Tag: Indonesia

The Anxiety Continues

Posted on July 3, 2012 by

I’m anxious.  It just keeps building up in anticipation of a trip which, in exactly two weeks from today, will take me halfway around the world to Jakarta, Indonesia.

Normally I’m a planner – I know where I’m going, how I’ll get there, who I will visit, where I will eat, what tourist sites I’ll see, and where I will sleep.

This trip is vastly different, mainly because I’m not in control of much of the itinerary.

Last spring when I applied for a grant from the US Department of Education to study global learning, I had no idea what would unfold in my life.  Traveling has been on my ‘bucket list’, and trying to manage exotic locales on a teacher’s salary takes some serious doing.

To my great surprise, I was one of 63 teachers selected through this national competition.  The criteria were described as being a secondary teacher of a core content area and having five or more years of experience.  I figured living in a university town with a great international faculty and student base couldn’t hurt, as well as the international travel already completed in previous years.  I guess I was right – I was selected.

After completing a rigorous online course designed to help globalize learning, I attended a symposium in Washington D.C. where I was introduced to my 10 Indonesian travel companions, as well as a visiting Indonesian teacher.  Our eyeballs grew large as we realized just what an amazing experience we were destined for – not only would we be traveling to a largely Muslim country, but we would be arriving during Ramadan.

Jakarta at dusk

Since then, I’ve tried to learn about the Indonesian cities of Jakarta and Tangerang.  I’ve practiced infusing global citizenship, social justice and 21st century learning skills into my 8th and 9th grade class curriculums.  I’ve received plane tickets, had some emails with the Indonesian teacher I’ll be working with, and gotten to know my travel partner, Amy.

What I haven’t been able to do is quell this anxiousness that keeps welling up.  It’s not the typical travel questions that have me worried – I know I’ll find interesting things to eat (but not between sun up and sun down!), the water will not make me sick (I hope) and I can survive the high temperatures and humidity.  I’m planning how to sleep on the 14.5 hour flight to Hong Kong.  I’ve ordered my electrical converter, gotten an international calling plan and even purchased a few clothes that are modest enough to not draw too much attention to myself.

I guess what really makes me shake is the unknown.  The idea of going to a country where ideas and norms are so vastly different from what I’m used to.  The thought of being so very far away from the people I love the most.

Yes, I’m anxious.  I’m counting down the days.  And yes, I’ll keep you posted.

Jennifer Wolfe

Jennifer Wolfe, a writer-teacher-mom, is dedicated to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life by thinking deeply, loving fiercely, and teaching audaciously. Jennifer is a Google Certified Educator, Hyperdoc fanatic, and a voracious reader. Read her stories on her blog, mamawolfe, and grab free copies of her teaching and parenting resources.

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Take a Trip To My New Blog: travels with mamawolfe

Posted on April 15, 2012 by

“A man of ordinary talent will always be ordinary, whether he travels or not; but a man of superior talent will go to pieces if he remains forever in the same place.” 

— Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Oh, I hate to be ordinary.

In three months I will be taking off on a new adventure to the other side of the world…Indonesia. This has been in the works for over a year, ever since I applied for and received a government fellowship to study global education.

Just a few days ago I received my foreboding travel itinerary, which requires nearly 48 hours of travel time to make over 8,800 miles from California to Jakarta. The thought of a 14+ plane flight kinda freaks me out, actually.

And the thought of leaving my children for two entire weeks…terrifying.

As the countdown begins, I’ve embarked on a new blogging adventure, travels with mamawolfe. I’m not entirely sure what the future holds for mamawolfe, but I know that there will be plenty of stories to tell and images to share as I take flight.

Come travel with me! I promise to share it all with you!

http://mamawolfe-travel.blogspot.com/

Jennifer Wolfe

Jennifer Wolfe, a writer-teacher-mom, is dedicated to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life by thinking deeply, loving fiercely, and teaching audaciously. Jennifer is a Google Certified Educator, Hyperdoc fanatic, and a voracious reader. Read her stories on her blog, mamawolfe, and grab free copies of her teaching and parenting resources.

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The Beginning?

Posted on April 15, 2012 by

When I was a little girl I never traveled that much.  Sure, we did the traditional summer vacation camping trips to the mountains, and dutifully drove to visit the grandparents for every holiday.  But REAL travel-to different states, not to mention countries-was definitely not part of my childhood experience.

I remember my big adventures taking my first plane flights to Burbank to visit my Los Angeles area grandparents.  Boarding the PSA airplane felt like stepping into a magical amusement park ride-I never knew quite how I would make it there, kind of felt like I wanted to get off right when I started, and couldn’t bear to leave when it was over.

To my youthful sensibilities, it was paradise.

As I grew, so did my expectations.  Road trips replaced plane travel as my most frequent mode of transportation, and despite a few college trips to Hawaii and a graduation backpacking Eurail trip to Europe to myself, life seemed to get in the way of adventure.  I guess getting married, starting a career and having two children will do it to the best of us.

It actually came as a surprise to my family when in 2010 I decided to go for it and take my kids on a service trip to Nicaragua with an educational non-profit group, Seeds of Learning.  It just felt like the right thing to do at the right time in life.

And boy, was I right.  It was the trip of a lifetime.

I learned more about myself than I ever imagined.  I learned about how I deal with intense situations, how to keep my children safe while allowing them to experience the scary, and how truly vast and stunningly beautiful our world really is.

I hold the memories of that trip close to my heart, and yearn to have another experience that tugs at my soul and provides my kids the chance to learn about life outside our little northern California university town existence.

As most things in my life happen these days, however, another opportunity presents itself to me.  This experience gives me the chance to fly solo, testing my ability to stand alone in the world and trust that again, I’m doing the right thing at the right time in life.

I’m going to Jakarta, Indonesia in three months.  And I’m feeling kind of uneasy.


To be continued…

Jennifer Wolfe

Jennifer Wolfe, a writer-teacher-mom, is dedicated to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life by thinking deeply, loving fiercely, and teaching audaciously. Jennifer is a Google Certified Educator, Hyperdoc fanatic, and a voracious reader. Read her stories on her blog, mamawolfe, and grab free copies of her teaching and parenting resources.

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