2024 Reflections and Moving Forward ..

Hey, Explorers!

Happy New Year – though it’s a few days late. Ha! I’ve opened and closed this page multiple times, unsure of what to share at the beginning of the year.

But… well, here I am.

I’ve been reflecting on the past year, 2024. It’s sad to admit that I haven’t been able to make a full comeback with Eazycation (Indonesia Explorers) since the restart about two years ago.

The pressures have been real – I’ve constantly battled with time and doubts.

At the end of 2023, I told myself I would give this travel business another chance. I decided to run it for another year and see how it goes. I’ve learned many things. I’ve exchanged ideas, sought opinions, and explored new partnerships—even hired marketers. But the desired outcomes are still elusive. Or rather, they’re not enough to cast away my doubts or give me the confidence to say, “Yes, this still works!”

I admit, I feel demoralized at times. It’s hard. I’m struggling more than ever before.

There are moments when I question whether I’ve made the right choices or taken the right path.

What did I do wrong…?

Is it wise to keep pursuing and should this still be my top priority? Or should I just end this altogether now?

• • •

Trip Movement & Responses

Last year, even though the number of private trips slightly increased, I noticed that responses to scheduled group trips were far lower than I had expected.

In my opinion, there could be several reasons for these outcomes:

#1 DESTINATION

Indonesia remains the primary destination for Eazycation, even though I have been wanting to organize and explore trips to other countries for variety. However, it seems I should keep Indonesia as my main focus for the time being. Or should I not? Any thoughts?

#2 DURATION

I understand that not everyone has the privilege to take a full week off—or even longer. Our longest trip duration so far is ten days, while the shortest is four days. However, when the destination is at the far end of Indonesia (either the eastern or western regions), it becomes challenging to plan a short trip of less than five days.

Unless the destination is in a major city with a large airport, we often need to transfer via sea, land, or even another domestic flight to reach our final stop. After such a long and tiring journey, I doubt anyone would want to spend only a day or two seeing just a few things.

Indonesia lives up to its name as the largest archipelagic country in the world.

#3 TYPE OF ACTIVITIES
I always try to arrange a balance between activity time and leisure time. Unless explicitly stated as a trip for a specific activity—such as hiking or diving—I aim to include a mixed program.

#4 COST

I must admit that traveling in Indonesia isn’t always budget-friendly, especially when trips involve boat rentals. Sometimes, I feel like crying when I see the costs. Haha! And I haven’t even mentioned the domestic flight fares, which can be shockingly high. Okay, that’s a rant for another time.

We could choose lower-cost modes of transportation, but that often means longer, more time-consuming journeys, which can be tricky given our time constraints. It’s always a trade-off: we gain some and lose some. This is a similar challenge when traveling to other countries as well.

Another factor is that Eazycation always operates with small groups—no more than 12 participants, unless necessary.

#5 ME

Yes, me. I might have lost my way in communicating effectively and excelling at what I do. I try to build a sense of community among our members, but I realize I’ve fallen short in responding to messages promptly—or, worse, missed them entirely at times.

If this ever happened to you, I sincerely apologize. :(

• • •

Moving Forward …

Despite these challenges, I’m still here, trying to make Eazycation work because I believe in its potential and in the joy that travel brings to all of us.

Your feedback, patience, and support mean everything to me as I navigate through these hurdles. Here’s to learning, improving, and hopefully creating more memorable adventures together in the year ahead.

Thank you for sticking with me on this journey. Let’s keep exploring!