Mount Bromo

The three of us woke up at about 7 to finish packing and head to the train station. As always we were way ahead of schedule, so I sat down to eat the best chocolate donut of my life. The train was actually very nice. We traveled executive class, so they had individual seats, pillows, air conditioning, and tv. They played Mr. Bean and a documentary about Indonesia, but mostly I just passed the time reading. When we arrived in Probolinngo we caught a small van/car to the "bus station." Basically a guy ripped us off and took us to a travel agent, so we ended up paying a bit more to get a private van with 2 fellow travelers who were on their honeymoon. What a fantastic honeymoon! Before leaving we decided to eat some food and stocked our bellies full of this delicious nasi, which was basically noodles and rice covered in peanut sauce, all for the equivalent of 50 cents. It was so good!

The trip up the mountainside was rough, mostly because it was raining and our driver was super crazy! It was a good thing we all never get carsick anymore thanks to Albanian roads.
Once at our hotel we checked in, figured out our plans for the following day, and headed out to get hiking supplies(food) and enjoyable evening on our patio supplies (beer.) The evening was spent just talking, while looking out over the mountainside and sipping beers/smoking cigarettes. Eventually we went and got some dinner at the restaurant. This place served the second best bowl of chicken noodle soup I have ever had! (My mom's wins) Plus, it was cold and rainy, so soup was the perfect meal. It was all I ate the entire weekend, other than snacks and the free breakfast.

hiking boots where they belong!!

We went to bed at around 9 and woke up at midnight to set out for our hike to the top of the mountain. I was so groggy and felt disgusting, but the hike under the moonlight and stars was surprisingly welcomed. The mist kept coming and covering up all of our sight and then all the sudden it would clear and you'd look up and be dumbfounded at how gorgeous the mountain looked in the moonlight. We were so hot hiking that we ended up doing the majority of the 7km in just our t-shirts. I couldn't believe that anyone had told me I'd need a winter jacket. It took far less time to reach the top than we thought it would so we had to sit there from 2:30 to 5:00 with nothing to do but kick back and drink whiskey, which made me feel groggier. I was finally chilled to the bone and really wishing I had a cuddle buddy.

hiking boots at the top!

We spent the time sharing stories from Albania, including a list of all the random places I had peed. I did my best to walk around and do some jumping, and eventually some ladies came down from further up the mountainside to set up a coffee/hot noodle warung. That was the best cup of coffee I have ever had, though in reality it was just instant coffee in the right time and place. It was so misty and cloudy, that we didn't get to see the sunrise, but we did get to see the light rise through the mist, and eventually the clouds cleared enough to allow us to get some nice pictures.

The hike back down the mountainside was gorgeous. I think I'll just let the pictures do the talking for this one.

Robert's photo of us on the way back down

Beautiful!

14 kilometers down, a whole volcano to go! Next on the agenda was a breakfast of coffee and noodles at the hotel, followed by a hike across the valley to the volcano. When I first found out I was coming to Jakarta and started doing research, one of the main things that peaked my interest was volcano hiking. I'm so glad I finally got to do this!

sacrifices on the mountain

The hike across the valley was quick and painless. We passed the time tossing around volcanic rocks, which weight very little. You can throw the big ones and still feel the earth rumble under your feet. It's pretty cool. The hike to the top was exhausting, especially the 141 steps (I counted) but well worth the view. All along the volcano rim people had left sacrifices of food, flowers, money, and incense. One man was walking into the crater to pick up trash. What a crazy!!!

We decided to take an unmarked path back down which was the best decision ever. We spent our time in the volcano path just exploring until we managed to come out just before it started to sprinkle. The hike back across the valley was quick and followed by the absolute worst part: the hike up the mountain to get to the hotel. Going down had been bad enough, but the hike up left me drenched in sweat and feeling like I was going to pass out.

Roberts photo of me on the way down!

Upon reaching the room I chugged water and lay on the bed for about 30 minutes before we all went to the restaurant for lunch. Unfortunately it was Friday and prayer time so we spent the next hour drinking beer and playing cards while we waited for the cook to get back and make us chicken noodle soup and a fruit platter. I was in desperate need for something other than carbs, which was hard to come by. At this point we went back to our room to sleep until morning.

I was woke up 2 hours later (5:30pm) by some very loud children, and my grumbling belly. Its surprising how hungry hiking 25KM(15 miles) will make you. So we went back down to the restaurant for more soup and coffee, and Scott and Robert managed to find me chocolate cookies to satisfy my cravings. Then we were able to sleep until 6am the next day.

Faces were stuffed with more noodles, eggs, and coffee and we met a very nice girl from the Netherlands on our shuttle to the train. We spent our 3 hours at the train station drinking beer and coffee. Scott managed to find me an apple and I was lucky enough to hear an ice cream cart so I could finally get the ice cream I had been craving. I also made really good friends with this cat at the train station and let her play with my broken purse for about 30 minutes.

