Run into it with open arms and an a open mind. The program and the people are amazing, and I would not trade the experience for anything. Another thing I would say is do everything, learn a bit of Bahasa, try all the food, go see all the places, because the whole experience is life changing. Making that little bit of effort to immerse yourself makes all the difference.

With 2 days off a week its an amazing opportunity to explore the island and the culture, as well as to just enjoy your down time. Working days vary between being on the boat with the other interns, or learning how to work with customers, building and deploying coral spiders, and completing the various workshops. Sometimes we would have family dinners and game nights, the interactions between everyone went beyond just the shop.

I knew I was going to be joined with a big group of people who already knew each other, and I was worried about feeling isolated, alone and lost. But right away Sita and Joma made me feel like I was part of a family. I was also scared that this was going to be some sort of pipe dream and that I wouldn't be able to do it, but they were open to any and all questions I had, and trust me there were a lot, and helped me accept that being a dive professional just clicked for me.

Is there anything you would have done different?

I would've saved more for small weekend trip and/or invested in an underwater video camera. I love my normal camera but sometimes you just need a quick easy shot for memories, and for the turtle conservation work too. Also try to get a couple of specialties too, like your deep spec or underwater photography.

Unfortunately, I never heard of or have experience from a returning student yet. I studied in a city called Pekanbaru that is super freaking hot and humid like 40 degrees every day and sometimes you don't know how to breathe because there are no trees left and oil on the ground. I feel like if people in my hometown have the option, they willl not go to live there and even for a student who has absence for 2 weeks, they will not gonna came back to my city and choose to live in a small village.

Project Laut. Project Laut is run by a passionate and knowledgeable team like Joma who do everything they can to make your stay as enjoyable and worthwhile as possible. This is a genuine conservation experience coupled with some amazing diving and the chance to develop new skills. The course has given people the most up-to-date methods and knowledge in the fields of marine conservation and research so people can go forward more confidently and able.

I'm not sure that unique (i.e., "being the only one of its kind; unlike anything else") is important. This company exists because someone has a vision (perhaps an overused, but nevertheless useful, word) and achievement of the vision is paramount. Becoming unique may be a critical success factor, but something else, say excellence in execution may be more important. To be unique is to DISCOVER it. Trial and error until you find it and that's how Nomads Diving Penida does.

An achievement that I’m proud of is being chosen to work on this project with Joma's team. His dedication is imperative for the growth of the company. Joma and the team's recent accomplishments, creativity, and open-mindedness contribute immensely to the team’s success.

Working on projects such as Project Laut was eye-opening because I’d never worked on such diving and marine conservation before. It taught me valuable skills in communication and collaboration that I bring to every new project I work on today.

I read articles from Jhon Spence's blog. He wrote what he believes are the five most important factors for building a successful company are a clear vision, a measurable plan, a culture of urgency, the best people, and superior customer service. That's the biggest factor that I believe is how to become a successful company.