Life Cycle

Hello all, it's your unfaithful blogger back with a randomly-timed post.

Speaking of time, it's insane how much can happen in just a short amount of time.

Since I've been gone, I've climbed to the top of the largest and oldest Buddhist temple in the world (and almost passed out--don't forget to eat breakfast!): Borobudur.

I've done a filmed presentation on my life in Indonesia in front of four schools (including my own) and managed not to freak out completely.

I've sat in a muddy boat and released fish in a river, then planted a tree to help preserve a forest in this concrete jungle known as Jakarta.

I finally got to see and touch my favorite animal: A komodo dragon. And I got to keep a tooth.

I've competed and managed to win third place in a competition with my host mother, brother, and our neighbor--we won 2,000,000 rupiah (roughly $200)!!!

These are just small tokens of the many exciting adventures I've had over the past few months. But those events are nothing to the amount of change that has overcome me in these 9 months in Indonesia.

I feel very strange at the moment. As if I am no longer the same Baillie I was when I left Virginia on a noon flight. I feel as if I've completely started over, a whole new life that started the moment I moved in with my host family. I've been through the trials and tribulations of getting used to new surroundings (the infant stage). I wandered the streets of my new city with wide, interested eyes, clinging to my family as they helped me begin my new life in such a critical point of exchange.

I had to overcome extreme barriers such as language and culture next (the toddler stage). I took my time getting used to the taste of strange words on my foreign tongue, and even longer time to adapt to some of the strangest customs. Waving your hand down, while in the US would mean sit down now meant come here. Saying "unh-unh" in the US constituted a 'no', but while in Indonesia, that is an utterance of agreement. 'Shaking hands' with adults is actually pressing their hand to your forehead, in a sign of respect. But eventually, I did get the hang of all of this.


Once I became more comfortable, I was on top of the world. There was neither bad nor good, just a happy medium that I was more than content with (the child stage). I felt light and airy as I grew comfortable with my surroundings: traveling alone by train, eating exotic foods I would've never picked up back in my home country (squid and goat are my two examples), and speaking the language in the utmost confidence. I knew very little about what was going on around me, only that I was enjoying my time and living life to the fullest, and that's all that really mattered to me at the time.


Then, things got dark again. I couldn't find my reason for being here, I felt like I hadn't accomplished much and just was confused in general (the teenager stage). I stumbled over words I had known for months out of nervousness. I grew anxious with everything, whether it be school, public transport, or the lack of knowledge I felt I had yet to culminate. I grew weary as I woke up everyday, looking at the calendar and wondering how I still had so many months left. Hadn't I done everything I could possibly do?

And finally, as the life cycle goes, I have reached the peak of adulthood. I now have seen myself mature from a young girl into a woman who is proud of herself. I've grown to love myself more than I ever have in the US, I've grown to learn that it is okay to love yourself. And more importantly, that it's okay to love others. I've realized the burdens of the world now; the tragedies that befall my beautiful second home, the joy and sorrow of loving people you may not see again for years to come, and that to enjoy life, you must let go of the reins and ride freely: but to release those reins, you must first take them back from others who may be holding them. I've begun to see the results of my weekly English lessons with children of the nearby kampung. I've begun to see how my relationships with classmates at school has helped them see the United States in a new and realistic light. I see now how important it is for students from all over the world to go away and teach others about their land while picking up a few tidbits themselves. I even have begun to see my skin in a new way, embracing not only my color but the things that differentiate me from a set of standards that people may have set for me. Yes, I believe I've grown a lot and only have more growing to do as my exchange continues.

But that life cycle isn't what's making me feel so weird. It's the fact that as my exchange comes to a close, I'm afraid of death. Or the 'afterlife', so to speak. I've created my own little world here, and I am now a new and improved version of myself. But what's going to happen when I return? Do I go back to the mundane high school activities that compare in no way to the incredible experiences I've had here? Or do I have to start my life cycle all over again, readjusting to the old patterns, getting adapted all over again?


