Final Meet and Eat

Our final full day in Indonesia... I could feel the excitement building. I surveyed all my bags and met Jen and some of the others for a late breakfast. (Last time to see fried fish, rice, and noodles in the breakfast spread.) I savored my last bites of fresh papaya and prepared for a long day of debrief meeting.

There was much to discuss: what we observed, what we learned, what we still questioned. I was surprised at the variety of our experiences and felt fortunate that Jen and I had advocated for ourselves to allow time for teaching and observation at five different schools, each offering something unique. It seems we had the most to compare, although I wish we had an opportunity to see a vocational school which sounded pretty amazing.

Another large component of our meeting was reviewing and preparing for the remaining pieces of our capstone project which is due in September. I found that I completely refocused my project after my experiences and observations. I'm excited about the potential but know I have quite a bit to complete before the due date. I came to the point that I could no longer work; my brain finally said, "Enough". We ended by writing letters to ourselves. I found myself getting emotional recounting my lessons and epiphanies. It was a powerful way to end a powerful journey.

Although drained, many of us wanted to do as much as possible before leaving. A group of us headed out to shop. After a disappointing adventure back to the mini-Indonesia store (because it was closed), we ventured to a mall (after nearly dying crossing streets). With purchases in hand, we returned to the hotel in search of a fun, unique, and nearby restaurant to celebrate our final Indonesian meal together.

We hit the jackpot finding Lara Djong Grang, a spectacular Indonesian restaurant. From the moment we arrived, we appreciated the decor. Gorgeous lanterns and Balinese statues welcomed us. The menu seemed to have endless choices and when our food arrived, it appeared none of us made a poor choice. Perfect food, drink, and company. Laughing and smiling... it was a perfect way to end our time.






 

Back in my hotel room, I hung my clothes for tomorrow. I repacked my bags for the last time and smiled. With excitement building, I knew sleeping would be difficult, but somehow I drifted away thinking of my husband and boys' faces.