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

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 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.