And as I write this out, I'm beginning to realize that perhaps I shouldn't be worrying about this now. I should take the advice of myself and many others, and just enjoy the rest of what exchange has to offer. Still, it's hard to imagine the end of this life I have created. My school year ends this Friday, my exchange year ends in a little under seven weeks. This life as I know it will cease to exist, and I have to face my old self head on and hand it a slice of my new self, and only hope the two will coexist peacefully. But who am I to say what will happen? I could turn my back on this exchange life and just remember it as a year of incredible experiences. Or maybe I'll take this as a time of renewal and personal rebirth, and change myself completely. Or perhaps, I'll be lucky and my new and old self will merge seamlessly with no enormous conflict, and I'll be just Baillie again. But I reiterate, who am I to say?

 After all, none of us truly knows what goes on in the afterlife.


Sampai jumpa lagi,

-Baillie

School and Life (+Photos of where I've been!)

God, is it that time already? Applications are due for those new applicants, and I am so excited for them. Their experience is just beginning.

Now for those wondering what I've been up to, I apologize again for my lack of post and videos. My internet isn't the fastest and it takes a lot of time to write these posts, upload pictures, and make it presentable to post on the internet. But that's not really an excuse.

School has been tough for me, and I come home lazy and wanting to do nothing but eat, sleep, and curl up with my Korean dramas.

I made a decision to switch classes, which was supposed to be an exciting, freeing experience. Before I was in a class with my host sister and her friends, but I left to experience the Social track rather than the Science track. My first day in there was awful. It triggered some of my 'beginning of exchange' feelings and I went back into a dark place I had settled in at the beginning of my exchange. But my host family, who I have grown to love and truly appreciate, helped me through that rough patch in a single night. And things are looking up already.

That being said, Indonesian school is something to really talk about. It's mainly self-education, a lot of reading and presenting rather than lectures and memorization. The presenting is all done by the students, and the teachers tend to just assign topics. It's an...interesting concept, but I'm not a huge fan of it as of yet.

And about the teachers...substitution hasn't really made it's way to Indonesia, so if a teacher doesn't show up for one reason or another, the class tends to turn into a field-day. It's really interesting to watch teenagers run around playing tag, soccer, and some funky version of leap frog in the middle of the classroom.

But the school life can be really entertaining when you have teman-teman, or friends. We have several scheduled breaks throughout the day where you can go down to the kantin and buy food and drinks and chill with classmates on the many benches and walkways throughout the school. And then there are those times when you didn't get enough sleep last night, so feel free to take a nap during that time, no one will judge! But don't expect anyone to get quiet for you, ha-ha.

Life has gotten so much better for me, especially since I was on holiday for most of November. First I got to go on a class-trip with my previous class. We went to Bandung and went to a huge lake and also got to stand inside of a sulfur-filled crater! While I may not have hung out with my classmates as much as I had liked,we still got to bond and take tons of AWESOME photos:

Here's a group shot of all the students who came along. Can you spot me?

The girls said to pose 'hipster' and this is what came from that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here I am, crossing a sulfur-filled crater over very unstable rocks. My shoes were soaked.

Tons more photos on my facebook page for those who have access...it takes about 5-10 minutes to upload one photo and I've already been on the computer for two hours today so I'm sorry.

 Christmas came two days after. But the very next day was Christmas Eve and I was so sad. I knew it was going to be an awful day so I curled up in bed and ate chocolate and fried chicken and watched old movies like Clueless and a Christmas Story. Around 6 or 7 I decided to come out of my slump and went downstairs to see my sister and her boyfriend looking over sheet music for a violin and guitar. I remembered them saying they didn't really have too much knowledge on notes and I decided to show them what I knew from choir. That was so much fun.

I was surprised how much of an impact I had on them, and it helped us come up with new ideas for the school chorus and everything. And around 9 or 10 PM my family surprised me with gifts, something I had not been expecting. A little stuffed-Santa Claus from my bapak, a very cute messenger bag from my ibu, and a chain for my broken necklace from my sister. It was great. I was so thankful and it was all so unexpected, and my homesickness washed away in an instant.

