A Batu wedding, volcano views, and other snippets of the Peace Corps

If you've been following my blog for any length of time, you also know snippets of my life.  One of my life events recently has been sending my daughter off to the Peace Corps in Indonesia.  Right now, she is learning the language, getting multiple immunization shots, visiting schools, and living with a host family. 

She attended a wedding there recently.  You see from left to right--her host mother, her host brother, the groom, the bride, Andorra, and and unknown girl. I thought this wedding photo was awesome!  I've put a few of her other pictures below.  Andorra's host family doesn't have internet, so things move a little more slowly with digital pictures and these few will have to suffice for now.  She'll move to a new place/family after her training ends and with a school job, will have access to more internet.

topiary

This is all for the quick update.  Andorra does have her own blog going on.
Go HERE if you'd like to see it.  She'll post more when she has better internet access.

Batu has several volcanoes nearby.

farming

Never heard of Batu?  Here's where it is.

In Awe

Tomorrow is the big day!  Andorra (my daughter) is leaving for the Peace Corps in Indonesia.  I've been anticipating this with a whole spectrum emotions depending on the day--joy, excitement, dread, grief,  then back to happiness, then anxiety.

Today we said our good-byes, and curiously, I didn't break down into an emotional mess.  I was happy and at peace with her leaving, and tonight as I'm typing this, the main feeling I have is awe-- of her spirit, her bravery, her energy, and her willingness to try new things and make the world a little better.  I'm in awe of the fact that she's willing to be away for 27 months--away from her boy friend, missing the birth of her niece, away from the comforts of her home.  I'm in awe that she gave away most of her possessions to do this--clothes, car, electronics, books. I'm in awe of her taking on a job of teaching English to a group of kids who don't share her language. 

Tomorrow, she'll fly to San Francisco and meet up with a group of Peace Corps volunteers.  They'll fly the next day as a group to Surabaya, Indonesia.  It'll actually take two days since they cross the date line.

Her stops--Dallas, San Francisco, Tokyo, Singapore, Surabaya

When I get pictures from Andorra, I'll post them here.  I'm looking forward to her adventures!
Life is good.


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