Being told your grandfather passed away when you’re across the world leaves you feeling powerless. I guess I’m coming home?
my clearest memory from high school is my best friend asking if i’d brought gym clothes and me asking “who the fuck is jim”
(Source: kingsoftheimpossible, via stretchedlobes)
*me to the bartender* i want something that doesn’t taste like alcohol but has a lot of alcohol in it
(via civilwhore)
Although I am learning many valuable life lessons during my independent travel throughout Indonesia, what resonates most deeply with me is the fact that I no longer need to run away from my actual life. Two days after my arrival I questioned the very reason for why I embarked on this journey to begin with; I had disrupted my very peaceful and comfortable lifestyle to live in a village outside Ubud replete with New Age Hippies and monkeys on every corner. Part of me wanted to run back to the normalcy of my life in Boston and another part of me wanted to explore and integrate. Suffice it to say, I stayed.
I quickly realized that I would not discover what I originally thought I would on this trip. In contrast to my study abroad trip to London, Bali felt remote and made me feel incredibly lonely. I love doing things by myself, so this feeling was foreign and shocking. I chronicled this loneliness in my Moleskin in the first few days, and it’s fun to track the progression of my own comfort levels now that I feel more settled in my living here.
Volunteering has made me feel fulfilled in many ways. My teaching is not the best and perhaps not the profession I should pursue, which makes me feel confident in my prior decision to accept the position at my old co-op as a paralegal this September. However, the relationships I have formed with my students and fellow volunteers far exceed any expectations I had of the work, and I so look forward to returning home and spending time with the people I care so much about in my real life. Maintaining my Bali relationships via social media also excites me. It’s crazy how interconnected technology allows us to be: Facebook and Instagram exist in both the quiet streets of the Nyuh Kuning village and the hectic streets of the New Jersey suburbs. I will forever keep the business card of the taxi driver who shared with me the culture of Bali and told me to always remember that “Hati Hati” means “careful, careful.” The first careful relates to your heart and the second relates to your physical safety. He explained to me that one’s heart is the engine, one’s brain is the remote. “No stress in Bali.” It is likely that I would have sat quietly on my phone in the backseat of an Uber if this occurred in the United States; technology can ruin relationships as quickly as it can form outlets for new ones.
Anyway, I figured I’d share some of the lessons I’ve learned so far…
The combination of traveling alone and feeling lonely forces you to strike conversation with strangers first. Most of the time you learn interesting and random facts about people from these spontaneous conversations but seldom learn their names. It’s nice to hear how someone ended up in the same place as you, regardless of his or her identity. I guess we’re more interested in our similarities than our differences.
A couple or group of people will hardly ever strike conversation with someone sitting alone. Interesting how groups affect social dynamics, isn’t it? You will cling to the poor souls that give you directions/entertain you in the slightest bit until they very obviously want nothing else to do with you. People have their limits. Respect the boundaries.
American girls in particular shy away from lone American boys, but they fancy conversation with anyone with an Aussie or British accent. They perceive the American as a stalker but instantly trust the foreigner. Perspective is paramount. Walk in their shoes. Don’t be offended.
Ordering staggered meals gives you a reason to stay in the restaurant longer. Sometimes the extra calories are worth the free and extended access to wifi. Sometimes the wifi fails and you’re left writing notes on your phone, analyzing what you’ve learned thus far instead of checking your newsfeed or posting a beautiful picture of your travels. Embrace the free time to think.
Everyone will ask you about Trump. The international community does not like him. You are the representative for the United States. Please take this duty seriously.
Most people will not understand where you’re from if you say “The States” or “The United States.” Say America even though technically you could be from South America, Mexico, or Canada and they’ll rattle off all 50 states in search of which you are from. A taxi driver told me he wants a one-way ticket to the Statute of Liberty in his next life maybe 100 years from now. This humbled me and made me realize that I should never take for granted the opportunity of living in America despite the apparent struggle to achieve the American Dream in the modern day.
The fantasy of what could have been if a certain plan had unfolded will haunt you forever if you do not come to peace with the reality of the situation. I hope you come to terms with reality.
“My grandma was supporting me and now she’s not” - overheard conversations in Bali
long-live-the-queen-of-moondoor:
Why do Americans put the month first. It just makes no sense.
We put the month first because in conversation we say, “July 1st, 2015.” Because it’s quicker than “The first of July, 2015.”
“Tomorrow is May 29th” not “Tomorrow is the 29th of May.” That is why we write it 5/29/15 and not 29/5/15. Because we go by how we phrase it in conversation rather than in sequence because it converts better between numbers and language when written in the former. We also use the month first because that’s how calendars are organized. You have one year and one calendar so the year is a constant and can go in the back. However, calendars aren’t organized my days, but rather by months. You flip to the months first and then find the day. So…. p>
While on this topic, we also use Fahrenheit and not Celsius because a 0-100 scale of measuring temperature makes a lot more sense to a human. We know that 0 is really fucking cold and 100 is really fucking hot, which makes sense. Celsius, however, is just about how water responds to temperature, and makes no sense when applied to humans. Fahrenheit is for people, Celsius is for water. And I am a people not a water.
oh
I find this very funny cause you say that but your independence day is not called July 4th, its called the 4th of July.
What I find funny is that our armies were about half the size of the British army and yet we were still able to crush your crumby asses, declare independence and pour your tea in the ocean.
(Source: sleeporientated, via heretherebemonsterss)
write ‘nothing is set in stone’ on my grave as both a witty joke and a subtle warning that i will be back
(via unshaped)
The contrast between volunteering with some of the world’s poorest children and then partying at a beach club the next day makes me very confused about the world we live in.
