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
May 12, 2015
April 15, 2015
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!
March 23, 2015
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!
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!
March 11, 2015
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
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
February 9, 2015
Ada Pertanyaan?
So it's been a while since I last wrote. However, now I want to try this blog thing again. Starting now, I want to try to write all my blog posts using both English and Indonesian. It might be a little hard at first, but hopefully it will become easier (and more correct...).
Actually this post is super short because it's really just about a question: Is there anyone who has questions about Indonesia or exchange (or maybe about something else that's relevant)? I think I'm going to make a video (at least one) in order to let people know about exchange, Indonesia, and the US. If you have a question, feel free to send me a message or comment below!
Bahasa Indonesia: (Masih belajar jadi tentu ada kesalahan!)
Ahh sudah lama sejak menulis di blog. Namun sekarang mau coba lagi! Mulai sekarang mau coba nulis semua blog posts pake Bahasa Inggris dan Bahasa Indonesia juga. Awalnya mungkin sedikit susah tapi semoga menjadi lebih mudah (dan lebih benar...).
Sebenarnya post ini pendek karena hanya tentang pertanyaan: Apakah ada orang yang punya pertanyaan tentang Amerika atau menjadi pertukaran pelajar (atau mungkin tentang hal lain)? Kalau ada, kirim pesan atau komentar di bawah. Mau buat video agar kasih tau orang tentang exchange, Indonesia, dan AS. Terima kasih!
Mungkin ada banyak kesalahan...maaf ya!
Indonesian Word of the Day: Cari - To look/search for (I honestly chose this because akhirnya I'm almost done reading Looking for Alaska in Indonesian...looks like I need to buy another book to read!)
Song of the Day:
Actually this post is super short because it's really just about a question: Is there anyone who has questions about Indonesia or exchange (or maybe about something else that's relevant)? I think I'm going to make a video (at least one) in order to let people know about exchange, Indonesia, and the US. If you have a question, feel free to send me a message or comment below!
Bahasa Indonesia: (Masih belajar jadi tentu ada kesalahan!)
Ahh sudah lama sejak menulis di blog. Namun sekarang mau coba lagi! Mulai sekarang mau coba nulis semua blog posts pake Bahasa Inggris dan Bahasa Indonesia juga. Awalnya mungkin sedikit susah tapi semoga menjadi lebih mudah (dan lebih benar...).
Sebenarnya post ini pendek karena hanya tentang pertanyaan: Apakah ada orang yang punya pertanyaan tentang Amerika atau menjadi pertukaran pelajar (atau mungkin tentang hal lain)? Kalau ada, kirim pesan atau komentar di bawah. Mau buat video agar kasih tau orang tentang exchange, Indonesia, dan AS. Terima kasih!
Mungkin ada banyak kesalahan...maaf ya!
Indonesian Word of the Day: Cari - To look/search for (I honestly chose this because akhirnya I'm almost done reading Looking for Alaska in Indonesian...looks like I need to buy another book to read!)
Song of the Day:
Bastille - Pompeii
I actually chose this song to tell a story. Even though I have been here for almost six months (crazy right?!), my younger host brother and I still don't really talk, which can be just as awkward as it sounds since we're driven to school together every morning. Well this morning I walked out to the car and heard Pompeii playing. Instead of tiredly jamming out to the song, I decided to ask my brother whether or not Bastille has ever played a concert in Indonesia. (Just in case you're wondering, as with many other artists, the answer is sadly no.) That one question led to talking about other concerts, our love for Ed Sheeran, and even college. Not too shabby for before 6 AM, right? Now let's see how I do tomorrow...
Thanks for reading!
January 23, 2015
A Different Type of Blog
Hellooo. Apa kabar? I'm sorry I have been gone for a few weeks. However, I have decided to start my vlogs back up. Here's the first one:
I'm sorry the quality is so poor. I was trying to figure out my webcam and forgot to change the quality. This is really just a trial run though, so it's okay! My next one will be on a specific topic, so I (hopefully) won't be rambling as much. I'll probably eventually do at least one video in Indonesian, but we'll see...
Indonesian word of the day: Matahari - Sun (literally eye of the day)
Song of the Day:
Jessie Ware - Tough Love
Lagu ini bagus banget!
January 2, 2015
Christmas in Bali
One of the first things that my host family told me when I arrived back in August was that they had planned a trip to Bali over Christmas. They then proceeded to ask if it was okay for me not to be in my new home for Christmas. Of course I said yes! I mean, come on...Bali for Christmas?! Flash forward 4 months and I just got back from the trip.
