Hello Summer 2017!

Hi! I know it's been quite a while since my last post. I am now officially halfway done college, which is so hard to believe. Time really flies! I can hardly believe it's been almost two years since I got back from my year in Indonesia, and it's even harder to believe that I'll be applying for medical school next year!

As you might have guessed, I would love to be traveling or studying abroad this summer. However, that won't be the case this year. I decided to switch things up and do an internship closer to home. I'll be doing an independent study (I haven't done my research proposal yet, so I'm not quite sure exactly what it will be on). I haven't done an independent study yet, so it's actually perfect since it never hurts to get some extra research under my belt before I apply to medical school! I'm excited to try something different than what I've done in the past, and I hope that I like it...I guess we'll just have to wait and see!

The Life of a Pre-Med Student

Hello! I'm sorry that it has been sooo long since I made a blog post. Another semester has begun, and it's already almost time for the first round of exams to start. As with last semester, I'll fill you in the classes I'm currently taking: Organic chemistry II, genetics and evolution, calculus, global health, and taekwondo. In other words, I'm taking 3 pre-med requirements, global health, and a fun class to make sure I don't use being busy as an excuse for not getting in enough exercise. Jokes aside, I am actually enjoying my classes so far and feel as if I have some of the best professors I've ever had (but then again I haven't had any exams yet...).

By the way, I declared my major last semester, and that felt great! I am now officially a neuroscience major with minors in chemistry and global health. For anyone who knows me well, I'm sure none of that is surprising since those are (some of) the things I have been interested in for as long as I can remember.

I guess I better get back to being a student!

Victoria

P.S. My sister and I decided to start making videos for our non-profit that tie more into our experiences. Here's the first one! It's about applying for college. (I know. I know. We're a little late...)

Another School Year Begins (& Pictures from Russia)

Hello! It's been a little while since my last post, so I figured it's time for another update. As promised, this post will include pictures from my time in Russia earlier this summer. I'll post them at the end so that they're easy to look at.

Anyway, here's a little update on my life. I just moved into my dorm last night for my sophomore year of college...I can't believe time has gone by so fast! That means it's been a little over 2 years since I arrived in Indonesia for my exchange year and over a year since I returned home. Hopefully it won't be too much longer before I am able to return to my second home. Until then, I'll be at school studying neuroscience, so I guess I can't complain! In case anyone is interested, my classes this semester include Japanese, statistics, organic chemistry, and cognitive neuroscience.

Additionally, I still plan on posting videos about exchange, pre-med life, etc. on my organization's YouTube channel, so I will most definitely be posting them here when I do. As always, if you have anything you want me to talk about in a video, feel free to let me know!

Believe it or not, this picture was taken at
about 3 am...look how bright it is!

Yummy Georgian food!

Outside the walls of the Kremlin

Ну, погоди!

This cat has its own chair at the Peter and Paul Cathedral!

The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood

This is the oldest church in Russia 

Yes, this is a grocery store

Greetings from St. Petersburg

Здравствуйте! As promised, I am writing from Russia. I have completed 4 out of 6 weeks of classes so far, so that means I'll be going home in just over 2 weeks! Even though I've been learning Russian for less than a month, I've learned A LOT already. The class I'm taking is an accelerated one that combines the first two semesters of college Russian into the 6 weeks that we are here. I remember commenting on the first day as we were doing our homework that I would "worry about the correct way to write all of the letters over the weekend" since we had just learned the alphabet in class that day. (The reason I made that comment is that handwritten Russian is cursive, so some of the letters look completely different from when they're printed). Little did I know that we would be learning verb conjugations the very next day. After some practice with those, learning some vocabulary and a few other things, we moved on to cases and learned them (all of them) in one class. Since then, we've gone over aspects (which required us to learn past, simple future, and complex future verb conjugations) and much more.

On a more interesting note, St. Petersburg is known for having "White Nights" in the summer, which have been interesting to experience. The sun currently sets at about 10:30 PM and rises at about 3:30 AM, although it never really gets completely dark!

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I must have gotten distracted because that's the last I wrote from Russia. I'm back home now and thankfully the jet lag hasn't been bad at all. I think I have my previous trips back from Asia to thank for that! Anyway, I'll be uploading another post later with mostly pictures since this one already has quite a few words. I am also excited to say that I will be posting more videos on my organization's YouTube channel about my experiences studying abroad, finding opportunities to do so, and about life as a college student, how I got there, etc. I will be sure to post them here as well, and I really hope that someone will find them to be helpful!

Thanks again for reading my blog, and I'm sorry that it's been so long since I last posted!

Victoria 

My Next Adventure

Halo! First of all, I want to say congratulations to all of the YES Abroad finalists for 2016-2017! I wish you all the best on your upcoming journeys. Enjoy every moment. It all seems to go by so fast! As always, feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Semangat!

