The Journey Begins

In just over 5 weeks I am moving to Indonesia.

In order to document my elation and panic about moving to a continent that I have never set foot on, I thought I’d create this little blog to record my journey.

It all began in March earlier this year, when I was offered a job in Hong Kong. Now that sounds incredibly exciting, and I am sure for someone else it would have been. But for a girl who finds London too big and busy, all it did was TERRIFY me. I didn’t want to get involved in political unrest, I didn’t want to find a tiny overpriced flat in a crazily crowded city, I didn’t want to only have 7 days holiday a year. I didn’t even want the very generous salary they offered me. I needed out.

My problem was that on paper, this opportunity was incredible. And it really was. But it just wasn’t for me. So I am rather ashamed to admit that I desperately began looking for ANY English teaching job to fill the post-graduation void, without really doing my research. And by some miracle, my University had sent out an email about a position at Bukit Lawang Trust, which honestly sounded too good to be true.

So I applied. If I am completely honest I did not have a clue where Bukit Lawang was. I originally assumed it was in China, which exemplifies just how little I know about the continent I am moving to.

Six months later and no longer a student, I would love to declare that I am far more educated, but other than downloading Duolingo and rereading all my TEFL notes for the first time in a year, I am still fully unprepared for what lies ahead.

I really am terrified. But I am also so excited. It’s a top of the roller-coaster kind of feeling.