Traveler, writer, and adventurer. Who knows where I'll end up next?
“You have to go to the police station now.” Pak Elvan informed me between classes this morning. “Now?” I hadn’t the faintest idea why this trip was required, but as a general rule it is better to go along with instructions from my school first and ask questions later. As last-minute as things seem sometimes, … More Immigration Part 1
It is 11:16 p.m. on a Friday night. This evening I went with Caitlin and some of the teachers at her school to have dinner and see some cultural happenings in alun-alun, the main park in the city. We got back not too long ago and I was looking forward to a nice shower and … More Ghosts Are Real (Maybe)
Dear Readers, For the last two weeks I have been in Bandung, a hip city about two hours away from Jakarta on the island of Java. I wanted to write sooner, but we were unbelievably busy in umpteen different sessions. Alas, I am back in Home Sweet Home, Pangkal Pinang. The dancers on the right … More Welcome (Back) to Pangkal Pinang
Dear Readers, First of all, the culmination of much work and anticipation has finally occurred: I made it to Pangkal Pinang! The flight from Jakarta was a brief 50 minutes (child’s play after the previous aerial journey) and I as well as my sitemate Caitlin was received warmly by teachers and students from my school, … More Welcome to Pangkal Pinang
My Dear Readers, Life may usually be about the journey, not the destination, but sometimes… Yeah. It is definitely about the destination. After quite the long journey, I am elated to report that I have safely made it to my new host country: Indonesia! The photo to the left is an aerial view from the … More 2 days, 4 planes, and 5 cities later…
…life will reward you with a new hello.” ~ Paolo Coelho I first saw this quote handwritten on a place mat in Siem Reap, Cambodia. This place mat, colorful and inviting, lured me to a table in the second-floor reading nook of Sister Srey Cafe. Outside an adjacent window, the mid-morning sun was reaching its bright golden fingers through … More “If you are brave enough to say good-bye…
As the days between now and departure whittle down into hours, the time has come to do more than idly speculate about what to bring on this next journey. The ETA Guidebook that has been graciously handed down from previous ETAs in Indonesia advises that this experience is about PEOPLE, not STUFF. On a related … More How to Pack for (almost) a Year Abroad
Hello Lovely Readers, Apologies for the long absence. As mentioned in the previous post, the countdown continues and can be completed with only two hands…! I have quite a few updates, especially pre-departure tips and ideas that may be useful to anyone who is about to have a similar experience. But for the moment, I just wanted … More GRE Tomorrow
My dear readers, Summer marches on, and each sunset brings me one day closer to Indonesia. There is a lot to do in the meanwhile: – Bahasa Indonesia language study – Visa application – GRE – Purge stuff – Family bonding – Applications … You get the picture. I don’t have a coherent idea for … More Countdown Continues
Last Tuesday July 7, I drove from Salida, Colorado to the ranchland around Folsom, New Mexico to visit a dear friend. It was a quick visit, lasting almost exactly 24 hours. I was there to visit my friend John, who has a ranch there. He took me to see the grounds, let me break a … More Cheers to Life and Those We Love
Where in the world is Kelly? 