beginning

Jakarta… how long have I been here? It could be a two weeks, or two days… I’m thinking the latter, but am not quite sure since my days and nights are still pretty turned around. Indonesia’s 11 hours ahead to the East Coast, and my 2+ day trek here left blurry-eyed, but still thoroughly excited.

Yesterday was my first full day, and I spent most of it sitting a taxi getting to and from the offices, crammed into a gigantic traffic blob with the nine million other people who live here. Ok, I’m exaggerating a bit, but it is indicative of the most prevailing characteristic of Indonesia’s capital city – it’s BUSY.

Cars, carts, motorcycles, bicycles, and an array of other moving apparatii clog the streets, honking, squealing, and veering full-throttle within inches of one another. It’s absolutely nuts. Meanwhile, the shops, markets and other pedestrian thoroughfares look quite similar – except with people instead of cars, and cell phones instead of horns (though here they’re called “hand phones,” for a little cultural fyi).

Anyway, the time here’s been good, and I met more people at the offices yesterday than I’ll ever remember, but the main impression I’ll leave with is – wow, everyone’s so nice! (Seriously, though, they are.) But well beyond that, everyone’s here with a common mission to help, and they’re on top of things. And there’s an overwhelming sense of team collaboration that I noticed immediately… dozens and dozens of nationalities were represented, but there is unmistakably that unifying goal of bringing recovery to the region. It’s an amazing thing to be a part of.

Today, however, was much less noble, as I did what any good American girl would do on her second day in a foreign city – I found the mall. I bought a few bootlegged cds for a dollar each, had Dunkin Donuts coffee (fantastic), and even tried to get some exercise by walking back. But, perhaps disoriented by the 1000% humidity, I huffed it the wrong way, both in direction and in proper sidewalk etiquette (so I soon learned), then had to cab it back a few miles for the whopping fare of about 60 cents.

But Monday morning, I’ll leave the busy city scene and travel with Ricardo, my team leader, to Banda Aceh, where I’ll get settled in and likely jump right into the groove. (And the groove there will be completely different from the hustle of Jakarta). I’ve been reading document after document learning about the programs, but I know it’ll be in seeing things first hand that I’ll truly begin to process how it works… and hopefully see how much recovery has taken place since I was here last.

I don’t think there could be much more difference, geographically or otherwise, from where I am now and where I was this time last year. (Miami – definitely more suited for a birthday bash!) Both were and are thresholds for adventure, though, and if my 31^st year proves as wild and wonderfully cathartic as my 30^th, I can’t wait for what’s ahead…

For those who celebrated with me ahead of time, thank you from the bottom of my heart and soul… You are all amazing. And I do promise to one day stop using “I’m moving” as a subconscious ploy to get you to throw me a party.

But the birthday thing, not changing that one… oh happy day!