Next, I want to talk about my next journey! I know in one of my last posts I said that I will be going to Bolivia this summer, but my plans have changed for a number of reasons. Instead, I will going to Russia to study the neuroscience of multilingualism and the Russian language. Anyone who knows me well knows that I LOVE neuroscience, learning new languages, and experiencing other cultures, so I am super excited because I really don't think I could find a program to fit my interests any better! I'm so glad that my school offers such cool opportunities! I leave in about two months and will be spending 6 weeks (mostly) in Saint Petersburg. Just like when I went to Indonesia, I don't yet speak the language, but I have some time to study before I go and will be taking language classes while I'm there this time around.

I'm so excited to see what this summer will bring, and I plan on keeping anyone who is interested in my adventures updated through this blog, Facebook, and Instagram.

Sampai ketemu lagi,

Victoria

I Finally Made Another Video!

Hi! I finally made a video about how I was able to spend my senior year in Indonesia, graduate on time, and apply for college while abroad. A lot of people have asked me about these topics, so I decided to make a video! If you have any questions or ideas for future videos, feel free to let me know! 

Victoria 

Hello 2016

I got to wear a kimono and learn some traditional dances!

Halo semuanya. Selamat tahun baru! I apologize for not writing for quite a while. I had a crazy end to 2015 and an even crazier start to 2016.

To quickly sum up 2015, I successfully completed my first semester of college (ah it went by so fast!), traveled to Japan as a part of the Kakehashi Project, and got to spend Christmas with my family! Here are some pictures from Japan:

Selamat datang di Jepang!

Beautiful Kuji 

As for 2016, I'm already really excited for this year. My second semester is going well so far, and I'm really excited about all of the courses I'm taking (I finally get to take my first neuroscience class)! I actually just had two long weekends in a row because of MLK Day and then snow that came on Friday, so I definitely can't complain! I actually started off the year by speaking at some schools in South Carolina for Think Before You Type, and it was really amazing to see how engaged the students were during our presentations. I also recently found out/decided to go to Bolivia for an internship this summer. (It's kinda a long story though, but the short version is that I was in between going back to Indonesia for an internship and doing one in Bolvia. I ended up choosing Bolivia because I felt more connected to the work that I will be doing there, and plus it never hurts to improve another language!)

I can honestly say that I'm enjoying this semester 495089383 times better than the last one though because it's just so much more fun when I already know people and am more settled in. Even though I said the same thing last semester, I feel even more strongly about the fact that this is the perfect place for me to spend the next few years of my life. There are so many amazing people to meet, really interesting things to learn, and so many incredible opportunities. Here's to many more great days ahead!

Victoria

Mau ke Jepang

明日日本二行きます！Besok mau ke Jepang! If you didn't understand any of that, I guess I'll say it one more time...tomorrow I'm going to Japan!

I think I'm just as excited that my first semester of college is officially over though. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but this break is definitely needed! Oh and I also recently found out that I might be going back to Indonesia this summer *fingers crossed*! So yeah I guess you could say that I'm really excited for a lot of things right now. I'm going to keep this post pretty short though because I would rather make a post with pictures from Japan...these picture less posts can get pretty boring if you ask me.

See you soon!

Victoria

P.S. I just did my first real interview for Think Before You Type since I got back from Indonesia, and I really can't believed I went so long without doing that! I love when you can feel how passionate someone is about something. At the beginning of the year, I'll be getting back into one of my favorite things: speaking at schools! That will be for TBYT as well, but I should really go and talk about YES Abroad at some schools too!

Sudah Ingin Pulang

Here's a random picture from back
 when volcano selfies were an option!

Tomorrow is the day. I get to go back home for the first time since I started college. As excited as I am, I can't help wondering when I'll get to go back to my other home, Indonesia. I've been missing it a lot lately, and I can't quite explain why. Maybe it's the fact that I know I'll be going to Japan in a few weeks...just days after my host sister's wedding (that I won't be attending because of school). I know it's not exactly the closest place to Indonesia, but I traveled through Tokyo on the way to and from Jakarta, meaning that it feels close to Indonesia to me. No matter the reason, I can definitely say that I now completely understand what everyone told me before I left: having friends and family living on opposite sides of the world is amazing but can be hard. As much as I love Indonesia, there are certain aspects of the US that I missed while I was there, and now that I'm back in the US, there are so many things that I miss about Indonesia. Nonetheless, it truly is a privilege to have been given the opportunity to spend one of my four years in high school in Indonesia, and I can say with absolute certainty that I would do it again. 

I know this is short, but I really need to get started on my biology exam so that I won't have so much to do over break. I am currently watching Criminal Minds though, so I guess I'll see how much I actually get done tonight...

