As I sit on the plane during my flight back
to Jakarta I become overwhelmed with a mix of emotions. We only have few days
left in Indonesia, a place that I have called home for the last eight months. I
feel a great sadness leaving this country and the wonderful people I have met
along this journey, but I am also faced with emotions of happiness and excitement,
as I will soon see my family after being away for a year. Most of all I begin
to feel anxious as this chapter in my life starts to close and I don’t know
what the future will hold. An experience of a lifetime has passed me by in the
blink of an eye!
Recently people have been asking me how
this experience has been and I have one word – life-changing. This
journey has helped me restore confidence in myself and at the end of it I
emerge from the forest as a stronger, more self-assured and fiercer woman than
when I first entered.
I have encountered many obstacles, however, I fought each
one down and overcame them. I can proudly say I was the first researcher in Sikundur to catch a fungus! It is the large red rash on my neck in the photo. I needed to take two types of antibiotics to get rid of it! Also, the boys finally had enough confidence in me to allow me to use a parang, which is equivalent to a machete. I cut ourselves a few trails and felt really proud of myself! Furthermore, this experience has helped me become
more cultured since I have been able to experience a completely different way
of life. Their attitudes towards life and happiness are completely different
from the western world. In the midst of poverty and desperation, people here
always seem to make the most of their life and don’t dwell on what they don’t
have.
What I will miss most of course is the
forest and the camp assistants.
Listening to the forest wake up is one of the most amazing experiences
one can witness. Every morning as I sat on the camp steps drinking my delicious instant coffee, a sense of calm always washed over me as I listened to the sounds of the forest. Each morning I was greeted with the
smiles of the assistants, ready to tackle on a new day. The guys at camp (Loga,
Ricki, Irfan, Ben, Supri, and Supra) always went out of their way to make us
smile, to make our favorite Indonesian dishes and to make sure we were happy
with everything. They were our go-to-guys when we had any insect problem,
especially with the massive spiders hiding underneath our beds or the venomous
centipedes lingering in the bathroom! During our time together in the forest, the camp assistants helped us with the identifications of important plants, animals and fruits, even during the days when the weather was miserable and all you wanted to do was lay in bed listening to the rain hit to the tin roof. Their help in the forest was indispensable and made this master’s
experience truly unique.
I
must say that this journey would not have been the same without my side-kick
Helen Slater. She has seen me at my worst and also at my best. We have been
side by side (literally) for 8 months and only a few days ago did we spend our
first night apart. Helen and I met as complete strangers, but this experience
in Indonesia has made us soul sisters, best friends and some people even think
we are lovers! We have encountered wild animals such as elephants, we have pulled
each other out of swampy water, while being stuck in the mud knee-deep, we have hitched
rides on motorbikes and we have survived a tropical storm in the forest all in
each others company (plus many more adventures). I never thought that by
completing a master’s abroad I would end up meeting a diamond of a friend/sister
and end up building a friendship that I know will last a lifetime. Friendships
as ours are truly rare and I am forever thankful for this experience we have
shared together. I know when we are old we will laugh about many of our
adventures together such as that time when a monkey fell out of a tree and
almost knocked me out! The company of John and James were also a blessing and were often sources of entertainment for Helen and myself as they behaved like an old married couple. All four us got on exceedingly well and this experience together has allowed us to form a little family unit. These bonds we have formed will keep us united even though large distances will lie between us.
I am incredibly sad to leave this
country and its wildlife.
Life in the forest is one that I highly recommend if
you ever feel like you need a fresh start at life. Living in the forest gives
you perspective on life and on the things that really matter. Also, immersing
yourself into a different culture and a different way of life is a really great
way to remind yourself of all the blessings you already have and to not take your
life for granted at any moment. What we may consider difficulties in our lives
may in fact be luxuries for others and it these realities that will keep you
grounded for years to come. Encountering wild animals on hikes throughout the
forest is a feeling like no other and I am going to miss every single smell,
noise, and view I have witnessed over the past eight months. I am finding it
incredibly hard to describe what this experience has meant to me, as I am
unable to wrap up everything I have experienced into words. I only have one
piece of advice for you all:
Go out there and challenge yourself.
Put yourself
outside of your comfort zone and I can guarantee you will be rewarded beyond
your expectations with the adventures you will experience and the people you
will meet!