bandung, later screened across Java and Bali.

That background came in handy when I hosted and wrote for See Indonesia, an English-language travel program that explored Indonesia’s breathtaking landscapes and diverse cultures on Southeast Asia Today TV. I wove cheeky storytelling into both text and visuals, making the content engaging and memorable.

So who am I, really? “Journalist” might not be the right box. Maybe at my core, I’m a storyteller, adventurer, and creative explorer. There’s no story I won’t finish and no adventure I won’t embark on. Whether wielding a pen, camera, or script, I bring all the skills of a modern-day warrior to the table—ready to craft, uncover, and share narratives that connect and inspire.