Jalan-Jalan

I landed in Surabaya, Indonesia 2 days ago- and all I knew how to say in Bahasa Indonesian was….. “Jalan-Jalan”. This literally translates to “just walking around”. And in a sense, this is exactly what I am doing. I had no idea what to expect when accepting this teaching job- I kind of just jumped into it.  This is my first time to Asia and I don’t even know the language.  But I do know that it feels good to be traveling again. Before this trip I had been living in the States for almost a full year, and I was starting to get a bit stir crazy.

So here I am, my longest and biggest trip yet : One full year in Indonesia. 

I can already tell I am going to like this place. On the drive from the airport I passed a beautiful Mosque with blue and green shimmering tiles and gold ribbons interlaced. To my surprise, right next door a magnificent church stood tall. I asked the driver if this was common and he said in Indonesia Muslims and Christians respect each other and co-exist harmoniously. He went on to say in his broken English “It all good”.  When I arrived to my new home the call to prayer echoed throughout the streets.  This is the part I like the most about the city so far, because no matter what your religion it reminds you to stop in your tracks and be thankful.