“To me, Indonesia is family, friends. Indonesia is beauty, and mountains, and tropical beaches. What makes it so amazing is definitely the people. Strangers will create small talk with you and make you feel significant, even on a bad day. Neighbors will invite you for dinner and sweets for no reason but just to be kind and affectionate. Elders and adults treat you on the same level as them. Leaving the country was definitely hard for all of these reasons, including the number of amazing friends I made over the course of 2 and a half months. Going on this trip to Yogyakarta, Indonesia with the USINDO Summer Language Study Program may have been the best decision I have made. Without a doubt, it was the best 2.5-3 months of my life.”

–  Winona Zaky, 2015 Summer Studies Participant