Kitty!

My body is sore all over, but I'm surprised I'm not in more pain. I think my ass hurts the most. I am writing this blog on a train(thanks technology!)  We are heading back to Surabaya to pick up our laundry, order McDonalds, and re-pack. We leave for Bali at 3am tomorrow morning!

Albanian Reunion!

I woke up early and exhausted from staying up texting the night before my flight. Damn you technology, wandering mind, excellent conversations, and bottle of whiskey! My airport tradition is donuts and coffee, however I managed to completely forget to purchase one until I was past security and unable to go back and grab one. I sat and watched How I Met Your Mother on my computer until the flight boarded, and then attempted to snooze a bit on the flight. They first thing I did upon landing was purchase a donut and coffee. Robert was waiting on the other side of baggage claim with a large hug and big smile. It was excellent to just be in a cab talking to him for an hour or so, catching up on life. After arriving at the apartment we headed out on the bike in search of decently priced liquor. We were largely successful, and I really enjoyed the limited traffic and cruising on the back of the bike.

Post successful journey I was hungry, so we walked across the street to the mall and had a Quickly bubble tea with mint extract and chicken salad at a restaurant. The restaurant had board games on the table, so we got to play snakes and ladders while we waited. I also got to ride the biggest escalator in Southeast Asia. It took forever and Robert and I ended up walking down it, instead of waiting. When we arrived back home, Scott came soon after and we, of course started drinking our bottle of whiskey! Robert and Scott also managed to make a super delicious dinner of chicken curry while we drank, and when we were part way through the whiskey we got to skype with Cortney! All 4 of us back together again! Technology rocks! The cards came out and we played presidents and assholes while we finished the whiskey and started the gin. Scott had to work the next morning, so at around 10 he headed to bed and Robert and I decided to head out to purchase cigarettes at a Warung(small local food/coffee/cigarette shop) and go for a swim.

Ermagherd! Indernesier!!!!

We sat down at the Warung to have a coffee with some of the locals and one of them gave us a present! After finishing our coffee we took the presents back to the apartment and jumped into the pool to do the typical Tiara/Robert late night soul-mate chat. It was wonderful and I confessed my deepest secret to him, and when I did he told me that my face showed it, and all my worries and doubts faded.

The bad decisions continued when we realized we were out of cigarettes, and we decided to head back out on the bike in the rain to get more. We stopped on the grass barrier in the middle of the road to lay on the grass and smoke in our soaking wet clothes. At this point we checked the time and opted to head to bed since it was 2:00 am.

I woke up the next morning feeling not super awesome, but good considering the night before. After a few cups of coffee we managed to get our shit together and headed to a very hung-over breakfast at McDonalds, and then back over to the liquor store to stock up on booze for the next two weeks.

Eventually we managed to get back to the house and continued to lay around and do nothing for the whole day. I had no energy to pack or accomplish anything of sorts, but we did sit down to discuss our trip for the next few days and I got some Scott and Robert cuddle time, followed by an airport skype chat with my new favorite person.

right where we belong!

Titi (the secretary at Scott’s school) came over and ordered pizza for us and we partook of almost all the pizza, but made sure to save just enough for breakfast. The rest of the evening consisted largely of doing nothing, which was just what we needed.

It feels strange to be in the company of old friends in a new place. I missed them so much, and sometimes I feel like nothing has changed and other times I feel like everything has changed. There are great little indications of Albania around the apartment, and Scott and Robert have, of course, managed to hang a giant map of Indonesia up, and get pets! I feel so insanely happy and lucky to be here! Tomorrow I set out to hike up an active volcano!!!!

Selamat Hari Natal!

Friends and Family,

I hope these words find you all in good health and spirits. Life just keeps moving like a roller coaster and I can’t tell from one day to the next when it will slow down, or whether I’ll be chugging up to the top, or screaming in joy to the bottom. I kicked off the 2013 year losing and finding myself on the streets of European cities with my brother. We spent time sipping wine in Madrid, enjoying beer in Belgium, drinking coffee in Amsterdam, exploring the monuments and partying in Germany (which is my favorite country ever) and sledding down the Swiss Alps. We managed to cram all this into about 12 days thanks to the awesome train systems, and our ability to survive on little sleep and espressos in between. Unforgettable. 

   

In the spring I was able to take a road trip to Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina with some fellow teachers and new friends. We spent our time on the coastline in Montenegro, and hiked to the top of a fortress. After exploring the history of Bosnia through a 10 hour tour in Mostar, and a far shorter tour of Sarajevo I was left with some sort of emotional attachment to the country. It has such a remarkable history that I never would have acknowledged if I hadn’t traveled there.

