The Puhh-Dough.

Leaving people is hard. Leaving people that I have fallen completely in love with is even harder. I have just arrived home from debatably the best four days of my life, the YES Abroad Pre-Departure Orientation. Aka, the PDO. Or as I like to call it, the Puhh-Dough. Charis and I drove up to the 4-H Conference Center together on Wednesday. Pulling up to the place that I wasn't sure I would ever see again brought on so many different emotions. The excitement hit me, and things became real. We quickly checked in and were given our room assignments, our official YES t-shirts, YES tote bags, and our handbooks. We were super excited about those shirts, let me tell ya. The rooms were assigned based on alphabetical order. So, I roomed with Maria, Mae, and Marin (Thailand, Oman, and South Africa.) Our first night was spent eating dinner, going over introductions, and meeting the rest of our country groups. We also had to plan for what we would do if a zombie apocalypse happened when we touched down in our country. 4/8 Indo girls said they would chose me to be their partner in crime because you know, I'm from Montana and know how to survive and stuff.

Your 2013-2014 YES Abroad Indonesia Girls! From left to right, Carly, Sarah, Me, Emily W, Izzy, Emily R, Ellen, and Bree

The second we sat down at our round table, I knew that our Indonesia group was a match made in heaven! We have the largest group, and it's all girls. Can you say girl power? After an incredibly long day, it was time for bed. Well, let's be honest, my room didn't fall asleep until around 2:00 AM. But you know, that's another story. The next day was FANTASTIC. After breakfast, we boarded a bus to the State Department, where we then hopped on another bus with the YES Indonesia inbound students who were just finishing their years in the US. Together, we rode over to the Indonesian Embassy. To say it was a party would be an understatement. I first connected with a girl named Ade who, go figure, was hosted in Great Falls, Montana! We instantly bonded. 

Ade and I after arriving at the Embassy

Our time at the embassy began with us taking hundreds of pictures. (Indonesians are super into selfies and Instagram. Can I get a hallelujah?) We then all sat down and listened to a speech by the one and only, Dr. Dino Patti Djalal, the Indonesian ambassador to the United States. I could try and sum up all of the great things he had to say but, I think that this video gives him more justice. 
Click here to hear the Indonesian Ambassador's speech!
Here's a funny story. After the speech, the ambassador came right up to me and asked if I wanted to take a selfie. Yes, a selfie. So, of course I did.

My selfie with Mr. Ambassador. Word.

After the speech, it was time for food. I couldn't tell you everything we ate but, it was pretty good. There was rice, (of course,) satai, and other things that I can't pronounce. It was all very, very good.

A little bit of the food I tasted

The rest of our time at the embassy was spent talking with the inbounds, singing songs around the piano, and dancing. At the end of our visit, some students wanted to show us their traditional dance. Apparently all Indonesians are blessed with amazing dance abilities. So, they got up there and did there thing. Of course, me being Mallory, I had to get up there and try dancing along with them. Now, I usually consider myself a fairly great dancer but, I was put in my place. I ended up looking quite silly but, you know, when in Rome.

In the few hours I spent at the Embassy, I fell in love with the Indonesian students. Every single one of them was welcoming, friendly, humble, and grounded. All apprehensions I had about spending a year amongst kids I didn't know were quickly put to rest. 

Indo girls in front of the Embassy

Indonesian statue outside of the Embassy

Party at the Indonesian Embassy!

Sarah and her newfound friends

Izzy and I making our best Indonesian faces

It was so beautiful inside!

Best friends!

When it was finally time to leave, we said our goodbyes and hopped on a bus to the Department of State. After going through security, our YES country groups were lead into a large conference room. We were then addressed by  Rick Ruth, Senior Advisor at the Bureau of Cultural and Education Affairs. He gave us some very inspiring words, and discussed his goals for us and our upcoming years. Following that, we then had a Q&A with a panel of State Department employees who represented our countries. The panel was incredible, many of them having multiple degrees and perfect SAT vocabulary. Myself and the other YES kids posed great questions, and overall the session was a success. 

In front of the State Department

Following our time at the Department of State, we then walked to the Lincoln Memorial where we were given time to explore and take lots of pictures.

Looking super professional with my favorite Floridian, Christian

Indo girls at the Lincoln Monument!

From there, we headed back to the 4-H center. The next day was spent having multiple workshops on religion, digital storytelling, health and safety, and my personal favorite, "not good, not bad, just different." Of course, in the midst of all these workshops the Indo girls had more bonding time and took even more pictures. 

Attempting our best Indonesian poses

Indo dinner date!

With what seemed like the blink of an eye, the PDO was over. The dreaded moment had finally arrived. It was time to say our goodbyes. For some country groups, it meant they were headed right off to India and Thailand. For others, it meant returning back to their homes and awaiting their departure dates. No matter the case, it was rough on everyone. YES Abroad is a family. And although family members may not see each other often, and although they may live all over the globe, they always hold a special place in your heart. So, with that said, Watch out, world. Because the YES Abroad 2013-2014 class is coming for you, and we've got big things planned. 

