Half way May

The month of May marks the halfway point in my year long adventure in Indonesia, so it seems like a good point to reflect on how I now feel about living here.

Certainly the homesickness has passed. Although there are still many things I miss from England, the yearning hurts less & there are things here that I appreciate more. I still miss my duvet, my high hells & my friends, but I like living with less, relying on myself more & meeting new people with such different perspectives on life. I think the biggest challenge has been the boredom - these last few weeks have confirmed that I still have a lot of partying left in me & Ruteng is not a good place to do it (apologies to the mop & broom)!

Work-wise, my project has been interesting & I hope it will make an impact. I think the challenges of working with my Indonesian colleagues (primarily language & cultural) have enabled me to explain things more clearly & taught me to make fewer assumptions.

Culturally I have learned a lot too. I am not saying I know or understand all about the culture here (or ever will), but it's been a privilege to observe the differences (& the similarities) between the way I am used to living my life & the way my Indonesian friends do.

So at this halfway point I guess I feel content. It is hard & it is different from the life I am used to - but then that is what is was always supposed to be. Someone asked me the other day if I'd do it again, & I think I probably would. But I would definitely think about it very carefully. I'm more aware now of what my needs are. The first three months are so hard that the time after that really would have to be fulfilling enough to justify going through that again.