Six months ago, I arrived in Indonesia. The first drink I had as soon as I made my out of the aiport was a personal favorite, a good ol' hot brew of coffee. Just as Americans like to say they run on coffee, caffeine certainly runs through every Indonesian's veins. What better way to start this journey than to try a cup of Java in Java? The coffee I drank cost 20 cents, served by a gentlemen under a food stall by a highway, one of nine other food stalls I had seen and passed by that sold snacks whose names I didn't yet know.
The coffee was scalding (very hot!), super sugary, full of grains, and burning because it was served in a glass cup and saucer...
I enjoyed the small sips I needed to take from it as it cooled down. I appreciated that I had arrived in one of the most unique countries in the world. In preparation for this, I had to anticipate that even the most familiar things will turn out differently when you find yourself so far from home.
Part of growing up is seeing and realizing how much bigger the world really is, not just in size, color and setting, but also in ideas, habits, culture and languages.
