My Last Good Bye to Indonesia

Yeah, this is the day I was waiting for! I woke up, had Sahur-breakfast, and did my pray. Soon, there were two cars waiting – some of my close relatives’ cars – in front of my house to accompany me to go to the airport. “I can’t wait to see this day,” I thought. I don’t know why I was so excited that time. There would be some amazing experiences I was going to get during this journey. First, I will got to the United States, live there, learn new things, and suffer something maybe. Second, in few hours ahead I would have my first flight – I never take a flight before as it was included in my dreams list until a few hours ahead – going to the International Airport in Jakarta. In addition, my mother will accompany me to go to Jakarta. I hope my mother would enjoy this flight because it was also her first flight.

The last time I met my mother before going to US

My uncles, aunties, grandmas, grandfather, and their children came with me to the Abdurahman Saleh Airport in Malang. Since a family is very important for me, I felt so excited like everyone was there for me.

This is my first flight. What did you feel when you had your first flight? I feel so excited, curious, and can’t wait to take off. But, the Sriwijaya Airlines – which would take me – was late. When I came out through the gate and got in to the aircraft, I saw my family raised their hand saying good bye. Now, I don’t know what my feeling was; felt so happy because I will go or felt sad because I would leave them. But I know that this journey is the best for me. I shouldn’t be sad in pursuing my dreams and I would back to my family later in the next four years. I was going with Timmy, Anik, Wanda and Dade. Timmy is my friends in the university I will get in while Dade, Anik, and Wanda would go to the college.

On The Sky

I was using my seat belt when the aircraft was starting to move. My mother and I sat in the left side of the aircraft. My mother sat at the middle of the three-seats and I was at the bank to the center. We could see through out the window in our left side. I felt like in a roller coaster game and increasing pressure in my ears when we took off. We were going to flight in 32000 altitudes and I can’t imagine how high it is. My mother always looked at the window and so did I. I didn’t know what my mom feeling is, but I felt so happy considering that my mom got her first flight because of me.

In Jakarta

Oh...Jakarta is terribly hot. I couldn’t imagine what if I live in Jakarta. May be I will look like a fried patty. We were going to Sampoerna Strategic Square to sign some financial contract. The parents were invited to Jakarta because they need to sign some ‘guarantor’ documents. Putera Sampoerna Foundation gave me access to this abroad study opportunity by giving me a student assistant.  

Airport Last God Bye

We were ready to go. We have dot all the documents needed and about 3 pm we were ready to go. The traffic jam was so bad. We took more than an hour to the airport. At the airport, I and my mother took our asr pray then be back to the gate. Soekarno-Hatta international airport is cool, so much better than the airport in Malang which is so small. The saddest moment was here. It was time to say good bye to my mother, the woman who I love most. It was hard to do it. I tried my best to hold my tears. I didn’t want to cry because I had to be strong. “No man is crying Angga,” I tried to hold my feeling. I didn’t want my mom to feel so lost because of me. But I could not do that. I hug my mother and I said sorry for everything I have ever hurt her. I was so close to tears.

After saying good bye, the problem came up even before we get to the plane. Time is the problem. We would go in a ten-student group. So, we thought that it was a good idea to do the group check in. We queue in the group check in line. There was only a man with several lug gages behind them. Soon, the regular check in line was filled up with people. “Oh, it was a good idea to get into the group check in,” we thought. Then a man came with about twenty lug gages behind us. However, the man in front of us took a very long time. Soon, we know that he is a travel agent. We were regret that we did the group in check in. But that was fine considering that one baggage more, we thought. However, the immigration officer called the man behind us to come up because he was in the same travel agent so that the officer could put the luggage information easier. We were almost hot. Finally, our turn was very close to the boarding time. We made it. But I got a trouble. My baggage was so heavy so I need to take some of the load if I didn’t want to pay a hundred dollars. Who wants to pay a hundred dollars only for 2 kilos excess-load charge? I was so upset. But Wanda helped me to carry some of my load in her bag. She is so kind at that time. We went to the immigration line and it’s so long line. Our flight was in a minute. Fortunately, Timmy took an initiative to tell to the people in front of us that we were almost miss the flight and the man was so kind to let us be first. We run and run. We really run to get to the aircraft. We did it!Good bye Indonesia! Wait for me next four years!