We just finished our Mid-Service Conference. The group of volunteers I’m in has been in Indonesia for about 17 months. The conference was held in a hotel in the capital of our province. We stayed at the hotel for 11 days. It was wonderful. Beds were made every day. Towels were fresh. I’ve never felt so pampered in 17 months! I was finally able to scrub out the bike oil stain from my leg. That alone is success in my book.
During our stay, I even got my hands on an outdated Pottery Barn catalog. That afternoon, I unashamedly stayed in my hotel, ate an Oreo blizzard, and perused those pages for hours in my underwear. I definitely needed the inspiration that came from the beautiful organization in that catalog. Browsing through a Pottery Barn catalog was like therapy for me. I soaked in the organization, the clean lines, and the (omg) symmetry. It helped calm my mind. It helped make my return to permanent site easier.
When I got back to my village, I saw it so differently. 11 days is a long time away. As much as I enjoyed the time away, I missed my site. I missed Kediri. I missed my home. My life in Kediri still seems so disorganized, but thanks to some Pottery Barn therapy, I think I can tackle the last nine months in cool stride.