The next day, Christmas, we went to a large mall down by bapak's office, and I went to a bookstore with Jasmine, where we got some sheet music to practice with, which excited me a ton (plus I got to stop at my favorite Taiwanese snack stand and enjoy the amazing fried chicken)! But I was starting to feel ill and sure enough the next day I woke up with a fever, curled up in bed at 5 AM, not able to talk because my throat was hurting so much. But I felt well enough a day or so later, where I joined AFS Jakarta for their Christmas party. I had to do a power point on Christmas in America. That was interesting.

A couple days later, ibu casually told me that we were going to take a trip in the morning. I didn't realize that we were waking up at 6 AM to drive down to some gorgeous place about 2 hours away, but I had no regrets. Just look at this view.
 

Me, Jasmine, and Alfian!

Totally "candid" shot of Alfian, Bagas, me, and Jasmine!

We got more adventurous and went out on the water. Cheer pose!

After that, my days grew better and better. New Years Eve was tons of fun for me. While laughing and playing with my family in the kitchen, grilling fish and chicken, our neighbors were putting on firework shows. Here, people tend to just shoot the fireworks off in their yards. Needless to say, fireworks were coming from everywhere. By the time we got up on the balcony at midnight, the sky was lit up with huge fireworks coming from every which way, and it was one of the most beautiful things I had seen. Prettier to me than many of the views I experienced during my travels in Indonesia.

There's just something about bright sparks against a dark sky, lighting up palm trees and beautiful homes that makes you go wow. Jakarta can really be a beautiful place at night. Especially on New Years Eve.

And now here I am, sitting at this computer, about to complete my daily routine of eating, sleeping, and Korean Drama watching, before getting up at 5 AM for school tomorrow. But everyday brings new surprises. Like yesterday, I received an AMAZING package from my father, and today an equally awesome package from my mother. We got let out of school early today for some reason I'm still not sure of.

Everyday brings new adventures for me, and I've gotten to that point where I realize them, and sit back and enjoy every minute. I'll update you all soon when I get the chance.

Sampai jumpa lagi,

-Baillie

Brief Explanation and What I've Been Up To! (Pictures included)

I know what you're all thinking. Where are these fantastic posts that I should've been posting throughout my time here? I'm getting ready to complete my third month and I haven't posted ONCE since being in Indonesia.

It's true, I don't have Wi-Fi that I can use whenever I please, but that's no excuse.

True, there was a period of three weeks where I was sick and didn't even want to get out of bed, but still, no excuse.

And also, there was a point in time where I wasn't sure if I wanted to be here anymore. And when I tried to start a blog post, I felt like I was either posting just the good parts or too much of the bad parts, and not enough in between.

So that's my explanation, and it's not a very good one, but I'll give you guys highlights of what I've been up to since arriving in Indonesia (in chronological order!)

August:

-Myself and the six YES Abroad students boarded our flight to Indonesia out of JFK in New York City.

-We arrived in Tokyo after an extremely grueling flight, ready to board another plane for 6-7 more hours, where we'd land in Jakarta!

-When we landed it was a little after midnight and my first view of Jakarta was rather dark and quiet. The Americans were the last ones to arrive, and when we finally got to the orientation site all of the other exchange students from the different countries had already arrived. There were 31 of us, and we weren't able to meet any of them until the morning!

My first Indonesian meal! Eggs, rice, and noodles!

Our beautiful orientation site!

My awesome Amazing Race team! The man in the middle was a stranger who we had to ask questions to in our limited Indonesian!

-After a few days of orientation (which included learning a traditional Indonesian dance, playing Amazing Race across an Indonesian theme park, going to the US Embassy, and meeting cool people from all over the world!) we had a welcome party, where some of us got to meet our host families! I met mine!

-The day after my host mother picked me up, she took me with her to 'work', to a mountain range where they have a little dairy farm. I got up close and personal with a cow.  

 

I never caught his/her name but I mean...this picture's priceless.

September:

-I started school. I don't have any pictures from starting school because...well, I was in school, but I do have some pictures of my uniform, which is coming later. But I do have a picture of the school!

It was a Saturday, so no one was wearing uniforms.

-I got homesick. Very, very homesick. But I was holding on!

-I saw Barack Obama's elementary school!

