Selamat Tinggal, Indonesia

My month in Indonesia has definitely been one of the most incredible months of my life. The lows of the trip: 1) the bus ride from Java to Bali; 2) getting bitten by a cockroach. The highs of the trip: everything else. And I got some good stories out of my two lows, so I can't really be too upset about them. To highlight some of the highs of the trip: 1) learning to surf; 2) riding a motorbike; 3) making wind chimes out of bamboo and a coconut shell; 4) Bali Buddha; 5) waking up every morning to an incredible view in the most beautiful place in the world.

This trip has allowed me not only to participate in Balinese and Javanese cultures, but it has also allowed me to compare them with my own. Talking with my home stay families, seeing colorful offerings everywhere I turn, and adjusting to "Indonesian" time made me see differences between the way I live in the United States and the culture in which I have been living for the past month. And while doing things like making offerings and planting rice and other plants, I have been able to participate in this culture and now appreciate it infinitely more than if I had never come to Indonesia.

My favorite part of Indonesia is the color. In Java, all of the Batik paintings and clothes drew my attention; here in Bali, I can look almost anywhere and see white clouds, the blue sky, the green rice plants (my favorite), and red roofs. The ever-present offerings all contain a variety of blue, red, pink, yellow, and purple flowers. In short, I would love to wander around Indonesia for the rest of the summer... but I leave in two days. So I will cherish my photos, Gamelan music, and memories until the next time I can come to Indonesia.

Sarah