What Living Abroad is Really Like
By Caroline Kodama
The “unknown” is a terrifying thing. Gap years scare students and parents because the idea is often misunderstood. When I was beginning my UnCollege Gap Year back in January, I didn’t know what I was getting into, or how it would turn out. I was afraid I’d be wasting my time and money, and was frustrated that I didn’t know more about the program and specifically what we would be doing. After all, who wouldn’t wonder about the intricacies of living abroad, or networking in San Francisco? The UnCollege Gap Year consists of three phases: Voyage, where we spend ten weeks living abroad and volunteering, Launch, where our ten weeks is filled by workshops, networking, and portfolio-building, and Internship, where we put everything we learned into practice. The whole idea is getting out of the classroom and into the real world, but at the time, I was nervous about what that looked like.
After spending ten weeks in Bali, Indonesia, I know why it is so hard for past fellows and staff to explain the experience. My time during my gap year, specifically the Voyage phase, was so overwhelmingly amazing, it’s difficult to put into words. But, because I once wished for a clearer picture of what Voyage looked like, I am going to try to paint a picture for you here.
Bali, Indonesia
At our volunteer placement in Bali, we woke up around 9am to head over to breakfast which was served from 7–10:00 AM. Every day, we would eat delicious banana pancakes with chocolate sauce. They also had tea and delicious kopi (Balinese coffee). Meals were a perfect time for conversation with other volunteers who were from all over the world. After breakfast, we would begin to plan our lessons for the day.
At the school where we volunteered, there was a computer room which served as the “hangout” room and the space to prepare lessons. It was the only air conditioned room in the village, so you can see how appealing it’d be in that humid Bali weather! We spent an hour or so planning what we’d teach that day. The topics and difficulty of the lessons depended on the age group we were teaching: I taught pre-school level, so my lessons consisted of simple verbs, body parts, colors, foods, etc. I brought worksheets and planned fun learning games for my students.
After our lessons were planned, we ate lunch and had free time to go to the beach, play sports, or rest before classes began. Most of us sat together and sipped on this amazing milk tea one of the women in the village sold. Then, around 1:30 PM, the students began to show up and play in the courtyard. We would teach until 3:30, take a quick two-minute break, then teach another class from 3:30–5:00. After classes, we would occasionally have swimming classes, dance classes, or ceremonies. Seeing the kids laugh and play after class was one of the most rewarding things. These kids didn’t have a lot, but they always knew how to make each other smile.
Once all the children went home, the volunteers would wind down and get ready for dinner which was served around 7:00. For dinner, we had lots of different dishes. We would often be served rice, veggies, chicken, and tempe. The local chef Ayu always whipped up the most delicious meals for the volunteers.
After dinner, we got to sit and talk or play games, anything from card games to really intense ones, like one called “Werewolf.” We bonded so intensely and created lifelong friendships that I value so much.
We followed this routine Monday-Thursday, and then got to explore during three-day weekends. During the weekends, we would travel around the island of Bali, having adventures and making lasting memories in Ubud, Lovina, Kuta, Denpasar, Canggu, Amed, Uluwatu and Gili Trawangan.
Of course, everyone’s specific experience abroad will be different, but I wanted to share what my routine was. To many people, a routine is their foundation. Once I set my routine in Bali, I instantly felt at home, and in that moment, I grew so much. My worries vanished, and it has set me up to just continue growing. To those wary about taking a gap year abroad, I want to tell you this: There will often be opportunities for you to see new cultures. But the opportunity to experience a new culture is harder to come across. I challenge you to make it a priority to embrace a new routine in a unique culture.
To learn more about Caroline’s gap year, visit https://www.uncollege.org