See! He's even got a plaque!

Here's a statue of Obama as a boy!

-I went to Monas, the national monument (the top is all made of gold), and the largest mosque in South East Asia!

Here I am in front of Monas with my host sister and host mom (ibu)!

This was a pic of me in front of the church across the street from the mosque!

The mosque's entrance!

-I hung out with the other Jakarta exchange students! Always a fun time when we're together.

Anna and I visited a few museums, and this was my favorite picture of the day!

We went to Grand Indonesia! From left to right: Ezrah, me!, Anna, Gita (Helene's contact person), Yusuke, and Helene (actually from Bekasi, which is so close to me that she came anyways!)

The Jakarta Kids at our post arrival orientation! Aren't we cute? Left to right: Ezrah (Belgium), me!, Anna(Spain), and Yusuke(Japan)!

-I somehow ended up on an Indonesian TV show? Three times, actually, but this was the first time (I'm wearing my Thursday uniform, which is batik and our white skirts).

These are some of my schoolmates and I after we had just won the big academic competition!

October:

-I 'celebrated' Eid Al-Adha with my family. And by celebrated, I mean I just took a whole bunch of pictures. Warning, these pictures are mildly graphic, so skip on ahead to November if you don't want to see!
  Now some people may take this wrong, but it isn't just some random holiday in which they slaughter animals for no reason. No, in fact it is to represent the story of sacrifice in which Abraham trusted god and was going to sacrifice his son for him. They sacrifice these animals in a quick and easy fashion (after praying), then immediately chop up the meat to give bags of to the poor. It's actually a wonderful tradition--just not for those with a light stomach.

Lots of animal skins left over once they took out the meat.

This was before I left, and when I returned there were about 10 or so more cow heads.

They were cutting up the bones, I believe.

 -For the rest of this month I was sick in bed. About three weeks of doing nothing. It wasn't a really fun time and I didn't take any pictures since they would've only been of me doing nothing. Hahaha.

November:

-I turned 17 and received my Indonesian name: Novitasari!

-I spent time with the Jakarta kids and Helene and Victoria at Plaza Indonesia, where we enjoyed a little dinner.

-I got to see Disney LIVE! in Jakarta--a play done all in English! It may have been for kids, but it was definitely worth seeing. 

I didn't take any pictures this month (as of yet) because I was just getting over my sickness and trying to get over homesickness, and I've been trying to live through my eyes and not through my camera lens.



So that's what I've been up to! I hope that somewhat makes up for the lack of posting, and I hope everyone gets a feel for what I've been doing my last few months. For friends and family, check my facebook to see a ton more pictures (it takes forever to upload them onto my blog)!

Sampai jumpa lagi,
(See you soon!)

-Baillie 

Host Family, Travel Notification, and Vaccine Victory?

Oh my. So much has happened since I last posted. I decided I'd wait to post everything until I got my host family, but now I wish I had split it into more parts. We'll get to the host family in a moment!

First, I have my travel notification! That's right, I'll be leaving to New York City on August 20th (32 DAYS), saying goodbye to my family and friends, and spend the day at our gateway orientation. I believe we have our orientation with another country, which will be cool! After the gateway orientation, the next day our flight to TOKYO (yes, you read that correctly) will leave at 12:30 and we'll fly all the way across the U.S. and the Pacific to get there. Once there, we'll hop on a plane to Jakarta and arrive on August 22nd. How amazing?

I can barely contain my excitement. Everything has gotten much more real...but not yet tangible, so it still feels a bit surreal. Now onto the news you've been waiting for...HOST FAMILY.

I was feeling a bit down. I had to go get my vaccines early on the morning of July 17th, and found out I had missed my appointment due to a mix-up. I had already had a semi-upsetting week, waiting by my computer all day to see if I got a host family email, which didn't happen. It was really disappointing.

However, after getting home and attempting to nap (which I couldn't do, because of constantly getting emails from random places), I sat in bed as my nook went off. I expected another random email, but instead saw this: YES Program: Your Permanent Host Family Placement with AFS-Indonesia.

