Meet Rachel. The amazing girl I met while at camp a few summers ago as we washed our hair in the rain after playing steal the bacon in a mud pit. After that, inseparable friends... or Rachel squared.
Janna and I went to the airport to pick her up on that Saturday afternoon. We ended up being at two different doors... and because of the language barrier and the tendency to not want to correct anyone, we missed each other. But not to fear, Rachel somehow got a text sent and we found each other for a very happy reunion.
Rachel is from South Carolina, which is such a beautiful part of the country. Sometimes when we FaceTime, I ask her to take her phone outside so that I can see the blue sky and breath fresh air vicariously through her. She likes to work in nature... so she brought the sunshine and blue skies with her. While she was here, it almost seemed normal to have blue skies! We could see the mountains every day!! As we drove through Jakarta on Easter, we even saw a mountain through the sky scrapers... it was like Vancouver (said a friend who is from there) But then she left... and I haven't seen the mountains since.
She also brought American treats, like candy and hair product and Cheerwine! This was the surprise waiting for me in the hallway as I walked to my apartment Friday after school. Happy Friday! Happy weekend! Happy pretending to be in America!
It was so fun to travel with her and Janna here and there. Here they are, in an onkot, which is a little van that functions like a bus, getting on and off wherever you need to along the main roads.
Rachel was able to come to my class for a few days and that was such a fun time! We brought our ukes to lead grade level devotions, and she ended up sitting and playing with my kids for a while during some of our down time.
Also... just to show you how awesome Rachel is, the white band around her head is holding the ice packs to her face. She got her wisdom teeth taken out 28 hours before she left for Indonesia. Now that is the test of true friendship.
It was so fun for me to have an old friend. Someone who has known me and my spiritual walk for a few years now. Someone who I've shared experiences with outside of Indonesia. It was also fun having her here because I got to show her my home. It's funny how welcoming someone to a place that is sort-of your home makes you own it even more. So I had so much fun showing her little things in my life.
Like the Premire movie theater, where you get a lazy-boy and blanket. All for less than a price at a theater back in America.
In Indonesia, you never know what kind of signs you will find. Or what kind of snacks. So when you see marshmallows, you buy them. And when you find a sign that has a kid eating a marshmallow and it says "be happy" you stop and take a picture.
One of my favorite perks of living the expat life in Indonesia is getting to indulge in the pampering that is way out of my budget in America, but here, costs less than three gallons of gas costs in America.
Pedicure: $10
Hour and a half cream bath and blow dry that makes your hair beautiful for days: $4
Hour long massage: $7
Hour and a half facial catered to your facial needs $20.. sorry. That's more expensive. Still less than a pedicure would cost in America though.
It was awesome having Rachel here. To travel with her, to see the sights. But I think the thing that was most special was just being together. Whether that was getting pampered. Or going to dinner. Or playing ukulele. Or just sitting next to each other on the couch. Having her here was like having a little bit of home in Indonesia. Such a wonderful breath of fresh air. Her fascination with some things reminded me how awesome it is that I live in Indonesia. Sometimes I forget. Sometimes I forget to notice things. But Rachel, she is so observant and discerning. And she was able to help me gain perspective on a lot of things while she was here. I miss her dearly. The two weeks she was here went by way to fast. It felt like no time at all. Now, she's working in Colorado for the summer. Then, she moves to Indiana to get her masters degree. I'm not sure when I'll get to see her again. And that makes me sad. But the two weeks I spent with her gave us a chance to experience another kind of life together, that will keep us connected, even though we're miles apart. I love you Rachel. Thanks for coming across the world to see me.
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