Until next time,

     You know who

Cupcakes, Suburbia, Courage Bracelets, and Segways: My Week with Charis

June 20th. The day had finally arrived that I would be reunited with my best YES friend, Charis. We hadn't seen each other since way back in March at the IPSE, but over the course of a few months we had grown to be pretty close and decided I needed to take a visit. My plane touched down in Reagan International Airport and the excitement started to build. I sprinted. Ran. Skipped. All the way over to her. You could say our reunion was a good one but, that would be an understatement. 

I could probably write a novel about our week together. However, I think these videos do more justice. Our first day was spent prancing in the river and being nature enthusiasts. 

And on another day, we went for a segway adventure in Annapolis. Now, I don't know if any of you have ever rode segways but, they aren't for sissies. Charis and I OWNED those Segways. Our first hour was spent getting a historical tour of the area. We visited the Naval Academy, the Governor's Mansion, haunted mansions, and the Thurgood Marshal Monument. Little known fact here, it is nearly impossible to fall off of a segway. In fact, our tour guide had only ever had one person fall off in all her years working there. Well, in an attempt to warn me that a car was coming, Charis took quite the spill. Yep. She was the unfortunate one to fall off of the segway. Her injuries included two very scraped knees, a scratch on her chin and elbow, and a few bruises. Thankfully, she survived. After the tour, we were given an hour of free time to explore the rest of Annapolis. It was an excellent day.

Charis and I on the docks of Annapolis

In front of the Naval Academy

We also spent a day in Baltimore Inner Harbor. Baltimore was beautiful. We went to a candy store and of course, the candy addict I am had to spend ten dollars on candy. It was heavenly. We walked around the water, visited a few shops, and grabbed some lunch from a cute little restaurant.

So Marylanders have this strange obsession with this Old Bay seasoning stuff. I really don't understand the fascination.

That candy store... It was prodigious. 

Down by the water

And finally, our last day together was spent adventuring/navigating/exploring D.C. All. By. Ourselves. As two girls who are spending their upcoming years in cities larger than NYC, we figured it would be a good idea to learn how to navigate these places alone. So. We did.

First, we found ourselves trapped in the Metro. Thankfully, we found a nice man that was willing to help us out. We made our way to the Smithsonian American History Museum. I fell in LOVE with this place. The exhibits were so enthralling and well put together. It was great to see all of the American history I had learned this year in one place. My favorite exhibit was hands down the First Ladies Exhibit that showed all of their inaugural gowns. I was hardcore fangirling those dresses, let me tell ya. After the Smithsonian, we walked all the way over to the Washington Monument, the FDR Monument, and the MLK Jr. Monument. 

Washington Monument

MLK Jr.

After a few monuments, we then thought it would be a good idea to walk to Georgetown just to get my taste of Georgetown Cupcakes. The walk was long, blazing hot, and super sweaty. But let me tell ya, those cupcakes were worth it. 

D.C. Cupcakes at last!

I should be a cupcake model.

Chocolate ganache, lemon zest, salted caramel, and chocolate peanut butter.

And just like that, the best week ever had come and gone. The few days we spent together were so special. And though we may not see each other for another year, and although we will be on separate continents, there is no doubt in my mind that our friendship won't keep on keepin on. So ladies and gentlemen, keep your eyes out for Charis and Mallory. We're coming for you.

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With Every Ending Comes A New Beginning

Well, BHS. It's been real and it's been fun. It's been real fun. Today, I spent the last few hours with the high school that I have come to know and love. Bozeman High School has been so much more than a place to try and learn a thing or two. Over the course of the past three years, my life has been full of change and experiences. There have been many defining experiences with Bozeman High that have shaped me into the person that I am today.

I can't say that I remember my first day at Bozeman High. Let's be honest, my memory sucks. But I do remember my first pep rally, with Purcell's famous Homecoming speech. I remember spending countless hours online trying to find a sublime dress for my first school dance. I remember going to the Prom as a freshman, apprehensive of how elegant all the upperclassmen girls were. I remember winning State football freshman year and realizing just how much Hawk Pride exists. I remember the support I got the summer my friend died, from teachers who weren't even my teachers anymore. I remember the spirit weeks and the bad-ass outfits we were able to come up with. I remember UCA cheer camp with my team and making memories. I remember the countless classes I took with teachers who went the extra mile. I remember the Project X2 meetings where I would sit in awe of the amazing students that were in the club, with lofty lists of accomplishments. I remember the first day I ran Hawk Compliments, and the tears I shed seeing the affection of BHS. I remember cruising on my scooter down the narrow hallways, with nothing but a big smile plastered on my face.

