spending the holidays in indonesia

There are so many reasons why the trip to Indonesia was special: it was Sloan’s first trip abroad; our first international trip as a family and during the holidays at that; our first time in Bali; and most of all, my first Christmas with my sister in four years.

Our ten day-trip was packed with activities: we were to spend Christmas in Jakarta, we had an overnight stay in Bandung, while New Year was going to be welcomed in Bali. There were so many things on our itinerary, but some got crossed off the list along the way and many times we ended up just winging it. Nonetheless, it was an awesome trip marked with several wonderful memories.

Among my favorite highlights are the chats with my sister at the dining table, both of us munching on whatever food there is (just like old times); hearing Sloan say the two Bahasa Indonesia phrases he knows (‘ma kasih/thank you and sama-sama/welcome) every chance he gets; having coconut juice with Rocel, Bryan, and the rest at the highlands of Bandung; and Michael, Sloan, and I parasailing in Bali.

Thanks to this trip, I welcomed 2015 with a fresh batch of happy thoughts in my arsenal.