Well this is it. Tomorrow is my last day of school. Not just my last day of school in Indonesia but also my last day of high school...EVER. Now I've technically been done high school in terms of classes I need in order to graduate for quite some time, but I still haven't graduated yet. I'm glad to technically be graduating with my class, but that means no official graduation ceremony because I'll still be in Indonesia. Obviously I willingly signed up for this setup, but I'm srtill a little sad about it. High school graduation is one of those things you dream about as a kid, and I'll never have the chance to experience it.
As my graduation date approaches, I'm starting to think about just how odd it feels to not have a ceremony. However, at the same time, I also can't imagine wanting to be in the US doing a "normal" senior year instead of in Indonesia . I probably don't express it nearly enough, but I am so beyond grateful for every person I've met and every experience I've had in the past nine months. I really can't imagine being anywhere else right now.
I really can't believe how fast time has gone by. Just like my high school career, my exchange will soon be coming to a close. I don't know what life will be like as a college student or when I first get back to the US, but there is one thing I do know. Change is a scary thing.
May 21, 2015
May 16, 2015
Less Than 50 to Go
As of today, I have only about 50 days left in Indonesia. In fact, I actually leave Indonesia 7 weeks from tomorrow (noooooo harus pulang??).That might seem like a long time to you, but to me it sounds like no time at all! There's still so much that I want to see, learn, and experience before I go back to the US and start college life, but I know I can't do everything... it will just give me another reason to come back in the near future!
If I'm completely honest though, I'm more nervous about going back to the US than I was about coming here. When I left, I had no idea what Indonesia was like or what to expect from it. However, it's so different with the United States. I'm excited to go back because it's my home country (and I may be just a little exited for a soft pretzel from Philly...), but it's also a little scary because a year will have passed. I know some things will be the same, but for the time being it feels like everything will be so different. A major part of that is the fact that my high school career is very near to being over, and by the time that I get back to the US, my class will have already graduated (although that thankfully means no summer work for me!). I'm still okay with the fact that I won't be at my graduation because I worked so hard to be able to come to Indonesia, but it is a little sad. I mean, I will never be with my entire high school class again, and I won't be giving a speech. However, I still stand by the fact that I made the right decision to come to Indonesia. I know I've learned so many things that I never would have learned in another year of American high school.
I really could go on and on about the things I've learned and the things I still have to work on, but this isn't the post for that. I only have seven more weeks in this beautiful archipelago. I need to get out there and enjoy it!
Terima kasih dan sampai jumpa,
Victoria
P.S. Also, on a completely different note, my laptop decided to crash on me a few weeks ago, so I've lost almost all of my pictures from the past eight and a half months. I'm pretty disappointed, but there's nothing I can do about it. I just have to find a way to finish up my capstone project without it and take as many pictures as possible in the remainder of my time here!
If I'm completely honest though, I'm more nervous about going back to the US than I was about coming here. When I left, I had no idea what Indonesia was like or what to expect from it. However, it's so different with the United States. I'm excited to go back because it's my home country (and I may be just a little exited for a soft pretzel from Philly...), but it's also a little scary because a year will have passed. I know some things will be the same, but for the time being it feels like everything will be so different. A major part of that is the fact that my high school career is very near to being over, and by the time that I get back to the US, my class will have already graduated (although that thankfully means no summer work for me!). I'm still okay with the fact that I won't be at my graduation because I worked so hard to be able to come to Indonesia, but it is a little sad. I mean, I will never be with my entire high school class again, and I won't be giving a speech. However, I still stand by the fact that I made the right decision to come to Indonesia. I know I've learned so many things that I never would have learned in another year of American high school.
I really could go on and on about the things I've learned and the things I still have to work on, but this isn't the post for that. I only have seven more weeks in this beautiful archipelago. I need to get out there and enjoy it!
Terima kasih dan sampai jumpa,
Victoria
P.S. Also, on a completely different note, my laptop decided to crash on me a few weeks ago, so I've lost almost all of my pictures from the past eight and a half months. I'm pretty disappointed, but there's nothing I can do about it. I just have to find a way to finish up my capstone project without it and take as many pictures as possible in the remainder of my time here!
May 12, 2015
Looking Back
This is something I wrote back in September when I was only a few weeks into my exchange. It's a great reminder of both how far I've come and of the fact that my time in Indonesian won't last forever. For me, a huge part of exchange is pushing myself and realizing that I'll never have the chance to do many of these things again. Just a friendly reminder that it's always great to write things down throughout your time abroad. You just might stumble upon it months or even years later and find it helpful!
Here's what I wrote: It seems so far away until it happens. I am suddenly on the other side of the world one day. I do not know anyone. Everything is unfamiliar, and I do not even know the language. However, somehow that is fine. It does not matter because there is an indescribable peace and comfort in constantly being so far outside of my comfort zone. I cannot imagine being anywhere else. There are so many things to take in, and there is so much to learn. Opportunities like this only come once in a lifetime. The shy girl who left her home some months ago will never be the same again. As time goes on, the days pass like minutes, and all I can do is remind myself to enjoy every second.
Until next time,
Victoria
Here's what I wrote: It seems so far away until it happens. I am suddenly on the other side of the world one day. I do not know anyone. Everything is unfamiliar, and I do not even know the language. However, somehow that is fine. It does not matter because there is an indescribable peace and comfort in constantly being so far outside of my comfort zone. I cannot imagine being anywhere else. There are so many things to take in, and there is so much to learn. Opportunities like this only come once in a lifetime. The shy girl who left her home some months ago will never be the same again. As time goes on, the days pass like minutes, and all I can do is remind myself to enjoy every second.
Until next time,
Victoria
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