Whether you realize it or not, Bozeman High is filled with so many passionate, dedicated, good-hearted people. And though I am just realizing this now, it's an idea that I will run with in the future.
So. What next? Severing ties with BHS will not be easy for me. However, I know I am leaving prepared, and ready to take on whatever the world throws at me next. And thankfully, I won't ever have to make the trek from Junior Lot into N-Wing.

Until next time,
Mallory

Bucket List: Indonesia Edition

I suppose you could say that I have big plans for my year abroad. Here are a few things I hope to accomplish. If you have anything else I should add, let me know!

1. Become fluent in Bahasa Indonesia, AKA Indonesian. I have a feeling that this may be a little tricky saying as how Indo has more than 2,000 dialects. But hey, a girl can try!
2. Take a visit to Bali. I find Bali fascinating, mostly because it's the one island in Indonesia that isn't predominantly Muslim. It's Hindu! I would love to see and experience another religion in addition to Islam. I've also heard that the religious ceremonies of the island are very cool!
3. Wear a hijab. I have a feeling I may be doing that a lot.
4. Volunteer! I think this will be important because it will help keep me grounded, remind me that things aren't as bad as they seem. 
5. Learn to bargain! I like to think I'm already pretty persuasive and loud so hopefully that will help me out.
6. Become a badminton champ. Badminton is super popular in Indo. Luckily for me, I was the sophomore gym class champion!
7. Clothes, clothes, clothes. I want to get lots of them.
8. Swim in the ocean. I need to get back in touch with my mermaid roots.
9. Make my host family some sort of American meal, mac and cheese and chocolate chip cookies?
10. Keep up with my blog. 

Local Pre-Departure Orientation

Today I had a local Pre-Departure Orientation. This local PDO was for all AFS kids in the area who would be going abroad next year. I'm going to be totally honest, it was boring. Upon my arrival, I immediately scoped out Eleanor, (Thailand,) who is from Helena. We were roommates at the IPSE so it was so great to see her again! I actually saw some familiar faces from my school who I had no idea were going to be going abroad. Anyway. The PDO consisted of talking about culture shock, expectations of the program, and safety. Everything we discussed were things I had already known from constant YES blog stalking. Within two hours, the PDO was over. 

After being home for a few hours, I've had some serious reflection time. It's amazing how shocked people are to find out that I will be spending a year in Indonesia. An AFS volunteer asked me where I was going. When I told him, he then started telling me how naive Indonesians are about different religions and how difficult living in a Muslim country would be. This really caught me off guard. I mean, I'm perfectly aware that going to Indonesia will be difficult, but, I certainly wasn't expecting an AFS volunteer to look down upon the country and its people. At the start of the PDO, everyone had to stand up, introduce themselves, and say where they were going. There were plenty of kids going to Argentina, Italy, France, Spain, and other European countries. Their introductions were met with smiles, nodding heads, and approving facial expressions. But when I got up and boldly said, "I'm Mallory and I'll be spending a year in Indonesia," Well, I got a response of awkward stares, puzzling facial expressions, and I even heard someone say, "Where's Indonesia?" I guess I shouldn't have been surprised. But, I was once again reminded of just how important YES Abroad is. No one knows about Indonesia. No one knows about Islam. Hey, I don't know much about them either. But, I'm hoping to gain some insight and become more globally aware one day at a time. 

Happily reunited with my other Montana girl, Eleanor!

Why?

The more I try to tell people about leaving for a year, the more bizarre questions I get. People ask me things like, "Why would you want to leave for your SENIOR year?" "Will you even know anyone there?" "Who cares about Muslims?" Why. Why. Why. Well, to be honest, I struggled answering these questions myself. Last night I found myself on a long drive with one of my best friends. We chased the sunset as it fell behind the mountains, all while singing some Billy Joel and Bon Iver. As we made our way all over town, I couldn't help but think about how much I would miss little moments like this next year. I'll miss my family, my friends, my senior football season, my cheer team, being able to understand what people are saying, Naked Noodle, Nutella, Uswirl, and so many other things, I don't think I can list them all. So, with all of these things I'm leaving behind, why would I want to go abroad?

For the longest time, ever since I was probably twelve, I've had this urge. It's something I've never been able to explain or really put into words. I would find myself looking up at the clouds and thinking how jealous I was that they could float around all day and go all over the globe watching people. I wanted to be able to do that same thing. I wanted to wander, to explore. YES is giving me that opportunity. I've become very aware of the people that live in the constant safety net of their lifestyle and everything they know to be familiar. I don't want to be one of those people. I don't want to become stagnant. Over the past two years, I've lost two very good friends of mine. Through that experience, I've learned just how short life is. You just don't know how quickly it can be taken away from you, so I'm trying to love every minute and make it as rich as possible. I'm going so I can understand the feeling of being outside my comfort zone. I'm going to be a role model to not only my younger siblings, but also to my peers who have wanted to make a difference but aren't sure how. Let's be honest, I'm going for the food. I'm going so I can learn a new language. I'm going because we live in a country where you can go anywhere you want, and we should take advantage of that!

