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
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!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)