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Peace Corps Kayla


Evacuation, Grief, Gratitude
I knew going into this that evacuation was always a possibility, but I didn’t think it would ever happen to us. This feels like a fever...
Mar 16, 20209 min read
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A List of Things I Don't Miss and Miss
Written May 2019, edited March 2020 - hour+ long commutes (my house is a five minute walk from school) - sitting in front of a computer...
Mar 15, 20202 min read
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What I do when I’m bored at site
Peace Corps Volunteers around the world are pretty much in charge of their own schedule. For Peace Corps Indonesia specifically, since...
Mar 9, 20203 min read
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This is a blog post about my bapak's birds
Dogs are considered unclean in Islam, there are cats with some loose affiliations to homes and families, but they’re mostly feral. Here...
Mar 3, 20203 min read
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Visitors!! and some gratitude
I’ve tried to start this blog post multiple times. I’ll write a sentence, delete the whole thing, then exit out of my notes on my...
Feb 26, 20204 min read
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Life Lately.
Here’s some highlights from the past few weeks: Went to Jogjakarta with family, specifically my ibu and bapak, and forty other people,...
Dec 5, 20194 min read
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Smells of Indonesia
That smell after it rains Burning trash, as its smoke spreads onto the main street Fresh terang bulan on the street corner, like vanilla...
Nov 11, 20191 min read
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One Whole Year (and then some)
Last month, I walked to school as I usually do. My typical route includes a walk through the entrance, greeting the guards, then entering...
Oct 31, 20195 min read
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MERDEKA: Independence Day Highlights
Similar to the US, Indonesian Independence Day is not only celebrated on the day, which is August 17. It’s pretty much celebrated...
Sep 23, 20195 min read
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American Diversity and Culture Day!
Earlier in August, Hima, Manisrenggo’s CL during PST, and I planned “American Diversity and Culture Day” in Pare, East Java, where...
Aug 18, 20192 min read
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My trip to Bali and other goings ons
Almost a month of no blogging, say whaaaat? Well, I’m here now and that’s all that matters. It’s been a busy month. I feel like I say...
Aug 5, 20194 min read
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On getting sick in Indonesia
If there’s one thing I didn’t expect to happen as often as it has during service, it’s getting sick. It’s been this way since the third...
Jul 12, 20196 min read
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Bule at the beach: the Official Pacitan Trip Recap
Selamat Pagi/Siang/Sore/Malam to my many devoted readers! I’m home from the beach and want to document my travels while the trip is still...
Jun 16, 20194 min read
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Stepping on lit cigarettes: the Official Idul Fitri Recap
The big day has come and gone. For Christians, it kind of feels like the end of Christmas Day, when you realize all the anticipation for...
Jun 6, 20196 min read
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May-d it this far! (8 things I did in May)
Before I packed up my life and boarded the (four) planes to Indonesia, two family members jokingly told me, “I give it [my time in...
May 30, 20194 min read
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Notes on Ramadan
Ramadan is the holy month for Muslims, which happens once every year (although the Islamic calendar is different than the Gregorian solar...
May 16, 20193 min read
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Serving in Indonesia, being Indonesian
Gina is one of my good friends here in-country. Originally from Arizona, she applied to Peace Corps under the 'send me anywhere' option...
May 9, 20193 min read
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Riding the Bus in Indonesia: A How-to Guide!!
"Mau ke mana? Mau ke mana? Heiiiiiiii mbak, mau ke mana??" Welcome to my how-to on riding the bus in Indonesia! If you ever find yourself...
Apr 24, 20194 min read
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A Week in Outfits: Indonesia
I wore a uniform almost everyday from when I was five until I was eighteen. I liked the predictability of what I was going to wear and it...
Apr 14, 20194 min read
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March Madness
March was a whirlwind. I feel like I end up saying that about every month while here, but it really was. At least I’ll keep saying how...
Apr 7, 20194 min read
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How's Your Monday? (A Day in the Life)
Not too much has been going on around these parts. Midterms are currently happening, so I haven’t taught this past week and will not next...
Mar 10, 20196 min read
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February Favorites
While January felt like the longest month ever, February has flown by, and I’m really enjoying service as I get more into the swing of...
Feb 27, 20195 min read
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Getting off our cultural high horse
Buckle up, folks. This is a wordy one. ‘For if one were to offer men to choose out of all the customs in the world such as seemed to them...
Feb 21, 20197 min read
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Back to School, Back to School
A lot of people have been asking me how school has been so far, and have a lot of questions about my school specifically. Since the next...
Feb 13, 20195 min read
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Tattoos and other taboos
I’ve been called Popeye three times here so far. I have a small, quarter-sized tattoo of an anchor on the inside of my left heel. I got...
Feb 4, 20194 min read
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Some (funny) things that happened in January
Peace Corps service is essentially a long accumulation of both funny and awkward encounters between myself and Indonesians, especially...
Jan 30, 20197 min read
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The honeymoon is over...
Whenever a person moves to another country, they are bound to experience a wave of emotions and feelings about what they’re doing there,...
Jan 21, 20195 min read
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It senses fear, part II: the Ice Bucket Challenge
If you asked me before coming to Indonesia if I’d be posting about bathrooms on more than one occasion, I’d have laughed in your face and...
Jan 14, 20193 min read
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Sudah makan?
2019 has been a tough one so far. On New Year’s Day, I joined my site-mate, Chelsea, and her family to a cave in our county. It was...
Jan 12, 20197 min read
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Hopes, expectations and my role as a volunteer
Hello All! I hope you all enjoyed Christmas. I spent my birthday and Christmas in Pacitan, East Java. The town of Pacitan is tucked away...
Dec 30, 20185 min read
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Swear-in
Five days before swear-in, I sat down with my CD, or Country Director, for one final interview: a reflection on the last 10 weeks. “Tell...
Dec 19, 20184 min read
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Model school, school practicum and final days of training
Swear-in was last week, on December 10th, and with the busyness of training, packing, and saying goodbye to friends and host family, I’m...
Dec 17, 20184 min read
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10 hour days in 90 degree heat: more information on Pre-Service Training
Eight more days of Pre-Service Training. Eight more days. Eight more days??? Time is an interesting thing here in Indonesia. One moment,...
Nov 30, 20186 min read
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Thoughts on being alone, the Iceberg Model, and Site Visit!
Site Visit! PST follows a organized schedule, and our days are jam-packed. On “hub days”, every Friday, we meet back with all 57...
Nov 14, 20187 min read
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It senses fear, part I: the squatty potty
The little room. Kamar kecil. There's the toilet, several inches from the ground, and there's that big basin of water, usually overflown...
Nov 7, 20183 min read
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On Living with a Host Family (again)
One of the number one things I was concerned about, if not THE number one thing, was living with a host family. From my last two...
Oct 18, 20182 min read
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Two Weeks Down!
(written last week) Selamat siang! I am safe and sound in Indonesia, specifically in Kediri, East Java. This is where I’ll be living for...
Oct 11, 20183 min read
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Are you nervous?
This is the question I’ve been getting the most during the past several weeks. My answer is always the same, though. I always say no, and...
Sep 19, 20182 min read
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The Packing Process
The process of packing has probably been my favorite thing so far. With research from the Peace Corps website, from blogs of past PCVs,...
Sep 11, 20182 min read
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New blog, who dis?
I’m back to the blogging world! After a two year hiatus since my last long-term adventure in Germany, I’m ready to start a new chapter....
Sep 10, 20182 min read
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