Where I feel Most Alive

There is something quietly brave about building a life around the things that make you feel most alive.

For Olivia, that feeling has always been closely tied to creating. Since high school, she dreamed of becoming a set designer. With limited opportunities to study the craft formally in Jakarta, she chose interior design instead—finding a way to keep her dream within reach. Today, she works across interior technical design and musical set design, continuing to build the creative life she once imagined.

But her journey isn't only about the things she creates. It is also about discovering herself along the way.

Becoming More Herself

Olivia feels most like herself when she is in her element—when she is doing something she loves, or simply exploring what makes her, her.

"Apart from what I do, I want people to see me having a freely-life spirit—that I can do things I want to do without hesitation,"

Lately, even something as simple as dressing up has become a way of understanding herself better. Not about following a certain image, but discovering what feels authentic.

Perhaps that is part of growing into yourself: realizing that identity isn't something you have to define all at once. Sometimes, you discover it through the little things you allow yourself to explore.

Olivia with her musical theater cast mates

 

Where the World Goes Quiet

When her thoughts become too loud, Olivia finds her way back through quiet rituals.

Sometimes, it is meditation. Other times, it is a late-night walk with her earphones on, letting the music match whatever mood the day has left behind. Indonesian ballads or classical instrumentals accompany her as she walks, giving her enough space to simply be.

And when she needs a deeper sense of peace, she returns to nature.

A forest trail. A flower garden. The sky at sunrise or sunset. The quietness of being surrounded by something bigger than herself.

For Olivia, nature doesn't ask anything from her. It simply exists—and perhaps that is exactly what makes it comforting.

On the left: Taking boat along the Tanjung Putting river; on the right: Trekking in Tanjung Puting

 

A Scent That Feels Like Home

Her connection to nature also lives through scent. Scents hold a powerful nostalgic hold over her, vividly unlocking memories of places and moments.

The smell of green grass with a touch of citrus brings her back to the peaceful feeling of hiking through a forest. It is the kind of scent that doesn't simply smell familiar—it carries a place with it.

That is why Bentala’s Sacred Summit scent reminds her of those moments.

Because sometimes, home isn't a house or a particular address. Sometimes, it is a feeling you recognize the moment a scent brings you back.

On the left: Olivia hiking Mount Merbabu; on the right: Camping at the Mount Merbabu

 

Knowing What to Keep

In a world where so much of life is shared, Olivia has learned that some things are better kept close.

She chooses what belongs in the public eye and what remains for herself or her inner circle. Because attention—whether praise or judgment—can quietly become something we start chasing.

For her, setting those boundaries is a way of staying connected to what actually feels true.

Not everything needs to be seen to be meaningful.

 

Family is the People Who Chose to Stay

Her safest place is found in the people around her—especially her family and boyfriend, the people she knows she can return to. They brings absolute peace and serves as her long-standing anchors and safe harbors.

But another kind of family has shaped her too: the people she has met through the musical industry.

For nearly a decade, they have shared late-night conversations, struggles, ideas, dreams, and the messy process of building something together. From them, Olivia learned that standing for a dream does not always mean standing alone.

Sometimes, it means building a home for that dream together.

And that requires collaboration, generosity, and the willingness to put ego aside for something bigger than yourself.

Olivia with her musical theater family

 

The Beauty That Asks for Nothing

Olivia finds beauty in things that cost nothing and ask for nothing in return.

The sun. Rain. Green grass. A sky full of stars. Even the tiny rainbow that appears after a storm.

Perhaps what makes these things beautiful is also what makes them easy to overlook. They are always there, quietly happening while we rush toward whatever comes next.

Starry nights at an orangutan conservatory in Tanjung Putting, Borneo Kalimantan

 

Current Chapter: Learning to Be, Not Perfect

Right now, Olivia describes herself as being somewhere between learning and healing.

She is learning to be vulnerable. To accept help. To understand what she actually feels rather than what she thinks she should feel.

And perhaps most importantly, she is learning that she doesn't always have to be perfect.

There is freedom in letting yourself be unfinished.

In following a dream that began years ago. In dressing up simply because it feels good. In walking alone at night with a song in your ears. In watching the sunset with someone you love.

In learning, slowly, how to become more yourself.

Along the Way with Olivia is a story about allowing life to be felt—not perfectly, but honestly.

Along the Way is a conversation series by Bentala that celebrates every person we cross paths with on this journey of life. Through honest and meaningful dialogues, we explore the memories, values, and quiet moments that subtly shape who we are today. Because inspiration doesn't always come from extraordinary lives. Sometimes, it comes from people simply learning to live more truthfully, one step at a time.