And there is where the wind blows!

Woo-hoo!

It is the first time I have been in the continent named after Amerigo Vespucci. I arrived earlier this week through a very long journey that I myself still couldn’t believe I have made it. However, here I am. And now I know what jetlag really means. However, the excitement has put aside all tiredness and anxiety. Moreover, I can’t wait for the snow! Going to the US, to study, is has been my longing dream since I was in high school. It has been so long-awaited that when it does come true, even for this 3-week short course, I still find myself in disbelieve about what is going on right now. This will surely be on the list of unforgettable moments in my life.

First thing, our flight to Kansas was cancelled. I went with an amazing group; there are 14 people in the group, including me. We were so excited for the journey and got a bit depressed when we knew about the cancellation. We thought it was a bad luck. The trip was supposed to be a Jakarta-Tokyo-Chicago-Kansas flight and no one was really sure whether we could arrive to the last destination on time. But what came next was quite miraculous; the Japanese airline had found a way for us to get to Kansas by a different route. It would be Jakarta-Seoul-Atlanta-Kansas. I couldn’t resist the joy of hearing that. Seoul! I am always so excited about South Korea. It is like my second biggest dream to go to South Korea and attend some concerts of my favorite artist there. I could only stay inside Incheon International Airport this time, but that has already made me happy. About the flight – well, we couldn’t make it just as right as the original schedule, but all was fine. We got the chance to stay a while, less than 24 hours, to wait for the flight at Sheraton Hotel – the expenses was all on the Japanese airlines. For me, that was my first 5-star-hotel experience. Bad luck, good luck, no one knows, right? It was almost two days later that we arrived at Atlanta. We need 1 or 2 more hour flight to get to Kansas City. And there was another adventurous thing happened.

Travelling with 13 people is indeed something, I tell you. After getting through the immigration checking in Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, we thought that all was fine until we realized that one of us wasn’t there. We knew that he had gotten a little problem with his I-20; common trouble for an Indonesian who has only a one-word-name. After dealing with the immigration issue, apparently, he took the wrong way to get to our terminal transfer. He couldn’t make it to our flight to Kansas, but he could rejoin us after taking another flight. It took about 2 hours for him to get back to the herd, which we were glad he was OK. Oh, that was nerve-racking, but somehow it is now becoming a fun story to be told.

Starting the course was also a big deal for me. Some of us, including me, were very drowsy when the class started the next day upon our arrival. We were tired, but so excited. I was so touched knowing the tutors’ concern about our condition, but I would also like to let them know that we were and are totally fine and happy.

It has been a week of my staying inside K-State University. The dorm where we stay at is very comfortable. I should say that I have no complain about living here. The food, the room, my roommate, and the weather are totally my style. Even for the courses, with so many tasks to do and materials to learn, it got me even more hyped since I know how beneficial this course will be. Well, there are struggles, for sure. But there is no gain without pain, right? I have intended to join this course as a warming up to pursue my doctoral degree next year. I’d like to think that these three weeks might help me to start the adjustment earlier. I have taken the consequences for deciding to coming to this course, which is like a once in a lifetime experience.  I like to test myself by trying new challenging things. For me, those challenges are like the wind blows that might lift me to fly higher. I do not know how far I can improve myself, but I am pretty sure that now I am on it. I can’t wait to do another crazy adventure J

ini tuh sebenernya tugas disuruh nulis reflective journal buat kelas bahasa Inggris

saya sendiri ngga nyangka bisa nulis sehalaman penuh gini dalam bahasa Londo, (tepuk bahu sendiri)