Before I begin, though, I’d like to give a little disclaimer about the limitations of my experiences and my opinions as an exchange student. Although I have met many exchange students in the first month that I arrived in Newcastle, I know that not everything I will say can account for the countless differences of ups, downs, and in-betweens of traveling as an exchange student. Everything I write is not a representation of all exchange students, but that doesn’t mean that no one will be able to relate to them.
I came here with a group of nine other people through a program called the Indonesian International Mobility Awards (IISMA) and so far, I’ve visited local coffee shops, art galleries, and Sunday markets around Newcastle. Now, I can talk all day about how every visit is worth another shot, but as an exchange student, the challenges we face in the process can’t be ignored at face value. It’s easier to admit that these travels have been the best times of my life, but like all things, it hasn’t always been filled with sunshine and rainbows.
The first feeling I’ve noticed was created by none other than my own anxious and self-conscious mind. When you travel as a group with people who look not much different than you, it’s comforting and easier to get around and explore. So, the moment I decide to go out to coffee shops or galleries alone, I become almost too self-conscious of how I look (especially when I wear the hijab, but that’s another topic to be discussed!) and the trip feels like a burden rather than a vacation. It’s something I’m still working on, even now, but thankfully, it has gotten easier the more often I push myself. Starting from the weekly groceries and daily class commuting, I’ll soon be able to walk around Ouseburn and stumble upon a hidden gem.
It has gotten easier the more often I push myself
Something that’s also quite obvious, though not at first, is the weather. I knew that by choosing to go to the UK for my exchange experience, I would be sacrificing the calming warm weather of the tropics, but what I didn’t know was that even the most trusted weather forecast can’t predict what the next hour will be like outside. It’s not just about the cold that you have to adapt to, but also not knowing what the cloud and winds will bring in the next hour while at the same time, trying to look out over the scenery with backup plans ready in case it suddenly rains.
Finally, one thing I overlooked completely is commuting. Despite growing up in the city of Bandung, city life in Newcastle is different when it comes to transportation. Using public transportation, especially Gojek (the “Uber” of Indonesia), is the highlight of my everyday commute, but now, living near the city center of Newcastle has forced me to normalize walking to go everywhere. Even when traveling to see other cities, walking is always the best option to make the most of the scenery. Until now, I never thought about how exhaustion can take away a lot of the anticipated excitement. It can sometimes hit you like a bullet once you’re home, but most of the time, all the walking (and talking since I’m an introvert) slowly takes up both my mental and physical energy.
In the end, these realities are always outweighed by (yes, dare I say it) the friends I make along the way and the unforgettable moments once I am there (shout out to The Biscuit Factory in Shieldfield!). The indescribable reward of seeing and being in places you wouldn’t have imagined to be in, as cliche as it sounds, can never be recreated again is a privilege and honor. Although comfort zones are broken (more than you want them to sometimes) and all the mental and physical exhaustion can build up to an unexpected amount, the reward of standing in the same spot that that one particular Harry Potter scene was filmed in or spontaneously stumbling into a play in a nearby art gallery can outweigh everything that I’ve cursed over ever since I got here.