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Michelle Natasha Aditjokro

@michnatasha

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Adventurer. Photographer. Reader. Writer. Learner. Seeker. Lover. Sister. Daughter. Dreamer.
Leica QP 📸 #michnatportfolio
📍Melbourne

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For most of my life, I struggled to define myself in an environment where I felt disconnected from who I was becoming. Moving to this city changed that.

I've realized that womanhood, personhood, is whatever you choose to make it. It's a simple concept, but hard to internalize when you grow up in a society that insists a woman must embody a very specific set of qualities to be deemed worthy or valid. And that pressure becomes a kind of mental prison for a lot of us.

But the often unrealized truth is, we have the power of choice.
We have agency, and the ability to exercise that agency to forge an identity that feels honest to us. And my favorite thing about that is that you're always allowed to be a work in progress.

I'm a completely different person to who l was a year ago, when I had just moved here and was trying to settle in. I was filled with anxiety, and found myself burdened by the high expectations to instantly make a new life here.

But now, I find so much joy in the process of just becoming, learning, making mistakes, having fun, and letting things be imperfect.

It's a new era of confidence that l've never really touched on. I'm no longer trapped in my own mind, because life, the people around me, are just so much more interesting than thinking about how l'm being perceived.

I am open, gaping, unflinching, and in that openness, I get to receive so much.

Honestly, forget yourself a little, melt into your surroundings, indulge in the things that genuinely excite you as a person. Life is so much richer lived outside of your head. There is so much to explore. So much still unknown. So many versions of yourself you have yet to meet, and to me, that's wildly exciting. by @michnatasha

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7 months ago

Last Sunday was so surreal. I had the privilege of working alongside an incredible group of people from KF Consulting to host a fundraising event for @afghangirlsundergroundschools, led by @erfanullahabidi, who I met during a UN symposium last year in Malaysia.

None of us had ever organized something like this before, and we were SOOO nervous about how it was going to turn out. What followed after months of planning was so incredibly moving. So many businesses and members of the community came together to donate goods, services, time, and effort to make this event possible, and we ended up raising over $10k to fund 2 new classrooms for girls in Afghanistan to continue learning in secret. UNBELIEVABLE!!!!! I'm so so touched by everyone's kindness and generosity!!

I can't even properly express to you how angry I was when I first learned about the reality facing women and girls in Afghanistan, and that's exactly why I want to work so hard to pave the way for other women and girls. Making sure that they KNOW, and making sure they CAN be whatever they want to be.

Education has the power to do that. And every girl DESERVES the opportunity to pursue an education that can change the course of her life.

I really can't believe we pulled this off collectively, and I'm so happy to have shared this journey with people who are as passionate as I am about this cause.

Thank you to everyone who came, donated, and supported the event in any way. I LOVE YOU ALL 💜💜💜💜 taken in The Amazing Grace by @michnatasha

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4 months ago

Earlier this month I had the amazing opportunity to attend as an Indonesian delegate to the University Scholars Leadership Symposium, joining more than 400 others from across the globe to hear from speakers working within the UN and NGOs, and to connect with incredible young leaders, each a champion in their own field, from political advocacy to sustainability, tech and business, all united by the drive to create a more just and peaceful world.

I carry a heaviness in my heart when I think about the state of the world, where the suffering of others is too often met with indifference. It is easy to let that sadness harden into hopelessness and retreat into frustration. But one of the most important lessons I learned at USLS is that anger and despair, when harnessed, can be transformed into meaningful action. Creating change requires courage, conviction, compassion, and patience. It may be the hardest path to walk, but it's the only one that leads anywhere better.

The truth is, the world we have inherited is deeply flawed. Change will never come if we wait for “someone else” to fix things. I have realized that “someone” has to be us. The symposium reminded me that my voice does matter. Silence in the face of injustice is complicity, and if enough of us remain silent, nothing will ever change.

USLS was a necessary antidote to the hopelessness I had been feeling, and that is a testament to the beautiful, fiercely kind people I met from all over the world. We may come from different backgrounds, but we share the same values, passion, and drive to make the world a better place. At our core we are deeply similar, bound by our need for love, belonging, and community.

This event was an urgent call to action, a reminder to me that hope is a discipline, that silence is dangerous, and that building a just and inclusive world begins with each of us, with the courage to care, to speak, and to act.

My heartfelt gratitude to @deakinuniversity and @humanitarianaffairsasia for allowing me to be a part of this life-changing event! taken in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by @michnatasha

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a year ago

dressing to impress my 13 yr old self only by @michnatasha

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5 days ago

"Love has never been a popular movement. And no one's ever wanted, really, to be free. The world is held together by the love and the passion of a very few people. Otherwise, of course, you can despair. Walk down the street of any city, any afternoon, and look around you. What you've got to remember is what you're looking at is also you. Everyone you're looking at is also you." by @michnatasha

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20 days ago

This man has been an absolute source of strength and inspiration in these past few months for me. Not only that, but he brings a level of ease, calm and joy that I sorely need during some really difficult moments in my own personal journey so far.

Can't thank him enough, can't love him enough!

He reminds me every day that at times where the world feels heavy and there's darkness all around us, having someone to love is truly such a reminder that there will always be good to be found!!!!!!!

I love you @cossnuts, my soul mate forever and always by @michnatasha

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4 months ago

kinda had a style awakening this summer by @michnatasha

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4 months ago

ugh heart is overflowing with love for life right now by @michnatasha

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6 months ago

The religion of quiet.

#leicaqp #michnatportfolio taken in Daylesford, Victoria by @michnatasha

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6 months ago

a little magic in a small town store

#leicaqp #michnatportfolio taken in Daylesford, Victoria by @michnatasha

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7 months ago

2 years with the most gorgeous man!! Happy anniversary my love @cossnuts by @michnatasha

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8 months ago

"the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. forget yourself." by @michnatasha

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9 months ago