We were fortunate enough to meet Augustina, a teacher from Indonesia, who shared a great deal about Indonesia and then answered our endless questions. Augustina was lovely in every way and immediately made me feel excited about the people I would be meeting. Her warmth and charm made me smile throughout her presentation.
As we moved on to the questions, I continued to smile but some uncertainty started to enter my mind. Thoughts of limited/spotty connection via email/Skype/phone calls home, discreet meals during Ramadan, and even "interesting" bathroom experiences temporarily haunted me. My eyes slowly got bigger and bigger throughout the conversation like it was the first time I truly realized that I would be on the other side of the world.
By the time we left, I was a little more knowledgeable about Indonesia. I knew we would spend three days in Jakarta at the beginning of our trip and at the end of our trip. We would also be partnered and traveling to a more rural area to spend a week in a local school. Beyond this, not much specific information about our trip. We are low priority since our group is the last to depart (some groups leave in two weeks!).
A little overwhelmed, I left the workshop taking deep breaths and finding comfort with some of my new colleagues/friends. It was time to hit the town!
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