I will be living in East Jakarta! Yes, that Jakarta, with the tall buildings, and plenty of things to do? 

Here's a map of Indonesia, with Jakarta labeled.

Here's how Jakarta is split up!

I'm so excited to go there! It may have a lot of tourists, which will force me to work harder to learn more Indonesian, but it's a city that gives me access to so many things!

My host family seems awesome! I can't wait to meet them. I have a father, mother, grandmother, sister, and brother, an almost replica of my family back home (though I don't have a brother that lives with me)! They love doing weekend activities, and my sister likes choir, something I love! My mother also seems to like to do community work, which is also one of my favorite things. I can't wait to meet them, they seem like wonderful and fun people.

I've briefly emailed my host mother, and she wants me to call her Ibu! I'm so excited, I can't wait to meet them all. A month is so long to wait...but just enough time.

Back to the vaccines, I still got a victory! I found a place where I can get Japanese Encephalitis, which I couldn't find anywhere! I'll be getting my vaccines next week.

Lastly, I've began packing. It feels crazy to start now, but I feel it's absolutely necessary. I've bought all the shirts (amazing sale at JC Penney's!) for my trip, as well as a humongous suitcase--I'll upload a vlog on that later.

Speaking of vlogs, I hope to receive my new camera soon, so I can make really nice ones. Then I can document this process. Can't wait!

Sampai jumpa lagi!

-Baillie

National PDO

Talk about an exciting week! This week was our National Pre-Departure Orientation. YES Abroad students gathered to our nation's capital--it was the last time we'd all be together in one place.

I arrived by plane to the Dulles airport where I was greeted by friends and other YES Students, all excited to start off this trip. We had no idea what to expect, just that it would be fun and a lot of work. It was definitely both. Definitely.

The second day of our stay was full of long workshops that were both informative and helpful, but LONG. It was alright, though. I met all of the Indonesia group, and we took a group shot!

From left to right (top row then bottom row): Sara (Our group leader), Aiden, Me!, Helene, Madison, Victoria, and Lindsay.

As you can see, we were all excited to take a break from our workshops and get a chance to take this shot. I was so excited to meet them all! I knew the names, but not the faces or personalities. Let me just say that I have an excellent group, and we're going to have a GREAT year in Indonesia. I can't wait to see them again in August for our Gateway Orientation!

We talked a lot about cultural differences we would run into and how to handle them. I was super excited to learn all of that. I feel a bit more prepared for my exchange now that I've not only talked in depth about what we may face, but also got a chance to talk to my group leader who is an alum who went to our country and could give us her experiences. That made these workshops fun and easy to get through.

The third day of PDO was to be our Embassy Visit Day. I faced one of my first disappointments as an exchange student, though minor. Indonesia was not going to our embassy. It wasn't a huge deal, but I did want to go and practice my Indonesian there. Luckily we went to a museum full of Asian art. That was great, and there was plenty to learn and see. I also got to get well acquainted with some group members, and that was the most fulfilling part of that trip.

Here are some pictures:

There were lots of cool things to see beyond these few pictures I shot. I really enjoyed this part of my morning. So much so, that I forgot how early in the morning it was to take this selfie with my friend Brandon (Thailand) on the bus!

I didn't know the flash was on, nor that the picture had been taken. Who cares, we're still too fab for words.

Also, outside of the museum and in front of the Smithsonian Castle, Indonesia group took another picture: this time with a real flag!

We were so excited to get that flag!

 After that was our Department of State visit! We loaded back on the bus and drove down to the Department of State, only to realize we were an hour early. So we took a walk to the park and chilled in the grass for an hour to kill some time. After we had completely relaxed from our morning excursions, we walked back to the Department of State building. I won't go into too much detail on what happened there, but it was very interesting and I believe we learned a lot!

Next we headed off to the Lincoln Memorial to take that well-known group shot that seems to be infamous each year. And boy was it great:

No, no. That wasn't the real group shot. I mean, it was a group shot, but it was taken after we took this amazing one.

Your YES Abroad class of 2014-2015!

Yes, don't we all look great? I can tell you that everyone was looking forward to this shot. I love it.

