PDO

After 70 days of waiting the PDO was finally here and I headed out to Washington DC to be reunited with my YES Abroaders. After a series of flight delays and changes and one stressful layover in Chicago, I finally arrived in DC at dinnertime.

There was a very small crew of us chilling in the cafeteria before our welcome ceremony since so many of us had delayed flights and such. A few didn't arrive until well after midnight, so we were lucky to even get there at 5. On the first night we had a welcome meeting from the staff at YES Abroad. We also had little games and activities to get to know our fellow country group members  I only knew two out of the other seven girls going to Indonesia with me from the IPSE, but we all got along really really well and I am so happy to be in this group. We all clicked really well and I can tell we're gonna have a great year together. We're tied with Morocco and I think Turkey as the biggest group, and we're the biggest all girl group in YES Abroad this year. Four of us are from the Midwest and the rest are scattered throughout the country in Massachusetts, Colorado, and Oregon. 

Thursday was the best day of the PDO and honestly one of the best days I can remember in a long time. We started out with a small AFS workshop on exchange ups and downs (aka the chart of sadness) and headed out to the State Dept. around 10. After a quick bus ride through gorgeous downtown DC, we arrived at the State Dept. When we arrived there, we didn't go in but were instead directed to another coach bus. We (the indonesia girls) didn't know at the time, but this bus was filled with about 75-80 YES Indonesia inbound students who had been studying abroad in the US for this school year. Walking onto the bus and being simultaneously greeted/shouted at by 75 Indonesians was one of the most incredible moments of this whole experience. 75 Indonesians smiled and waved at us, moving over in their seats so we could sit next to them. They called out our names from our nametags so excitedly, I don't think I've ever heard someone shout my name so enthusiastically. 

After this awesome and chaotic bus ride, we headed over to the Indonesian embassy, which was even more incredible. The building itself is absolutely gorgeous, my pictures really don't do it justice. There we were able to mingle among the Indonesian YES students and really get to know them. They were so excited to get to know us and know where we will be hosted next year. I will be in Bekasi, a 2 million people suburb 8 km west of Jakarta (10 million people capital of Indonesia). There were many people I met who knew people in Bekasi or had even lived there. One girl I met even lived there and will go to my high school next year, so she was very very excited to meet me. The Indonesia YES students were probably the most warm and friendly group of people I have ever met, every single one would come up to you and introduce themselves  asking where you were from and where you will live in Indonesia. It was overwhelming at first, but I loved every minute of it. We ate a traditional Indonesian meal together, and I learned how to eat meat off a stick, Indonesian style of course. We also listened to a speech by the Indonesian ambassador to the US, which was very interesting and inspirational. He talked to all of the YES students about their year in America, and taught several his own unique handshake. He also addressed the 8 of us going to Indonesia and gave us advice and tips on how to survive in this new country.The ambassador was very well like by the Indonesian students, and I really enjoyed listening to him talk more about Indonesia and his road to becoming an ambassador. You can watch the video of his speech here.

After his speech, the 75 Indonesia inbounds and 8 outbounds played the piano together and sang a few songs, just for fun. Then some of the indonesian students performed a traditional dance for us. Overall, the Indonesian embassy was definitely my favorite part of the PDO, meeting so many warm and friendly people who wanted to know more about our future year abroad was so incredible, and I really hope to see some of them in Indonesia. The Indonesian students were probably the most friendly and energetic group of people I have ever meet, and I hope that the indonesian students in my high school will share that same enthusiasm and energy. Saying goodbye to my newfound friends was one of the hardest things of this whole trip. Mallory and I stood by the entrance as they boarded their bus and hugged or high fived or waved at all 75 of them. My friends waved their nametags at me telling me to friend them on Facebook or follow them on twitter or instagram, and I had atleast 8 friend requests from them later that night. So that was incredible, and if that is any hint of what Indonesia will be like, it's going to be a great year.

Indonesia group (L-R): Carly, me, Mallory, Emily W, Izzy, Emily R, Ellen, & Breanna

Emily W and I on the bus to the embassy

                                          

all of us when we arrived at the embassy

this picture basically describes the Indonesian students in a nutshell 

Indonesia to wisconsin and wisconsin to Indonesia

the embassy

the Indonesian ambassador and I

another room in the embassy

After tearful goodbyes and about 75 hugs, the eight of us boarded another bus and headed over to the State Department, where we listened to a speech by Rich Ruth, head of the State Department Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. His speech was very interesting and he gave us a lot of advice about living abroad and adapting to a new culture. We also were able to ask questions to a regional panel, with one representative for each region we were going to be living in. Overall, the State Department was very interesting but quite exhausting after the very energetic time at the embassy. Being in a room where global decisions are made and some of the most important diplomats in the world work was very powerful though, and I am glad I had that experience. 

Indonesia group outside the State Department

Official State Department visitor's badge

Wisconsin girls again!

Eleanor (thailand), Catherine (morocco), and I at the Lincoln memorial

Part of the Indonesia group at the Lincoln memorial

After the State Department, we headed on to the Lincoln Memorial and took lots of pictures, including our class picture. That wrapped up Thursday, and Friday was filled with workshops all day with our country groups. Again, very informative and useful but exhausting. The 65 of us were wiped by 10pm on Friday when we finished. Saturday was filled with emotional goodbyes and even more pictures, we didn't know the next time (if ever) we would all be united as a group, so it was sad to say goodbye to say the least. I actually almost missed my bus to the airport when I was saying goodbyes to some of the people in the Bosnia group, but it all ended up okay.

Indonesia group saying our goodbyes

Allie (Ghana), me, Catherine (Morocco), Allen, John (Thailand)

I was supposed to leave DC on Saturday and arrive home in Madison at 5, but unfortunately my flight to Chicago was severely delayed and I was going to miss my connection home to Madison. So after a few hours of running around the airport in stress and confusion, I got myself booked on a flight from DC the next morning at 7 am, and headed back to a new hotel for yet another night in DC. This was the hotel that the Thailand and India groups were having their gateway orientation since they left on monday, so it was fun to see them all again. After a fun and chill night at the hotel with my fellow YESers, I headed back to Madison all alone and finally arrived home on Sunday.

Overall, the PDO was an incredible 5 days and there is no group of people I would rather spend it with. The YES Abroad family is truly the most incredible group of people I have ever met and I am so proud to be a part of it. I am so excited for this year and to follow everyone else's year in their respective countries. YES Abroad has truly changed my life, and I cannot wait to see where this opportunity brings me (other than Indonesia of course :P).

Check out my video about the PDO here and don't forget to subscribe!

~Sarah