Keeping in Touch

Later today (as it is now 5:30 in the morning), I will fly to Ho Chi Minh, otherwise known as Sai Gon.  I know when I get on that plane, I will be unsure of how to feel.

Thing is, I spent a last full day with my roommate, Rani, another VIA fellow who will be leaving her post in Jogja at the end of this month.  Since the beginning of the program, we've always bonded in some way. First, it was our mutual affinity towards chaotic markets, which we explored with curiosity in Phnom Penh. Then it was our mutual desire to eat food, and lots of it. In the last few months as roommates, we've further discovered that our taste buds are, in fact, quite similar, which made planning dinner easy for the both of us.  

Every now and then, we also submitted to our western cravings -- (come to think of it, this happened a lot when we were together). We ate plenty of brown bread, treated ourselves to cheese (one of our western vices), used pesto in various dishes, and experimented with tempe.  Together we've also conceptualized a business model for a restaurant that will for sure be a hit back in Seattle and DC!  With both of our appetites combined, we could totally do great things.

Rani (right) and I drinking bandrek (spiced ginger milk) in Berastagi during a week-long trip in north Sumatra (February)

One of the many fusion recipes we discovered together. This one has tempe and green beans.

Perhaps it's this: saying goodbye to Rani will be a tell-tale sign that life moves on.  We're done with our first year, and we'll be going in two different directions, mentally and physically.  And so it also goes for all my other friendships and relationships.  But if there's one thing that Rani personifies to me, it's the importance of keeping in touch with the people you meet along the way. These people, with all their experiences and kindness, will be there to walk with you on your journey. Some may even guide you -- whether it's through simple advice about the next city you want to visit, or simply by inspiring you with their stories.

I do hope to keep in touch with Rani, as well as the many other amazing people I've met during my first year in Indonesia.