Congrats! It takes a special kind of person to say yes to uprooting yourself and signing up to go live and work in a foreign country for half a year, so good for you! I’m sure you’re both excited & nervous for what lies ahead but that’s alright! You’ve said yes to an experience unlike no other, and one that will stay with you for the rest of your life.
Embrace the people you meet!
You might not have much of an idea of what to expect, and that’s a good thing. That’s something you’re just going to have to embrace because nothing can really prepare you for the crazy adventure that awaits. That is truly the best part of this whole experience – the things you don’t even know you don’t know, and slowly adapting, overcoming challenges that you never imagined having to deal with in life – and in that process growing so much as a person.
Sure your mind might be racing, a mix of anxiousness and excitement not doubt, but by the end of pre-departure, you’ll have a good toolkit to deal with the challenges that you will certainly face while there, but you’ll be fine and before you know it you’ll be back, you’ll be so much stronger, and you’ll be writing a blogpost for the next future intern.
Embrace the adventures!
While you’re out there sometimes the days can feel long and months can feel like eternities but I now that I’m back I have to pinch myself when I think back on the months I spent in Indonesia.
Over time, your daily routines will become more and more familiar, but don’t let it become too familiar, because the daily routines that will start to become your new normal over the months are what I miss most. Looking back at my weekend trips, cool events, sightseeing – while they were amazing and life changing, the things I miss most about Jakarta are the little things.
Walking home after work and chatting with a friendly stranger, waiting for my plate of street food as the motorcycles zip by, walking to the market on a Sunday morning, watching the soccer game and hanging out with friends, or saying hello to everyone in while trekking up the stairs at CIPS office – these are the things I treasure most from my experience and the things that I miss dearly.
So, there will be times you feel down and out, or will be wondering what you’re doing so far away from home, but take all these things in fully – there will be ups and downs absolutely but don’t sweat it, its 6 months and no one goes that long without a rough day or two. Just recognize that these feelings will pass and they’re just a drop in the bucket compared to the amazing and unexpectedly great experiences you will have more often that not.
Embrace looking ridiculous – because you will no matter what you do!
It’s hard to know what else to tell you really, because at the end of the day no blog post or website can give you an idea of what it is you’ll get into – just go, fully immerse yourself wherever it is you are, and live the experience to the fullest, from the ups to the downs.
Semangat! Good luck!
