Where in the world is Kelly?

“Love is in the air” is how I began my last post and it is still a fitting introduction for this next (very brief) post. In short: I am happy here. Very happy. Outrageously happy, even. There are certainly ups and downs, but as I am getting more comfortable here there seem to be many more ups than downs.

The language was the biggest barrier in the first few weeks/months. I am nowhere near fluent now, but at least I am able to express myself and can understand most of the mundane conversations that are happening around me. I am on great terms with my school, my neighbors, Caitlin’s school, and various groups outside those realms. I interact with people from every demographic and am a regular at a few key establishments.

I feel very much at home here and am dreading the flight back to America. It is going to hurt to sever the ties I am working so hard to form now, but I know that I will be back. It is the people that always bring me back to places.

In the meantime, my love for Indonesia continues to grow day by day. I don’t claim to understand Indonesia; there are a lot of things here that are confusing, frustrating, and painfully inefficient. But there are also things here that are wonderful, refreshing, and delightfully surprising. It is a mix, a balance, my new life here. But the scales are definitely tipping in the favor of happiness.