Because We Can, Part One: Tastes Like Home, Smells Like Home

Just celebrated being at site for three months by reuniting with five other fantastic PCV friends, whom I now consider like family. We stayed in a private villa in Jogjakarta, and spent the bulk of our time enjoying the company of being together, being ourselves, laughing, listening to music we missed blasting, doing things at our own pace (because we could), cooking, savoring long meals, sharing Bintang’s, playing the “guess that bule’s nationality” game, compiling grocery lists and contemplating our next amazing meal rather than tediously exploring what the culture capital of Indonesia had to offer. Tourists sites were visited, but they aren’t the first things to come to mind when I think about this break from site. I know I’ll return to Jogja again so I can’t think of a better way to have spent my first vacation. I honestly can’t remember the last time I was that purely happy/relaxed/guilt-free for 4 straight days, I can’t even remember the last time I laughed so much. It was GOLDEN (thanks, Tim!). It was and still feels a bit difficult being back at site, returning to my same routine, jumping back into the challenges of school, eating the same boring fried things, everything almost feels foreign again after getting a small taste of what life was like five in a half months ago. I’m having intense vacation withdrawal and I’m missing the company of good friends — our group dynamic couldn’t have been more perfect. Obviously can’t speak for everyone but I can honestly say that no one got on my nerves, and that’s saying something. Photos will never be able to justify how much happiness I experienced in those 4 days, but they do help to exemplify our groups motto: Because We Can

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