Montenegro

From January to May I continued to teach 1^st grade and began my final college course to receive my Masters of Education. I decided to begin applying for jobs in other countries, in hopes of expanding my experiences and advancing my career with professional development. I finished up my spring in Albania, traveling to Permet, Kosovo, and Berat, which included a rafting trip in the Osumi Canyon (amazing!) I ended my contract 3 weeks early to head back to the US and prepare to move to Indonesia, where I accepted a job, teaching grade 1 at a school called Royal Primary Academy.

Goodbye celebrations

Though my time in the states was short, it was precisely what I needed. I spent the greater part of it with family, drinking IPAs and eating all the food I had craved. While there I realized that someday, eventually, I hope to live back in the US, preferably in the Midwest near my family, but for now my explorations of this vast world continue. Also, no promises as my dreams seem to often change.

Beach time with my favorite kidos :)

I flew to Jakarta on July 1^st and began my new job on July 4^th. The job has been a lot more demanding than in Albania, but also far more advantageous to my professional growth. The adjustment to living in Jakarta was much easier, and I have made yet another great cluster of friends.

Friends!

I’ve done a bit of traveling around the city, and to a few trip to the Thousand Islands just off the coast. By far the best trip was to Jogjakarta, which is famous for holding the largest Buddhist temple in the world. Visiting all the temples and the surrounding nature helped me soak up a bit of the culture, though I have only skimmed the surface of all that is here.

Arjuna Temple 

As you can guess the last year of my life has been quite life changing in many ways. I’ve studied a lot and discovered many new things about myself, including a few things I realize will never change. I will always be a beer drinking, bluegrass loving, Packer fan, however, I continue to set goals and push my limits. So what’s next, you may ask. I’d love to answer that question, but cannot. Jakarta until July 2015 and then we will see.

Holiday Photo

“You cannot escape life however you may try. As long as you live, whether in a town or in a cave, you have to face it and live it. Real life is the present moment—not the memories of the past, which is dead and gone, nor the dreams of the future, which is not yet born. One who lives in the present moment lives the real life, and he is happiest.”

    

So I aim to live in the present, though, try as I might, is harder than it seems. There is so much left to discover about the world, and myself. So I’m trying to live by a few new ideas and philosophies:

In that last year I have been surrounded by beauty so many times, and I continue to appreciate how insanely lucky I am to be 23 and living out my dreams, with the incredible support from my friends and family, old and new.

This Christmas I will be traveling with some friends from Albania to Mount Bromo to watch the sunset at the top. Then we will head to the beaches of Bali, Lombok, and the Gili Islands. If you find yourself in the neighborhood of Southeast Asia stop by! We have an extra bed and a couch.

With all my love,
One very happy girl!

Folkie

After perusing my most recent playlist at the gym this morning I realized that I can no longer claim that bluegrass is my favorite music. I am officially a Folkie, aka a folk music fan.

Basically I make these mixes by adding a song to them when I realize I'm in love with it. I fall in love. A lot. With songs that is. They are my favorite thing in the whole wide world. One of the hardest things about living abroad is finding and discovering music. Thankfully I've managed to discover 8-tracks, and I have the best brother in the whole wide world who add music to my drop-box for me at the most needed times. The following songs are my favorites on my Indonesia mix, which is a work in progress, still after 5 months.

This is my most recent love. My brother dropped it in my box 2 days ago and I know all of the lyrics. My roommate even recognizes it. Put it on repeat right?
Quotable:
"As I sit on the edge of this dirty old bar
Trying to work some things out and not getting too far
As I drown out the voices that are keeping me down
There's a muse all alone on the other side of town
And if I was thinking I'd be thinking thank God, whoever you are
For all the whiskey in this dirty old bar.
The times like these, so sad and so true
Thinkins the last thing that you want to do."
Sometimes I just wish I could get out of my head and enjoy things as they come. I tend to way over-analyze everything. Incredible moments happen and I feel like I'm on the brink of discovering something about myself, but I just can't grasp it. Maybe I need to drink more whiskey or find some dirtier bars.

I have days dedicated to Bob Dylan now. I always enjoyed his music, but since moving to Indonesia I have been falling in love with songs all the time. This song is the ultimate break-up song, and while I haven't broken up with anyone in a very long time, I truly feel the lyrics of this song now.
Quotable: "Well it ain't no use to sit and wonder why babe."
               "I'm walking down that long and lonesome road babe.
                Where I'm bound I just can't tell."

Last year, post Christmas trip I listened to one Willy tea song on repeat 76 times without a break. I was obsessed. I finally purchased an album upon my arrival here. My mix currently has 3 Willy Tea songs on it.
Quotable: "I ain't perfect you can tell by my songs."

Sufjan is probably one of the best artists ever. When I listen to his music, I always have to pause what I'm doing and just feel it. And I always seem to find lyrics I want to get tattooed on my body. Dang!
Quotable: "Trusting things beyond mistake."