Hello wonderful people of Steamboat, we have finally made it to our homestays. After a long and nerve-wracking wait, we met our families. During the day we split into our ISP groups (independent study projects). We learned about Silat (a martial art), traditional musical instruments, Indonesian cooking, batik (an intricate art form of decorating cloth), and herbal remedies. We have also visited the sultan’s palace, future home of Eliza and Delia, and Borobudur, a HUGE, ancient, mystical-magical Buddhist temple. Along the way we adopted a cat, tried chicken intestine and cow lung, discussed our x-phase plan, and ate our weight in rice. Our families are all very welcoming and excited to get to know us as we are to them.  

Terima kasih, Matur nuwan, thank you!

Jett and Stella and Jr. GS group

 

Messages to family and friends: 

Kristian B.
“Hi guys, I don’t want to tell you about the trip yet because I want to save it for the documentary. But could you please tell Enya that I love her so much, Thanks.”

Diego
“¡Familia!
Quiero mandarles muchos saludos a todos por allá y también decirles que por acá está todo muy bien, he aprendido muchas cosas en este viaje, desde involucrarme en la cultura de Indonesia hasta manejar inteligentemente la mente.

Sigan cuidandose mucho y echandole ganas y ya pronto los veo, no olviden que los amo, podria seguir escribiendo pero se supone que tiene que ser una carta corta, cuando esté de regreso les contaré todo a detalle y fotos y videos que he estado tomando, éxito a todos! Los amo.

-Diego”

Mia
“Hi Mom and Dad. I miss you guys so much. Can’t wait to see you guys at home. This trip is the best trip ever. Aku cinta kamu. Mia” 

Henry

“Indonesia is great, a bit hot and extremely humid, but besides that the trip has been really fun. Shoutout to all my family in Steamboat and I can’t wait to tell you about the trip. It feels like it’s gone by so fast already.”

Zo
“Hey Fam! Indonesia is great! Love & miss you all very much. I have lots of stories for home. Mum please bring me back snakes.
Selamat tinggal, -Zo” 

Leopold
“Dear family & friends,
Indonesia is great. I learn a lot of new things and especially that I should be more grateful. We eat chicken and rice 3 times every day, so I’m happy to eat the delicious food of my 2nd mom. To the people in Germany: I love you guys and I hope to see you soon. All the pictures make me feel like a star! xoxo”

Jett
“Hey guys! I am well. Miss you all.
Love,
Jett”

JP
“Hey guys Indonesia is hot and very cool. See ya’ll soon”

Delia
“Hello everyone!
I caught two yellow fish, I have a fire chaco tan and everyone treats us like celebrities. Soon I will be a true empress… with the royal family. 143 Deels”

Stella
“Hi Mom, Dad, and Sienna! Indonesia is pretty hot. I love you guys! Miss you too. I also miss Serenity, Bee, LJ, Grutta, and Ella hearts to all!
-Stella”

Eve
“Hi mom, dad, and maybe even Hope.
I love and miss you all so much! I’m having a great time eating rice, and posing for lots of photos. I can’t wait to tell you all about it. Sending lots of love, so hopefully you can feel it. Much Love,
Eve”

Owen W
My experience so far in Indonesia has been amazing. Not only have we visited beautiful places, done fun activities and met the communities, but I’ve learned a lot about myself on this trip. I’ve learned my limits and learned what I enjoy. I’ve also gotten closer to a lot of my friends, and gotten to know those I didn’t before. To my family, I love and miss you all and the comforts of home so much. But most of all I miss Pumpkin and Ford, give them extra love until I get back! Love you all and know I’m having the time of my life, see you in a few weeks.”

Justine
“Dear Mom + Dad,

I miss you guys! I’m learning so much here.
Can’t wait to tell you all about it. Tell Jamie, Jayden, Julie, Grandma and the dogs I miss them.
Also, you should send Laura the blog posts please 🙂
I love you 444 -Justine”

Owen P
“Hello, the trip’s great so far. It’s just really hot but other than that it’s great. Hope you’re doing well and miss you. See you soon, Owen P”

Benji
Hi family, I love you guys and miss you.
I hope Lily is having fun in Bolivia. We are in our homestays and it’s a super cool goodbye.”

Eliza
“Hi everyone at home! I miss you all. So far we have been swimming a lot and I’ve been getting a gorgeous farmer’s tan. We are about to start our homestays which I’m so excited about. This trip has gone by so fast it’s crazy. Aku cinta kalian love,
Eliza” 

JQ
“Hello from Indo I hope everyone is great and healthy and Miss ya’ll”

Morgan
“Hi everyone! (and Winston)

Indonesia has been incredible
so far, a few ups and
downs. I miss you all
so much, give Winnie a
hug for me.
(p.s. pls throw out all
the rice in the
house)

xoxo,
Morgan”

Oscar

“Hey mom and dad, Indonesia is pretty cool. See you soon. -Oscar”

Hello all! We are just about at the two-week mark of our trip, so let’s recap. We started our adventures in Bira at the Cosmos Bungalows, which was right on a beautiful beach. Kristian was particularly excited when we had the chance to ride the speedboat tubing, aka the “banana boat.” Diego has made sure to document all the special moments in his vlogs. Although we battled with the heat and gained some bumps and bruises, Eve and Leopold were quick to tend to wounds and illnesses with their medic skills. To finish off our time in Bira, we went to Dego-Dego to do our coral planting project. We had some snorkeling time where Owen W. spotted a rare, well-hidden stonefish. Off we go to the next spot.

On our way to Baubau, Delia braved her fear of flying when we took a small propeller plane. Afterwards, we took a boat to Kaledupa, where many wild nights took place. Zoë demolished her peers at poker, while Henry was serenading the group with his karaoke skills. During the days, we worked with the Bajo people (aquatic nomads) in the Sampela community. We learned spearfishing, where Morgan and Oscar took the lead in most fish caught. We also learned net fishing, and Julian Q. and Jett helped catch barracudas. Back in the Sampela community, Mia led the charge, immersing herself in the new language. During our campfires each night, Justine stepped up, sharing her guru wisdom, and Owen P. spread enthusiasm and comfort throughout the group. As Julien P. makes his way through his 1,500-page book, our group was eager to hear about it during our travels. Then we made our way to Wangi-Wangi, where Stella put a natural coconut mask in her hair, and Benji found his passion for rock jumping into the underwater cave. Eliza was down in the water, soaking up the beauty.

So far, we have loved the warm-heartedness of the Indonesians, and we feel like celebrities everywhere we go, with people constantly saying “Hello Mister” and asking for photographs. We’ll check in again during our homestays next week, which we’re all really excited for!

Best,

Indonesia GS

Our Indonesia Global Studies group has safely landed in Jakarta. After the longest journey of all our GS travelers, everyone is thrilled to be on solid ground. Stay tuned for weekly updates, student highlights, and plenty of amazing photos.

Soon, our students will embark on an adventure across Indonesia, a nation made up of thousands of islands, each with its own traditions, landscapes, and ways of life.

This journey is about discovery of place, of culture, and of perspective. Students will engage with local communities, explore the natural environment, and experience daily life in ways that challenge assumptions and deepen understanding.

What does it mean to truly experience a place? How do we listen and connect across differences?

Through this blog, you’ll follow along as students grapple with these questions and share their stories in real time. Expect moments of awe and curiosity, along with plenty of photos that bring the experience to life.

Check back often!