So. If you still are confused as to why I decided to hop across the globe and leave behind everything that I know, well I'm afraid you just might not "get it." 

IPSE 101

So for those of you who aren't aware, if chosen as a YES semifinalist, you get to attend the In Person Selection Event. This year, the IPSE was in D.C. for the first time! Here's my IPSE journey.

The day had finally arrived. My alarm woke me up at 3:45 AM to catch the redeye flight to Minneapolis at 6 AM. Even though I'm not typically a morning person, I was wide eyed and ready to go. The three weeks leading up to this day had gone by surprisingly fast. My dad took me to the lovely five gate airport of Bozeman and we parted ways. The flight from Bozeman to Minneapolis was uneventful. And I had but a quick layover in Minneapolis. Next thing I knew, I was on my flight to D.C. Looking back on my journal, it's strange to remember how nervous I was feeling in that moment before I touched down in D.C. "I am currently sitting on a plane in Minneapolis, awaiting takeoff to Washington, D.C. Within a few hours, my future for next year will begin to be determined. My plane is beginning to move. My heart is starting to beat fast, and my hands are shaking so much it's difficult to keep writing. Over the past few weeks, I've created online friendships with several other semis. They will all soon be more than just pictures on Facebook. They will be real. The IPSE is supposed to be like the Hunger Games. But in reality, I feel like we are all long lost siblings coming together for the first time. I have so much love for all these kids. I hope they all get their top choice country and get to go on an adventure of a lifetime. We are all in this together, and I can only hope for the best." I finally arrived in D.C. and felt so so so excited. I went and found a YES representative. I was the only one there but soon more people began showing up. The first familiar face I saw was Sarah Ketterhagen. We threw our arms around each other and people were curious as to how we already knew each other because there weren't a whole lot of us in the Facebook group. Catherine came next and gave me one of the 120 friendship bracelets she made for all the semis. After a few minutes of chatting and playing a few icebreakers our round of shuttles came and got us.

Our bus ride into D.C. was probably one of the coolest things of my life. We were all so happy to finally be together! We drove past a few monuments which was super cool for the small town girl that I am. After a short ride, we arrived at the conference center!

This picture just doesn't do this place justice. It was HUGE. And it was pretty easy to get lost in. Upon arrival, we all checked, were given our handbooks, nametags and room assignments. Let me tell ya, I was all about those name tags. I mean, just look at how professional they are!

Each room had four people (the room had bunk beds.) My roomies were Eleanor, Alanna, and Brianna. You could say they were pretty cool but, that would be an understatement. And the craziest part was, Eleanor was from Montana too! Who woulda thought? Anyways, after getting situated in my room, I found Charis!! 

You could say we were pretty stoked to see each other. After a few hours of wandering around the hotel, we had an introduction meeting. Another excerpt from my journal, "The super famous Allen Evans walked into the room along with all of the other evaluators and State Department members. It was intense. There were multiple speakers who told us how brave we were for having interest in the YES countries. These countries aren't easy, and YES isn't a big vacation. It's a job. It was an intense meeting that sparked fear, excitement, determination, and readiness all at once. It made me want YES SO MUCH MORE." After the meeting it was dinner time. Charis and I went... nuts. It was buffet style with an extensive dessert bar. We seriously had ice cream and cake and cookies at every meal. 

So yeah, the food was good. The rest of the evening consisted of more hanging out and adventuring with Charis. Curfew was at ten. By that time, I was exhausted. I was out like a lightbulb. The next day was quite busy for me. First, we had a workshop where we were put into small groups and we discussed our journey of being American.

After, we had group evaluations. I can't say much about it, but, it was really fun! Shout out to group J! We had a total of two group evals. Later that day, I also had my personal interview. You could say I was freaking out. Here's my interview outfit.

In between all of that stuff, we had a ton of down time. And I mean, a ton. But that was totally okay with me because I had no problem with hanging out with all of my new friends... AKA, Charis. Saturday night was difficult because we were all leaving the next day. But, we made the best of it. Some of us had a little dance party out on the patio. 

Sunday morning, we had our closing ceremony with everyone. Allen said, "Raise your hand if you've made a new friends this weekend." Charis and I looked at each other and shot our hands in the air, while our inside hands were clasped together. From there, we all had to grab our stuff and leave. It was rough. I had to try really hard to keep the tears in my eyes. I hated not knowing if I was ever going to see these amazing kids again. 

So that was it. I was headed home from my short lived, fantasy weekend in D.C. For those of you who are considering applying, get ready to create some of the greatest friendships. The IPSE was magical.