After this shot, Indonesia took one quick group photo, and then we were back on the bus and to the hotel. Our last day of PDO was tomorrow, and I was honestly feeling a bit down about that. I really wanted to stay longer with these wonderful kids, but it wasn't meant to be. At least I'll be seeing Indonesia again very soon in August!

Our last day was full of goodbyes and there was a mixed feeling of happiness and sadness in the air. We had to say goodbye to the Philippines, who are headed off as I type! And then another goodbye to the groups heading out the next week and so on. I think it really wasn't a goodbye, though. I believe if we want too, we will all meet up again. Fingers crossed.

So overall, PDO was great. I learned a lot, met more people (all of the Indonesia group, except Victoria, were people I hadn't met at IPSE!), and realized just how real this exchange is! It hasn't fully blasted me that I'll be spending a year in another country, but it should soon. Right now I'm reliving my time so far and getting ready for the year ahead. I don't have much more to say, except good luck to all of those traveling now, and halo to my Indonesia group. You guys are great. In memory of that short lived chant our Indonesia table had:

Satu, dua, tiga: Indonesia Raya!
(One, two, three: Great Indonesia!)

Until next time,
Selamat Tinggal!

-Baillie

Regional PDO and Getting Ready to Go!

God, it feels like a year ago when I got the notification that I was going to be spending my junior year in Indonesia.

I still have so much to do, and so much to learn, but I thought I'd give an update on how things are going!

Last night I left my home at 2:00 A.M. to take the 3 1/2 hour drive to Raleigh, NC where my Regional PDO was taking place. With only a few hours of sleep I arrived on the campus of a university where my orientation was taking place. There were only a few students there who were going abroad, but luckily there were also a lot of current exchange students to talk to (we'll get to them later).

"Costa Rica."

"China."

"Argentina."

"Norway."

"Japan."

"India."

The list went on as people named interesting and popular destinations. Each place seemed a little special to the person saying it. It seemed that each student received a smile of glee or awe as they named the country and their duration. When I stood up and said "Indonesia, for a year," the reaction was a bit different. People seemed to know so little about it, or just found it an odd place to choose to go.

When we had a one-on-one group talk with returnees and students getting ready to go abroad, the students' reactions were much better. When I repeated my country, I heard a couple of "Wow's" and "That's so cool." That made me happier and more relaxed. We talked about many different topics ranging from host families to support, and got a little insight to what it would be like as an American exchange student.

After that session we joined students who were in America and would be returning home soon. It was interesting to see their perspective of the U.S. and how different or similar things were for them. Unfortunately, Indonesia was not represented today by any returnees/current exchange students. But I was still glad I went. It was fun and informative.

Now onto the nitty-gritty. I've still gotten none of my immunizations, but I have gotten my passport. I've also been trying super hard to figure out what's going to go on with the credits, but that really can't be determined until I have a host school.

I've practiced my Bahasa Indonesia a bit, but I am procrastinating with all the exams and state tests I have coming up. Still, I've made time to make flashcards and practice when I have nothing to do.

I've also had some time to visit NYC. That was great! It not only helped me get used to those awkward "I-don't-know-where-I-am-but-I'm-trying-to-navigate-this-big-city" moments, but also helped me realize that seeing the world is not only in another country but also in your backyard! Everyday I now I take the time to appreciate something about my hometown or my city or my state, trying to take on the perspective of someone who's never been. You'll be surprised at all the things you'll see or amazing things you'll experience by stepping out and trying.

Overall, it's been a pretty laid-back month getting ready for exchange. I feel the next couple of months will be busier with a lot more to update about. But for now, that's all that's been going on with me!

Until next time,

Baillie.

Selamat tingaal! 

I'm going to Indonesia! (From IPSE and Beyond!)

That is the flag of my future home!


I can't believe it, I'm going to Indonesia!

I'm going to try to make this post sum up the past month of my life in the most timeliest of manners, so bear with me.

On Feb.28th, at around 9:40 P.M EST, while getting a new haircut, I received an email on my Nook HD. The little notification popped up and stated:
Yes Abroad: Semi Finalist Notification-ACTION REQUIRED.

