My World Didn’t End When I Was 17-In fact, it just “started”.
Benedicta Beatrix Winona Lumme — INA AFS to TUR NH23
Flashback to my 15-year-old self when I learned about the AFS exchange program and started applying. I didn’t even want to do it at first if my mom didn’t encourage me. Going abroad had always been my dream but at that young age? I didn’t think I was ready. Therefore, I didn’t have that high expectation of getting accepted. Well, maybe deep down I wanted to get in, not because I wanted to achieve my dream, but because I wanted to prove that I was worthy and able to make my mom proud.
Well, with this being written, it’s obvious that I’ve reached the final line and overcome my fears to try something new. And hi! This is Winona Returnee AFS Türkiye ’23. I only took the 3-month program because I thought one year was too long and was afraid of the changes I would face by leaving Indonesia that long. Oh boy, how näive I was. If I could turn back time, I would choose the 1 year program.
I was so happy during the national orientation that was held to prepare us to be sent to our host countries. I met a lot of great people who are the same age as me but have so much bigger dreams than mine, I felt a little bit relieved that I wasn’t alone in this journey. However even after officially being part of Puspa Sahasra Mimpi or in other words, the generation of AFS/KL-YES 23/24, all my fears didn’t magically disappear. I felt more fear than anticipated at that moment.
Until finally it was the 7th of September and my fears were getting even nearer to being answered. I’m not gonna sugarcoat it and say that everything went well, the first weeks were hell. I didn’t know how to approach people, the sudden weather changes made me sick, I missed Indonesian food, etc. And then I realized, I had been given an amazing opportunity that some people would kill for it and I should’ve utilized it. From then, I started to open up to more people and talk to them about our interests, while also introducing them to Indonesia’s culture. One thing I love the most about Turkish people? How nice and friendly they are. It wasn’t that hard to be accepted in their community, everyone took care of me well.
Eventually, time passed anyway, and when I started to get comfortable with the environment I was in, that was also the time I should bid goodbye to my school friends and host family. I had such a great time, it wasn’t always rainbow and sunshine but it taught me a lot of things. I learnt more in those three months than I have ever been in the last 17 years of my life and I will never stop being grateful for the life-changing experience in my youth. I met a lot of new people, I went to many beautiful places, I started to overcome my shyness, I became grateful for small things, and learned to never take things for granted.
The program might’ve officially ended, but the journey didn’t and won’t. To think that I originally didn’t want to be part of this is kind of funny, sometimes you end up enjoying things even if you didn’t mean to. I’m looking forward to what life will give me in the future. And of course, while also managing my expectations.
