HIMSOLACE: Finding Solace in Cisarua with HIMSI 2026
After a full two weeks of drowning in our exams, we decided to recharge and revitalize ourselves through an activity that embraces our togetherness and harmony. MAKRAB (Malam Keakraban) HIMSOLACE, held from May 15th to May 16th at Villa Gede Kampung Air Cilember in Bogor, is one of HIMSI’s annual events that aims to strengthen the bonds between HIMSI members. Consisting of the B28s and B29s this year, the event allowed activists to take a breather amid the chaos of academic strains and make new memories with other members.
On the first day, all members gathered in front of the BINUS Admission building at Anggrek Campus to get ready. Our bus was already waiting, ready to take us all to our destination. Before departing, we said a prayer led by Makrab’s leader, Nathaniel Tanadrosa, asking for a safe journey and a safe arrival at our destination.
Due to limited access to our destination, we had to get off at a certain spot to switch to another mode of transportation. From the bus, we took two angkot (angkutan umum/city buses) to take us through narrower streets.
Even though we were crammed inside the angkot, it didn’t dampen our spirits, and it turned into a chance for us to bond with one another. The ride was thrilling and exciting because the angkot had to navigate up-and-down roads like a roller coaster. Some of us even had to get off briefly so the angkot could make it up the hill! Despite having a little workout and sacrifices, we still had a wonderful time.
Arriving safe and sound, we felt exhausted and sweaty because of the route and obstacles we took. Shouts like “I want to go straight to curug” and “I want to take a dip in the water” were heard by many, so we decided to drop off our belongings first, have lunch, and then change into our swimwear before heading to curug.
We walked to Curug, accompanied by the security division, which turned out to be close to our villa. Actually, we didn’t realize we would have to walk along a long, uphill path, so we worked up quite a sweat. However, it was all worth it because we finally got to take a dip and have fun under the rushing waterfall. The water was fresh and refreshing, washing away our fatigue.
But that wasn’t all – after visiting Curug, we returned to the villa to have a taste of the swimming pool. That’s double the fun! Cannonball, water splashing, luring others to take a dive, chit-chat, and laughter were seen and heard, creating a relaxing and lively atmosphere among each other.
After a fun-filled day of trekking the Curug mountain and splashing around in the swimming pool, the Event division decides it’s time for more games!
Led by Nafeeza, Chelsea, Gemma, and Maharani, activists were split into 4 groups and guided to play two games. The initial game was Charades, in which each group had to act out a prompt, while the rest guessed the closest answer. The second was the Whispering game, which had very difficult tongue twisters that had to be recited in whispers. The prompts for the charades were all super duper specific, causing each group to think long and hard about how to act them out effectively. It was very fun watching them enact a gorilla and pretend to be a clock, laughing as they made eye contact with each other. The whispering game was even more fun, considering the shocked looks on everyone’s faces when they heard the super difficult tongue twisters. All in all, the game’s event ended in warm laughter and loud teasing, in contrast to the cold air and the rain outside.
The games were indeed a fun part of the event, but after spending time swimming at the curug and the pool, everyone was definitely hungry. To end the day, we held a barbecue party where we grilled the meat and prepared everything together. That moment brought us closer because we could work while bonding, often joking around and helping each other assemble the food. Afterwards, we made s’mores indoors. While some activists roasted marshmallows, the rest scattered around the living room for chatter. The combination of soft, gooey marshmallows, semi-melted chocolate, and salty crackers wrapped up our dinner perfectly, and our tummies were as content as our hearts.
Not only that, but we also prepared a small surprise celebration for the birthday girls: Nafeeza, Nyah, and Gemma. A few of the members secretly hid the birthday cake and party poppers so they would not suspect anything before the surprise, and indeed, a surprise it was! Dancing Queen by ABBA blasted in the background as we cheerfully celebrated the girls’ birthday, blending with the flying confetti and beaming smiles on our faces.
The night became even more meaningful during a mini sharing session we held. Earlier, the seniors gave us thoughtful feedback and suggestions on the event and how we can improve in the future. But the height of the night actually came when all of us gathered around a bonfire and lit up some mini fireworks. The sparks lighting up the night sky, accompanied by guitar tunes, created an unforgettable moment. Surrounded by the cold breeze from the puncak–the mountainous regions–the warmth of the bonfire felt especially comforting as everyone sat together, talking and laughing for hours. The conversations slowly grew quieter as the night went on, until eventually everyone returned to their rooms and called it a day.
Wake up! Wake up! Play Bangun Tidur by Mbah Surip! Everyone awakes at 6.30 sharp, woken up by the beautiful melody of 2000s dangdut. Lethargic from the eventful first day, absolutely nobody wanted to wake up at the crack of dawn to do morning exercises. Nonetheless, the energy-filled Event committee urged everyone to the field where we began doing musical calisthenics led by Tanadrosa, Amalia, and Bryan. The exercise went on for about 30 minutes before hunger complaints began rolling in, and the wonderful consumption division ran back to cook a hefty and delicious meal of fried rice.
After concluding breakfast, the event team gathered the members for the final games. This time, they’re centered solely around English. First was the spelling bee. The event coordinators made sure the words were tricky, so the competing members were riled up to guess their spelling. As for the last game, the English literature and pop-culture quiz, the questions ranged from study materials to literature references to even pop culture. Members were really tested on their knowledge and skills, and after the scores were finalized, the winning groups were decided and given their respective prizes!
To our dismay, MAKRAB was coming to an end. All of the games had been completed, and everyone’s bellies were full, so the only thing left to do was to get ready for home. Activists shortly dispersed to pack their belongings, shower, and clean the villa. We had brought a lot of baggage, so it took all of our hands to make sure we didn’t leave anything behind. The security division did a final sweep as the members waited outside, sporting the HIMSI vest and preparing for pictures. Using Alma, the HIMSI President’s digital camera, each HIMSI department was photographed on the rooftops for documentation. At 11 AM, we departed from our villa and headed to the ELF bus to begin our winding journey back home.
In the end, we had arrived at BINUS Anggrek Campus safe and sound. After MAKRAB’s leader, Tanadrosa, expressed his gratitude to all of the coordinators, we declared that MAKRAB HIMSOLACE 2025 has been completed. Now, on to our next project!
