The Beach

There are few things on earth so frightening and comforting to me as the South Sea of Java.

From Antarctica to the south coast of the island of Java, there are no major land masses. This means that there is nothing to break up the current, and the water is extremely strong and dangerous. It is difficult to wade much more than knee deep into the water because even if the waves are relatively small, the undercurrent drags at your legs and makes it hard to stay upright. The water on the south coast has such a frightening strength, and it has claimed more than a few lives.

But I am drawn to the water. I love everything about it. I love the color of it. The sound of it. The way it moves. The consistency of it. The endlessness of it. The feel of it on my skin. The way it washes over the sand and smoothes it. The way that it sustains life.

As our last hurrah of the summer, the group that I travelled to Gunung Bromo with last month decided to spend a night camping together at a remote beach on the south coast. With not a soul in sight, we pitched our tents in the sand and built a bonfire. We spent the evening climbing rock formations to find better and better views, watching the stars emerge one by one, listening to the waves come closer as the tide rose, eating food cooked over a campfire, and singing all the hits of the past 20 years.

It was a quick trip, but it was a trip full of laughter and quality times with quality people and enjoying the beauty of our Creator.

  

   

        

Coming home from this trip, I was a little sad. Though we were basically just acquaintances only a month ago, I’ve grown quite fond of our little travel group. From the beginning, we experienced each other in areas far outside of our comfort zones. We have spent hours in close quarters sharing our hearts and our lives with one another. We have been through what felt like near death experiences together. We have trekked across three provinces and back again. We discovered shared interests we didn’t know we had. And all this allowed us to bond quickly.

But this week, we had to say goodbye to 50% of our group. Just a few hours ago, one friend landed in America to begin studies as a college freshman in Idaho. And tomorrow, another will be moving to start a new job in East Java.

Our adventures are over. For now…

Things I Have Learned This Week

1. How to build and install an Indonesian septic tank.
2. Defamation of character is a crime punishable by prison time in Indonesia.
3. Indonesian allergy medicine is less than 50% as potent as American allergy medicine of the same brand and dosage.
4. When Ibu Sri climbs a mountain, she can't come to work for the next two days because she can't move her body.
5. My friends can find something to complain about in every situation. No matter what. Seriously.
6. During the fasting month, you should go nowhere between the hours of 5 and 6 PM.
7. My dear, darling Melanie is moving back to town on FRIDAY.
8. Kindles cost almost twice as much in Australia as they do in America.
9. Nothing is safe from thieves during Ramadan.
10. Broken helmets can be professionally glued back together.
11. Ice is a hot commodity.
12. If your internet breaks often enough, the technician will finally just give you his personal cell phone number.
13. No matter how well I take care of my clothes, they will get tiny inexplicable holes in them.
14. Ants will never stop coming.
15. My neighborhood is building a camel for the Idul Fitri parade this year. I know this because I almost crashed into it on the road in the dark. A GIANT CAMEL. It was horrifying.