a year in indonesia: life in a month

This post is very long overdue and I have a lot to catch up on, but yesterday marked my one month anniversary of landing in Indonesia. It's a pretty crazy feeling knowing that I have been here for a month, in ways its felt both so much longer and so much shorter than a month. This has been the craziest and most incredible month of my life. Every day is really just another new adventure in this country that I am slowly learning more and more about. I thought I would do a quick summary of what I have been doing with myself this month. Enjoy!

During the past 30 days in Indonesia I have...

survived 95 degree weather wearing jeans
ridden on the back of a motorcycle to school everyday
not had starbucks, or bagels, or used hot water, or taken a bath (bucket showers all the way)
listened to the call to prayer
ate food so spicy I want to cry
Ate enough nasi goreng (fried rice) to feed a family of four for a good year
worn a school uniform (3 actually)
eaten plenty of Indomie (ramen)
gone to the American embassy
performed the cupid shuffle/macarena/hoedown throwdown in front of the American ambassador
met AFSers from Japan, Belgium, Finland, Panama, Argentina, Mexico, France, Thailand, Switzerland, and the Netherlands (probably more)
spoken Javanese, Sundanese, Indonesian, Spanish, and some Finnish
survived 26 hours of flying
sat eight rows ahead of Bon Jovi on a plane to Canada
listened to plenty of American music (Macklemore)
become a school celebrity
gained 60 twitter followers in a week
eaten plenty of tropical fruit
taken selfies in class with my friends
gained a new nickname (Sarahbule)
posed in pictures with complete strangers
been interviewed twice
watched plenty of "friends" with Indonesian subtitles

...and so much more. Hopefully this gave some insight into what the past 30 days in Indonesia have been like without me going on for too long. Indonesia has truly changed my life in ways I had never expected. Everyday I learn more about my own capabilities and this incredible country. Little everyday accomplishments become big scale victories when added up. Like being able to speak Indonesian to my friends at school, and understanding when they respond. And being able to order food in public places in Indonesian, surprising both the food vendor and myself in what I can say in a foreign language, a language most of my friends back home don't know exists.

The one month mark is an interesting one to hit. One month is a long time to spend in a foreign country when you're 16. A long time. I'm spending ten months here, which still blows my mind everyday. Throughout this month Indonesia has slowly become my home. My neighborhood is beginning to feel familiar and my school is beginning to feel familiar as well. Everyday when I leave school, I really feel like I am coming home, not just to the house I'm living in. Of course one month is not enough to completely adapt to a new environment, and I continue to adapt everyday, but it's enough time to slowly begin to piece your new life together.