Indonesia: Benjamin Wiest (A Home Away From Home in Ambon City)

Two people hold up three fingers sideways and sit on a half wall.
Me and my Om (uncle) Ceky at his family home in Serum Island.

The Green Moluccas office has become a home for me, far away from my actual home, Wisconsin. I am used to showing up everyday and greeting all the aunties and coworkers with a “pagi! Apa kabar?” (Morning! How are you?)…

I will miss them all very much.

My daily life has been filled with new habits and new patterns. Cleaning the forest and getting a sweat broken first thing during my work day is something I will miss. I felt the workout along with the nature healing helped my energy greatly. My coworker friends are like family to me at this point and have been more of a community to me than any I have encountered in my actual home town, Madison Wisconsin, where there is little communal community.

Arriving at the office and slapping Om Ceky’s hand. Hearing Amannnnnnn with a smile come out of our mouths as we do it. These will be the hard parts to move away from. I do plan to return after graduation, for at least some time. So this farewell seems impermanent, I am happy about that.

 

Benjamin holds up his black cat.

Benjamin Wiest

Hometown: Madison, Wisconsin

Major: Human Development and Family Studies

Program: Green Moluccas Environmental Outreach Internships

My goal is to become familiar with world-wide consciousness as I have never traveled abroad! This means meeting others and witnessing other, foreign cultures in depth!  I look forward to learning about the social-culture and social-norms in the city where I am living.

The summer time-span made the experience sound less intimidating than a semester abroad, and my internship requirement for my major is met by my community work as an intern on the island.

To explore international internship options available to UW–Madison undergraduate students, visit the intern abroad webpage or meet with an Intern Abroad advisor.