I was awakened way too early for my liking on the morning on Christmas Eve (think 3:45 am) and told to get ready. Before I knew it, we were in the car on the way to the airport. After checking our luggage and saying goodbye to the relatives returning to Padang, we boarded the plane to Denpasar. As soon as I sat down, I realized that I was hearing familiar music. It turned out to be Christmas music! Because the flight was so short, I spent most of the time looking out the window at some of the amazing mountains that we flew over. Before long we were over the water and landing in Bali. Even though we were in the domestic terminal, I was almost shocked at the number of foreigners that I saw. Of course, that was only the beginning though. As with cities on Java, Bali's cities also have lots of traffic, so the drive to our villa took a little while. When we finally arrived, my host sister asked if I wanted to go swimming, and it was then that I realized that I had forgotten a swimsuit...it was okay though because we found a solution. After swimming in a pool for a while, we decided to head to the beach to watch the sunset. It was really beautiful! Unfortunately I had the wrong phone with me though, so my pictures aren't the greatest.
The next day was Christmas, which turned out to be a very, very rainy day. I can't really complain though because it is the rainy season after all. That was also the day that the rest of the relatives arrived in Bali. There were about 35 people in all, so I had to try to remember a lot of new names! By the time breakfast was over, it felt like half the world had wished me a merry Christmas, which I really appreciated since I was the only person there who celebrated the holiday. After going out to the store to buy some snacks and stuff, we returned to the villa and had a family event. As is typical of Indonesia, there were plenty of games and some singing. At one point, each group of immediate family members was supposed to go to the front and sing a song together. When my host family was called I wasn't paying attention and didn't hear it, so when they finished, my host mom came over to me and said something along the lines of "Tori, did you forget? We are one family." I honestly thought that was like the sweetest thing ever because she even said it in English, which is not a language that she speaks very well.
The next morning we were awakened somewhat early and told to get ready. After eating breakfast, we were loaded onto a bus. Both me and pretty much all of my host cousins fell asleep, and all the adults took pictures of us because that meant that the entire back of the bus was sleeping. When I woke up, we were somewhere in the mountains and went to go eat lunch. Apparently we were supposed to go somewhere else too, but we just ended up going to Tanah Lot, which was very pretty. In the end we all ended up getting pretty much soaked because it decided to pour while we were there. While I was with my host siblings and cousins, we took lots of selfies that ended up in lots of screaming and laughing due to the fact that the waves kept coming over our previous path and the rocks we were standing on were so slippery. It was fun and definitely memorable!
On Saturday my older host brother and his wife headed up a trip for the young people to do some water sports on the beach. It was lots of fun, and I definitely plan on going again if I end up returning to Bali before I leave. Unfortunately we couldn't really use our cameras, so I don't have any pictures from that right now. When we finished with that, we met up with the parents at a seafood restaurant on the beach.
The next two days were spent shopping and relaxing. I had just enough space to bring back all of the gifts I bought! In all, I think it's safe to say that I enjoyed my time in Bali and would love to go back, especially when it's no longer the rainy season.
 |
| Pretty sunset on the beach |
The next day was Christmas, which turned out to be a very, very rainy day. I can't really complain though because it is the rainy season after all. That was also the day that the rest of the relatives arrived in Bali. There were about 35 people in all, so I had to try to remember a lot of new names! By the time breakfast was over, it felt like half the world had wished me a merry Christmas, which I really appreciated since I was the only person there who celebrated the holiday. After going out to the store to buy some snacks and stuff, we returned to the villa and had a family event. As is typical of Indonesia, there were plenty of games and some singing. At one point, each group of immediate family members was supposed to go to the front and sing a song together. When my host family was called I wasn't paying attention and didn't hear it, so when they finished, my host mom came over to me and said something along the lines of "Tori, did you forget? We are one family." I honestly thought that was like the sweetest thing ever because she even said it in English, which is not a language that she speaks very well.
 |
| It's definitely still the rainy season... |
The next morning we were awakened somewhat early and told to get ready. After eating breakfast, we were loaded onto a bus. Both me and pretty much all of my host cousins fell asleep, and all the adults took pictures of us because that meant that the entire back of the bus was sleeping. When I woke up, we were somewhere in the mountains and went to go eat lunch. Apparently we were supposed to go somewhere else too, but we just ended up going to Tanah Lot, which was very pretty. In the end we all ended up getting pretty much soaked because it decided to pour while we were there. While I was with my host siblings and cousins, we took lots of selfies that ended up in lots of screaming and laughing due to the fact that the waves kept coming over our previous path and the rocks we were standing on were so slippery. It was fun and definitely memorable!
 |
| Tanah Lot |
On Saturday my older host brother and his wife headed up a trip for the young people to do some water sports on the beach. It was lots of fun, and I definitely plan on going again if I end up returning to Bali before I leave. Unfortunately we couldn't really use our cameras, so I don't have any pictures from that right now. When we finished with that, we met up with the parents at a seafood restaurant on the beach.
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| Yummy seafood on the beach |
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| We accidentally ordered tons of food because we didn't realize that we brought our own...so ayam bakar it is! |
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| Traditional Balinese design |
Indonesian Word of the Day: Pantai - Beach
A great song by a great artist
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