Thanks to my great ignorance, I didn't know about SMERU or that I could live off doing research. Following graduation, I applied to all positions with the word "research" in them and found SMERU through the ANU's website, and it was this affiliation with international institutions that got my attention. Looking back, Pak Asep should have penalized me for not recognizing SMERU sooner, but thank God he didn't, and the rest was history.
I found my first real family in SMERU. Once you join SMERU, you become a member of one big family that is full of trust, warmth, and genuine intentions. Despite my short stay in SMERU, I owed all paths that were opened to me after to the advice, experience, and connections I received from SMERU (there are sooo many). To the late Ibu Budi, to Pak Asep, and to Pak Darno, THANK YOU!
