Now, I live in Pekanbaru, a city on Sumatra Island, surrounded by lush greenery and a warm, tropical climate. Indonesia is made up of over 17,000 islands and has more than 273 million people! It’s one of the most diverse countries in the world, with hundreds of different ethnic groups, religions and over 700 languages. The national language, Bahasa Indonesia, is what helps everyone communicate with each other. When I first got here, I didn’t know any Indonesian, but after five months, I’ve learned a lot and can have basic conversations with people now!
I work as an English Teaching Assistant at a vocational high school where students are training for careers in medicine in Pekanbaru. I teach six classes of 10th graders, with about 30 students in each class. I love teaching because my students are so funny, energetic, and curious. Most people in Pekanbaru do not speak English, so I use Indonesian every day and take language classes once a week to keep improving. Every day is an adventure--whether I am teaching English or trying to order lunch in Indonesian (spoiler: I’m still working on getting my pronunciations right!)
Living here has been such an incredible experience. Indonesia is full of amazing things--delicious food, beautiful beaches, colorful traditions, and some of the kindest people I have ever met. I will be here until March 2025, and after that, I plan to get my master’s degree in International Development so I can keep working on projects that help people around the world.
I cannot wait to share more of my journey with you! From the little everyday moments to the big adventures, I am excited to show you what life in Indonesia is really like.
