Sunday, June 14, 2015

I Lived

I owned every second that this world could give, I saw so many places and things that I did, and with every broken bone, I swear I lived...

Well everyone, as impossible as it seems, this is my last blog post about my exchange year in Indonesia. I truly can't believe my time here is done (well almost done, I go home in 2 days) and it all happened so fast. So bare (or is it bear?) with me throughout this scattered brained post.

Kate Holman's List of Accomplishments

  1. I survived living in Makassar, Indonesia for almost an entire year. If you can make it in Makassar, you can make it anywhere.
  2. I literally survived. There were multiple times on this exchange when I wasn't engaging in the most...safe...ventures (see Waterfall story for example).
  3. I tried bakso, cow tongue and liver, various parts of the pig that are certainly not meant to be eaten (Chinese new year...big mistake), and durian AND I lived to tell the tale.
  4. I have lived the celebrity life and discovered that I kind of hate it. There are almost no white people in all of Makassar, so everywhere I went people would do a double take and stare. There were also the people that would chase me down in the mall, on the street, especially at the water park/pool to get a photo with the "bule". 
  5. I have seen some of the most beautiful beaches and the dirtiest streets and have learned to appreciate both.
  6. I have made friends for life, whether they want me for life or not, they are gonna have to keep me around.
  7. I was pretty faithful on maintaining a blog. All you other exchangers should be put to shame.
  8. I have resisted the urge to death-glare everyone who asked my why my skin was white, my hair was blond, and my eyes are blue.
  9. I can go outside on a 100 degree day in jeans and a long shirt without melting.
  10. I can pronounce Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh no problem.
I would love to continue a list of my accomplishments but I am afraid that we are getting to the point where I am getting proud of the littlest things and I don't want to bore the readers.

Indonesia, you have been a great (well most of the time) host and I will truly miss living here but it is time for me to head home. For those of you who were expecting more insight, jokes, laughs, or just a longer post in general, we can just have a good chat when I get back to the states. 

"It isn't a year in life, it is a life in a year."

Thanks and see you soon,
Holman
P.S. Here is one last joke. Fernanda was writing the "goodbye" letter to our friend Lucas, and she was trying to write a meaningful quote on the envelope. She accidentally misspelled a word and demanded a new envelope, I felt that she was being too much of a perfectionist so I jokingly took the envelope and ripped it in half. She then screamed at me that the letter was still inside of the envelope I had just torn in two. Needless to say that she was not too pleased so I had to tape it back up and my taping skills are nothing to brag about as it would seem. Sorry Nanda. We'll all laugh about it in 5 years, right?

P.S.S. I have been thinking about what to write for my last post since the beginning of the exchange and yet this is so short and perhaps my worst post! So ashamed.
Goodbye to my favorite Russian, I love you Lino and wish you all the best!

Goodbye to the best Brazilian, thanks for all the laughs Lucas!

Nands, we haven't had to say goodbye yet but I love you and I don't know what life will be like without you!