Until next time,

Victoria 

Welcome Home

I never mentioned this in my previous posts, but since it's happened again, I think it's time to share this story. As you probably know, I returned to the US from Indonesia in early July. I had a couple days of orientation and went to DC to present at the State Department and talk with other members of government about my year. After that, I met up with my parents and my sister. We didn't go straight home because my sister was leaving the next morning from the DC area in order to go on a trip with her school. Because of that, we stayed in a hotel overnight. Well somehow I ended up forgetting my purse in the car (I blame jet lag), and someone broke into the car, took my wallet, and used my debit card, meaning that I lost the remainder of  rupiah and all the American money, cards, and IDs that I had with it.

Nonetheless, I still decided to visit my sister in DC over fall break. It was great to go away for a few days and definitely fun, but I once again got my wallet stolen...this time it had all my college stuff in it. Thankfully, they person who took it only got away with a little bit of cash this time and was only able to use my card at Chipotle (I mean, everyone needs a little Chipotle, right?).

I think it's really ironic that I never had a single thing taken from me until I came back to my home country though...I guess I could be mad about it, but I have replaced just about everything now, so at least it hasn't stopped me from doing what I need to do. I just hope it doesn't happen again!

Anyway, two months from now I'll be in Japan, so look out for those blog posts! I need to go study, so goodbye for now!

Sampai jumpa lagi ya!

Victoria

It's That Time Again!

That one time when I wore flats on the beach...

As crazy as it seems, it's already that time again...the YES Abroad application is out for 2016-2017! If you are at all interested, please take the time to apply. Applying was one of the best decisions I've ever made. My year in Indonesia allowed me to experience so many things and opened my eyes in so many amazing ways. As hard as it can be, exchange really is an amazing opportunity! Even though I'm back in the US, I've been able to make so many connections because of my time in Indonesia and have continued to learn so much much from my experience. With that said, seriously, if you're interested and able, APPLY FOR YES ABROAD! As cheesy as it may sound, it really will change your life. Here's the link for the application: http://www.yes-abroad.org/impact/applications-available-2016-2017-program

Also, on a total side not, but kinda fitting since this blog is called "To Indonesia and Beyond", I found out earlier that I will be going to Japan for a week with the Kakehashi Project! It's a few months away, but it will definitely be great to finally get to go outside the walls Narita International. Since one of the requirements of the program is that we share our experience with others, I will definitely blog about it (and this time around I'll actually have a lot of pictures without my computer crashing...), so keep an eye out for that at either the end of this year or the very beginning of next year.

Semoga kalian senang dan sehat! Sampai ketemu lagi!さようなら

Victoria

Kuliah (One Week Down...Many More to Go)

The first time I went to ITB...was this really a year ago?
Pertama kali aku ke ITB...sudah setahun yg lalu??

Well, it's been quite a week. As hard as it is to believe, this time last week I nervous about starting classes, and now I'm already in the swing of things. I guess it's official...I'm a college student. I'm enjoying it so far, but it's sure to get overwhelming at some point. From all the running (well almost running...) I do through the hospital's campus twice a week in order to get to class on time, to the fact that I went straight from class to the activities fair to a concert yesterday, I think my body is still trying to catch up to the fact that I'm no longer an often bored exchange student.

I honestly can't complain though (although I did just finish reading for a single class for a few hours straight..). Just like this past year in Indonesia, I've been given an amazing opportunity to learn and meet so many different people with different beliefs and experiences. I've probably said it 459483 times so far, but dreams really do come true. If you would have asked me a few years ago, I would have never thought that I would have actually ended up starting a nonprofit, going to Indonesia for a year, or ending up at one of the best universities in the country. I know that I would not have been able to do any of those things on my own and am extremely thankful for every person who has helped me along the way. It's always good to have goals, and trust me, achieving them feels amazing!

Speaking of goals...I should probably get on with my homework.

Thanks for reading. Sampai jumpa!

Victoria

Life Goes On

As far away as it seemed just a few short months ago, my exchange is over, and I've moved on to college. The next batch of YES Abroad Indonesia kids have started their long but exciting journey to one of the most beautiful and amazing places in the world. I wish them all the best and hope that they take this year in stride and accept every incredible opportunity that will be offered to them this year. It won't always be easy, but it will definitely be worth it.

Even though I haven't started classes yet and just moved in yesterday, I can already tell that I'm in the perfect place for me, just like Indonesia was the perfect place for me to spend my senior year. Although it was sometimes hard to see it while it was happening, every experience that I had during my exchange year, good or bad, has changed me for the better. I can now see that I am a much more outgoing and adventurous person than I was just one short year ago. I'm not afraid of getting out there and doing my own thing, and I've now been offered the amazing opportunity to study at one of the best universities in the world. I really couldn't ask for a more beautiful, diverse place to spend the next four years of my life. I know this is only the beginning, but I truly believe that I would have a much harder time thriving here if I had not pushed myself out of my comfort zone to live on the other side of the world for a year.