I couldn't contain my excitement. I was literally shaking. The email read that to keep my semi-finalist status I had to attend the mandatory In Person Selection Event (otherwise known as IPSE), and they didn't have to tell me twice!

Within 3 weeks, I found myself at a train station, hugging my dad goodbye while clutching my brown duffel bag in my right fist. The conductor gathered my luggage and put it up in the train, waiting for me to come aboard. I found my seat moments later, and anxiously text my family that I was on the train, and had succeeded in keeping a seat all to myself.
The train ride was extremely long, but that was most likely because I was so nervous! I did message some friends thanks to AmTrak's free wifi, but time did not fly any faster, especially considering I had a 30 minute delay in Richmond.

When I arrived at D.C.'s Union Station, I was happy to see I had successfully memorized the map enough to easily find the police kiosk, where I met with the chaperones who would be leading us to the 4H center. They were really nice, and I was super excited to get this weekend started! (My introduction was a bit awkward, considering they thought I had been wandering around the station because my train was 30 minutes late. I had to explain about the delay.)

Moments later, my friend Victoria (Indonesia as well!), whom I had met on facebook before hand, appeared beside me and we shared a hug. The rest of the group started appearing, and we decided to have lunch on the other side of the station before our Super Shuttle arrived. My new friend Ama (also Indonesia!) convinced me to try Chipotle for the first time, and I was glad I did. After all, YES is all about trying new things, and Chipotle was definitely something new for my taste buds.

We arrived at the 4H center where after signing in, I ran into Lili (Bosnia) and Brandon (Thailand) whom were also Facebook buddies. I got to spend the weekend with lots of awesome people, and they helped me get through my interviews and group evaluations without a hitch. There was so many positive people, that the weekend was so great, I can't even explain it! Here's my favorite picture from the weekend:

From left to right (top row, then bottom) we have: Lili (Bosnia), Abeeha, Brandon (Thailand), Me(Indonesia!), Faber (Macedonia), Andrew (South Africa), Trecia, Victoria (Indonesia), Leah (Turkey), and Va'Trelle.

 

This group, plus Ama, were my good friends that weekend. We had so much fun together, and were all super supportive of each other! I'm so proud of all of us!

So then we had this excruciatingly long (or so it seemed), wait. The guess was we'd receive our notifications by Friday, April 11th, based off of the past years. But we were all sorely disappointed when nothing graced our inboxes.

Finally, the next morning, around 11 AM EST, notifications began coming out! Unfortunately, rejections came out first (for the first time, but the reasoning is understandable: not everyone wants to watch their friends get accepted, then wait and wait and find out they were rejected). My friends and I messaged each other nervously, and some of them were sad to find the email in their inbox. I called my mother and father, who were both away from home at that moment, to tell them that notifications were coming out, and at that moment I was in the clear.

Then around 12 PM, alternates began coming out. I suspected if I hadn't gotten a rejection, I was going to get an alternate. There was no way I was making it into the program!

I waited, and waited, and waited. Nothing came to my inbox. My mother told me she'd call me if she got an email. I waited and waited some more. Around 1 PM, a student got accepted into Bosnia. Did this mean I was in, since acceptances were now coming out? I prayed that was the case, I wanted this so bad! Email after email came out for Bosnia. Then my phone rang. I saw it was my mother, and at that moment I checked my inbox. All I could do was scream when I answered the phone. The subject read:

YES Abroad Program- Indonesia

I ran around the house without even opening the email, flying up and down the stairs and screaming to my grandmother I had gotten in. After my 15 second show, I ran back to my computer and told my friends that I had gotten Indonesia! We were all so excited as acceptance after acceptance rolled in!

Today, the day after I received my email, I sent in my acceptance forms. Now I just have to wait for AFS Indonesia to accept me, and I'm officially going to Indonesia!

I can't even explain how I feel. It's so beautiful and wonderful and I'm so thankful for the opportunity. I can't wait to begin my year (it's a whole 11 months!), and I'm so excited to be reunited with my friends at the Pre-Departure Orientation (PDO). This year is going to be rocking!


-Baillie