Hiii friends!

For this blog post, I will be sharing with you guys my experience on flying home for the holidays! As a global student, I am only able to see my family twice a year on Christmas break and Summer break since they live so far away :( But I am so glad that Biola has been my home away from home for the past 3 years that I have been here!

If you didn’t know, home for me is all the way in Jakarta, Indonesia! This means that it is 8,989 miles (yup, I googled it!) and a 22-hour plane ride away! Since I do not have any family members here in the U.S., I always go home during the longer holidays to be with my parents. I know that this can sound like a lot, but flying back home during the holidays is totally doable. Something that has always concerned me was what I would do during the long trip. Here are some things that have worked for me:

  • Try doing online courses during the Summer term! You’ll be using your brain power (it is a great way to stay motivated and sharp during the holiday break) and you’ll be getting some extra credits in, which is awesome!
  • Look for an internship during the summer or winter break! This past summer break, I actually did a month-long internship at a lifestyle magazine back in Jakarta and it was a great experience. I got a feel for what the journalism industry was like, did some writing work, and experienced Jakarta morning traffic like no other.
  • If you have crazy ideas, go for it! Summer breaks can especially get super long but I’ve tried to do as many different activities as possible. Thus far, I’ve learned how to bake, taught myself to play piano, created a blog for myself and even tried vlogging with a couple of my friends! The possibilities are endless!
  • Go on adventures! This past summer, I went to waaaay too many escape rooms: it kept me occupied and allowed me to bond with friends!
  • Holidays are also a great chance for you to catch up on stuff like cleaning, TV shows (I’m guilty of this one), or even getting ahead of school work!

Overall, I try to maintain a healthy balance between having fun and being productive during the holidays! While it can be a great time to rest and relax, I still try to get some work done. Go spend as much time with your loved ones before the semester starts!

Happy holidays!! I’ll be back home in Jakarta attempting (hopefully successfully) to do all of the things I’ve listed above :)

With love,

Fiona