WEEKLY JOURNEY – Four Weeks, A Thousand Stories

Week 1 – The Beginning That Felt Unreal

My journey began on January 11th from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta. I still remember the mix of feelings excited, nervous, and a little overwhelmed, because this was something I had been waiting for.

I had a long transit at Changi Airport in Singapore for about 13 hours, and somehow, instead of feeling tired, I felt even more excited. It felt like the journey had already started long before I reached my destination.

After arriving in Manila early in the morning, I continued my flight to Laoag. When I finally arrived, I was warmly welcomed by Ma’am Ferlinda and my buddy, Iren, and that moment instantly made everything feel lighter.

I wasn’t alone in this journey. From Universitas Muhammadiyah Purwokerto, there were four of us assigned to Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) me (Sarah Az Zahra), Arnesya, Damar, and Reihan. Even though we came from the same university, this experience still felt new for all of us.

On the first day, we were introduced to the College of Teacher Education (CTE), had a campus tour, and then went to Magnolia Dormitory, which later became our second home.

During this first week, we focused on adjusting getting to know the campus, the environment, and the people around us. But at the same time, we had already started exploring outside.

We went to Batac City even in the first week. At that time, the campus was preparing for the 47th Foundation Anniversary of MMSU, and even though we were just observing, the atmosphere was already lively and exciting.

We also had time to go to a café and visit the beach area. Everything felt so new, but also so exciting. It was the beginning of something I knew would become unforgettable.

Week 2 – Beach, New Friends, and an International Experience

In the second week, everything started to feel more complete.

At the beginning of the week, we went to the beach area around Fort Ilocandia together. It was such a refreshing moment after days of adapting, we finally had time to just relax, enjoy the view, take pictures, and spend time together.

But this week became even more special because two new SEA Teacher participants joined us.

They were Albi and Theo from Universitas PGRI Kalimantan, and from that moment, our group became complete six of us, living together, learning together, and going through everything side by side.

We started classroom observations more seriously, and not only that we also helped teachers in class. Sometimes we assisted, sometimes we interacted directly with students, and sometimes we even felt like we were already part of the teaching process.

Then came one of the most exciting moments.

We went again to Batac, this time for an international event at the main campus. There, we met many international students who were also part of different programs.

Some of them had joined exchange programs to countries like Indonesia, Japan, and Vietnam. Some participated in academic or cultural programs similar to SEA Teacher, and some even joined international competitions or what they described as “City Tour / cultural exchange programs.”

They presented their experiences one by one sharing where they went, what they learned, and what they experienced.

We sat there, listening, watching, and honestly feeling inspired. It made me realize how wide the world is and how many opportunities exist beyond what we usually see.

The event was held in a large building in Batac, and the atmosphere was very lively. We were warmly welcomed, interacted with them, and even had lunch together.

It didn’t feel like we were just visitors it felt like we were part of a global community.

On that day, we were also expected to wear traditional attire. Even though we didn’t wear full traditional outfits, we wore batik, and it still felt meaningful to represent Indonesia.

From this week, everything changed.

We were no longer just participants we became a team. A small family of six people, sharing the same space, the same experiences, and the same journey.

Week 3 – Late Nights, Pressure, and the Most Proud Moment

Week three was the most intense week of all.

During the day, we continued classroom observation and helped teachers in class. Sometimes we assisted, and sometimes we were trusted to engage more directly with the students, almost like we were already teaching.

But the real struggle and also the most meaningful part happened at night.

Almost every night, we stayed together in the dorm, working on our lesson plans and PowerPoint presentations. The format used in the Philippines was more complex than what we were used to, so we really had to adjust.

We discussed everything together, shared ideas, corrected each other, and helped one another. Sometimes we felt tired, sometimes confused but we never went through it alone.

Those nights were full of effort, laughter, stress, and support all mixed into one.

At the same time, we were also preparing for our performance at Batac.

And finally, the day came.

We performed the song Apuse on stage during the Foundation Anniversary.

I wore a Javanese traditional outfit, Arnesya wore Balinese traditional clothing, Damar, Reihan, Albi and Theo wore batik, and Theo also performed using SAPE, a traditional instrument from Kalimantan.

Standing on that stage, representing Indonesia together, was one of the proudest moments in my life.

It was not just a performance it was a moment I will always remember.

Week 4 – Final Moments and Letting Go

The last week was a mix of everything teaching, preparing to go home, and trying to enjoy every last moment.

We continued our teaching activities, including demo teaching, which became one of the most important parts of the program. It was the moment where everything we had prepared finally came together.

At the same time, we were also slowly preparing to go home buying souvenirs, shopping for small things, and revisiting places we loved.

We spent more time going out together sometimes just the six of us, sometimes with our buddies exploring, laughing, and making the most of the little time we had left.

We also returned to Batac one last time to visit the MMSU Museum, where we learned about the history of the university and important figures connected to it. It felt like a meaningful way to close our journey understanding the place that had become part of our story.

And at that point, everything felt real.

We were about to leave.