SKY BLUE REVERIES

Before I moved, I was just this girl going back and forth between home and school. As a kid that was the only world I knew of. Nothing less nothing more. I watched Indian movies or telenovela after I came home from school. I went to an Islamic private school and I had never set my feet outside the Java island. But all of that changed in 2006.



The image of arriving in Schiphol airport for the first time is a bit blurry in my brain. I remember Aunt E. and Uncle T. picked us up at the airport, I remember the Burger King but that's all I remember.  What took me by surprise was how cold it was. It was in September or October when we arrived hence the whether was chilly. There were many first times for me on that day we arrived. It was a bit overwhelming for a nine year old girl to handle whom her world was drastically changed from the heat of Jakarta to the cold dutch breeze.

Fast forward to a few days later we moved to our apartment. Our apartment that was still empty and unfurnished. Slowly we made that apartment as our comfy home for the next four years. I also had to experience something that pushes me outside of my comfort zone, school. I remember I read a novel as a kid that was about a girl named Mallory who moved to a new town and had to start all over again at her new school. Little did I know, I was about to experience it myself. But in my case it was different. I moved to a different continent, a country with a whole other set of customs and culture.

School. I can talk for hours about this topic. Don't know honestly where to begin, where to stop, or  what I exactly want to tell. I think the word that suits the most for this particular topic is life-changing. If someone ask me what period of time of my life is my favorite, I can easily answer without any hesitation and that would be my elementary school years in Delft. It was a time where everything felt exciting and new.  To my teachers who all have left an everlasting memory in my heart, juf Els, juf Bianca, juf Danielle, meester Peter, and juf Yvonne. I'm eternally grateful for the countless support and lessons you've given to me.

I learned for the first time that studying can be fun. Students were allowed to think outside of the box and to express their opinions. I realized later on that those two things are extremely rare in the Indonesian education system. Honestly I can't remember feeling stressed out during my elementary years. I feel like all I did was play. I mean sure I was studying history, math, English, Dutch, geography and all sort of stuff, but it was all done in such a way where there was no pressure involved. I mean I remember very clearly that all I did after school was hop from one playground to another or played trampoline in my friend's garden for hours and drink lemonade. It was amazing. To feel free, happy, and stress-free.

My final year in elementary school played a huge part in making this experience wonderful. To start, it was the year where I got the main character for the annual play and the play was My Fair Lady. That year I learned the beauty of drama. I learned how much fun it can be to play other characters that are not even remotely close to your own. Meester Peter who taught me the art of improv and made me feel confident performing on stage. Till this day, I still wish I can learn more about drama and be part of a drama club or something like that...

That final year was closed with a one week school trip to Gelderland. The long bicycle rides along the hills, the beautiful landscapes that we passed, the art museum, poker night, gala, now all of them feels like a dream and out of my reach.


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I think no matter how old I am, I can never stop talking about my experience in the Netherlands. As much as I want to tell every single bit of my experience, I know I have to stop myself. It truly gives me joy as I'm making this post and reminiscing about the past. But nothing good comes out from thinking too much about the past. It only leaves me with a bittersweet feeling. Because I know it's all in the past and it can never be replayed. All those tingling excitement can never be felt again. There's a big chance that I might never see the majority of my friends again no matter how much I miss them.


I still have this vivid image of saying good bye to my close friends. It was in a playground close to my elementary school. As I walked away from them,  I stop at every three meters to look back and wave to them. They all just stood in one place and kept waving until the both of us lost a clear image of each other. And I remember I had tears in my eyes as I walked back home because I realized that was it.

All the good and bad stuff that happened back then has such a strong influence for making me the person that I am today and I won't change any bit of it. I'm ready for a new chapter in my life, for a new adventure, for feeling excited and scared at the same time.















P.S I don't think this will be my last post related to my childhood years in Delft