University of Arkansas Office of Study Abroad: Terima Kasih Indonesia #HogsAbroad #Fulbright in Indonesia

On September 30th I finished up my Fulbright grant and our cohort passed the ETA torch to our eager successors. It was a great opportunity to celebrate with our group and cheer on the new ETAs into the beginning of their year. Soon after I headed to Indonesia for a whirlwind three weeks. I started in Bali and then slowly made my way around Bali, through Java and ended in Jakarta.Indonesia proved to be the perfect mix of fresh air, crystal clear water, volcanoes and water sports. It was the perfect way to celebrate the year and try new things. Molly proved to have found her calling as a travel agent as she planned an incredible tour. We ate, snorkeled, swam, biked and hiked through Amed, Candidasa and Ubud. After a year apart I was thankful this Kansas girl fit me in on her world tour.

After Molly left I stayed in Ubud and met a wonderful group of solo female travelers the second I walked into my homestay. I also signed up for a class pass at a yoga studio and really enjoyed trying new types of yoga including: yin yoga (dance class warm up on repeat), acro yoga (wonderfully goofy) and restorative yoga (basically a guided nap).

Then I met up with fellow Fulbrighter, Jacob, and we hiked Mt. Batur for a killer sunrise then made our way to the island of Gili Air where all my water sport dreams came true. We paddle boarded and went scuba diving! The visibility in the water was unreal. We saw HUGE turtles, a baby shark, Dory + all of her cousins, and many many more colorful fish. After just receiving my PADI certification in August it was fun to feel more comfortable in the water and gain confidence with each dive. I can’t wait to continue exploring this new hobby.

After Gili we had a series of unfortunate events including: a lost debit card, bed bugs, long hot buses, etc. But in true traveler fashion we rallied and woke up the next day (technically night) at midnight to hike Mt. Ijen. Gas masks at the ready we made our way up the mountain, into the crater, witnessing the Blue Fire and then hiked down to the lake to see the crater come to life as the sun rose. The landscape slightly resembled what I would picture the moon to look like.

Then we took a 12 hour train (perfect for reading Harry Potter and playing cards) to Yogakarta. While exploring Borobudur we were bombarded with people asking to take pictures with us. As one group would leave another one would sneak in asking for their own photoshoot including a group shot and then an individual series. A group of students on a field trip also asked to interview us for their English assignment. One boy even asked us to visit his school the next day but unfortunately we had to make our way to Jakarta. Children in Indonesia are extremely brave to speak to foreigners. As we hiked through the temple and up to a treehouse on a mountain, little nuggets would pop out of nowhere jumping up and down screaming “HELLLLLO!!!!!” I loved their energy and spirit!

Lke any Asian adventure our time in Indonesia wouldn’t be complete wouldn’t an overnight bus, as the train was fully booked. Once in Jakarta I stopped by the VML office and got a glimpse into the advertising world in Asia. It was interesting to see how they develop campaigns in a country made up of thousands of islands and vast cultural differences.

I’m thankful for the opportunity to have spent three weeks in the country but man it was not enough. Asian travel is addicting!