If anyone is thinking about studying abroad in high school, I just have one thing to say: go for it! Yes, it will be hard at times, but it's a great learning experience that will only continue to help you in life. If you have any questions about studying abroad, please feel free to contact me. I'll happily answer any of your questions to the best of my ability. I should probably get going, but I promise to write again soon.

Sampai jumpa lagi!

Victoria

Hari Terakhir

"Well this is it. Today is my last day in Bandung, and one week from today I will be on my way back to the US. As I write this, I am sitting in the living room with my host mom. I'm waiting for my driver and two other exchange students, and I leave in less than two hours.

I know I haven't posted in over a month, but this past month has been a crazy one. For one, it is currently Ramadan, so I've tried my hand at fasting. It's not nearly as hard as I thought it would be, but sometimes not drinking water all day can be a bit hard in hot Indonesia! I recently went to Tanjung Lesung, a beautiful beach in Banten, which is on the west coast of Java near Krakatau. I've gotten to meet up with old friends and make some new ones, although I didn't have the chance to see everyone again...that just means I really have to come back soon! I visited the stunning islands of Karimun Jawa as a part of this year's AFS national trip to Central Java (I'll definitely have to make..."

That's where I left my last post in Indonesia...I honestly have no idea what I was going to say because I got distracted, and I'm just getting around to posting this now because I finally got a new laptop, although I got quite comfortable with just my phone. I've now been back in the US for three weeks, and in three more weeks I'll be on my way to college (but after a trip to Disney, of course!). That's a story for another time though. I just wanted to finally post the last thing I wrote from Indonesia! This certainly won't be my last post though. I intend on continuing this blog to write about whatever adventures come my way! First stop: Reverse Culture Shock.

Until next time,

Victoria

Change Is a Scary Thing

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.

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!

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

Remember Me?

Hey so this is just a quick post to say that I have actually finally started to do my daily vlog challenge, which somehow kinda extended to a daily photo on Instagram too. Feel free to check out my pictures, and here's my second vlog!

P.S. I will be writing an actual blogpost and will finally make my Q+A video in the near future. In the mean time, feel free to send me any additional questions you may have.

Also, huge congratulations to all the YES Abroad finalists (including my little brother)! You guys have an amazing year to look forward to, and I'm so excited for you all!

The Challenge

Seven months down and only a little over three to go. That's crazy, right?! Even though I've been here for so long, I haven't done anywhere near as many things as I would like or feel like I should do, and that has led to some pretty extreme boredom. Maybe it's because I'm not as outgoing as I could be (anyone who knows me would probably agree) or maybe it's because I just haven't gone about it the right way. Whatever the cause, I do know one thing: I really need to get out there and do something. Whether it's learning something new, teaching someone something, or visiting a new place, I really want the next few months to be the best ones yet, and I am extremely determined to make that happen.

To push myself even further, I'm giving myself a challenge that will extend far beyond the time I have left in this beautiful country. I'm challenging myself to make a vlog every single day for the minimum of one year. Sounds a bit crazy and overly ambitious, right? Well I'm taking it one step further and starting BESOK (aka tomorrow). Why? Because sometimes the best thing to do is to keep pushing yourself, even when you think you can't push yourself any more. Plus, I will be pretty cool to look back on all these videos as time goes on!

You'll be hearing from me tomorrow!

Tori

Edit: actually I've decided that it's definitely more feasible to upload the video the day after it's filmed, so I'll be posting the first one on Wednesday!

What Happened to Tori? (200 Days in Indonesia?!)

It's been over a month since I've posted anything on this blog, and I apologize! I've written a few blog posts and made a few videos but just haven't posted any yet.

As you can see by the title of this post, I have been in Indonesia for 200 days (I don't actually remember the exact number..), which is bitter sweet because that means I only have about 100 days left. For the past four (maybe five??) days or so I've pretty much just been lying in bed, so I don't really have any interesting stories, although I do have an annoying hacking cough and fever that just won't seem to go away! I've taken over the counter medicine gone to the doctor and gotten prescription medicine, and even tried herbal remedies, but nothing seems to be helping! I probably couldn't even count the number of times I've been asked "Tori, sudah minum obat?" within the past two days or so. However, I'm not complaining because it could definitely be worse! It probably seems fishy that I got sick the week of most of my midterms, but trust me, I would much rather be taking tests than spending all day burning up and coughing!

I'm actually writing this on my phone, so I don't think I'll be adding a song to this post because the formatting will be off.

Anyway, congrats to all the YES Abroad semifinalists! Have fun at IPSE, and feel free to ask me any questions you may have because I just might be cooped up in my room for another few days (but hopefully not!)

Also, congrats to my little brother for winning a scholarship to study abroad. Way to take after your favorite older sister 😎

Hopefully my next post will be very soon and much more interesting!

Until then,

Tori