nineteen -- "so long, fare well, auf wiedershen, good bye!" (or selamat tinggal!)

Our program is finished.

Wow, that short statement has so much finality to it. A month has passed and at 9:30 PM, I leave to the airport. At 1:20 AM, I get on the plane to Seoul. I'm still amazed how time as passed. On one note, it seems like years since I've been in the States. On the other, I feel like this trip has only just begun and I have so much more to learn about the culture of this country and the culture of the islands we've visited, Java and Bali.

Our last few days have been mostly relaxation. Yesterday, we visited Kuta, the gargantuan resort town built around very few cultural attractions. At first, I kind of groaned at all orange, loud-mouthed, big-spending tourists: this was not the kind of last day I wanted, surrounded by people whose only glimpse of Indonesia was the beach and the sales racks of the hundreds of Dolce&Gabbana's and Versace's. Jake, as we all had our last meal together at Sari Organik, pointed this out earlier today, though -- we all did enjoy our day in Kuta, but even more so because we had a month's worth of background experience and memories of Bali and Java. (Really, there was nothing better than giving my feet the tender love and care they needed with a pedicure, after running around barefoot this whole month... And a massage. For $14 USD, together? Ballin'!)

I said this in my last post on the GIEU blog... there's still so much I want to do and so much this trip makes me want to do. Already, I feel that I'll return to Indonesia someday in the future, whether it is for dance, interning with an NGO, learning the language, or checking out the many other Indonesian islands. Again, I'm already planning my next summer -- not with visions of Capitol Hill as I once planned, but visions of another lush culture and country, whether Indonesia, India, or elsewhere.

There isn't a doubt that I'm excited to see my family and friends... to eat home-cooked Indian food and go on walks in the neighborhood (after this trip, I might go barefoot now!). To have orange juice with pulp and to eat cereal for breakfast. It'll be glorious. But I am so sad to leave Bali and to leave our awesome GIEU group. Yeah, there's been the average share of backbiting, but I really think we worked well as a team and as a mini-family, even!

I know I've said this a thousand times: I wish I could see more. Alas, I'm off to home and then to another wonderful country, India, to visit friends and family. Just do it the Balinese way, by living in the moment and always look ahead!

It's time for me to do some last minute shopping and packing, before we bid Avery and Meghan a farewell. :)

With Love from Indonesia for the last time,
Nina