In about a week’s time, I’m going to be off on a 3.5 week trip to Indonesia. It’ll be the first time I’ve visited Asia, and also the first time in a long time that I’ll be travelling with my parents. We’ll be flying into Hong Kong and spending a few days there, before continuing on to Jakarta for a cousin’s wedding, and then off to other areas of Indonesia to visit family and see where my parents grew up, and then to end things off, we’ll be spending about a week in Bali. This will be the longest vacation I’ve taken in a few years, so I’m looking forward to the chance to relax and recharge.

I’m not too sure what to expect other than a lot of heat, humidity, traffic, and good food. I’ve been told our Chinese food here in Vancouver is actually just as good, if not better, than many places in Hong Kong. So while I’ll be excited to try it out, one mission I’m more excited about is going to the White Spot in Hong Kong! We’ll see how it measures up. In Indonesia, we’ll be taken good care of by our extended family, and if there’s one trait that runs through our blood, it’s a love of good food so I’m sure there will be plenty of good eats awaiting us (and hopefully good pics of indulgence for me to post).

Other than food, this will also be a chance for me to see the country where my parents grew up. Pretty amazing to think that after all these years I still haven’t been there to see it. Unfortunately, the last of my grandfather’s siblings just passed away (she was the last of two who were still around when we first started to plan this trip), but there will still be plenty of other family to meet and interesting places to see like the Borobudur, one of the largest Buddhist temples in the world,  and Tangkuban Perahu, an active volcano north of Bandung.

What I’m really interested in is getting a feel for the people and the cities. I know that when I’ve visited my family in Holland and Europe, I’ve always come away with a sense of the community that family creates. I’m curious to see what it’ll be like to be surrounded by extended family in the country where my parents were born.

We’ll be winding things down at the end with about a week in Bali – meeting up with a few cousins and their families, and staying at what sounds to be a pretty posh setup in a bungalow by the beach.

Best of all, when I return it will be summer time in full effect here in Vancouver! Can’t wait for the next few weeks to start!