Finally back in Indonesia. For the summer holiday.
Today I took the Bluebird taxi home, the driver was old and friendly, asked a lot of questions about me which felt very sincere and genuine. So I told him about my life in Switzerland. He was so fascinated and curious about how life is on that other side, so I told him the many things I love about the country, about how different it is compared to Indonesia without trying to compare the two countries in a condescending way of course; just basic, realistic comparisons.
At the end of our conversation, he said to me:
"Miss, I'm so happy to hear your stories. I'm so proud to see you thriving there even though I know it must be tough to live in a foreign country all by yourself with no help. You and your family must be very strong. Really, and I really mean it, it makes me happy to hear about it. I think it's very inspiring"
And just like that, my heart felt the warmest warmth I have ever felt in a very long time. And truthfully, I have never heard such a kind, supportive and empowering message said to me like that from the people I would actually love to hear the most from.
Living in a foreign country is indeed very tough, a lot of us quit and return back home. Very few understand this, most just see it as "oh wow you're so lucky, you must be doing well there". It's not at all like that. It's hard. Every time I return home to Indonesia for the holidays, not a single family member of mine ever recognizes this and says something encouraging like how that taxi driver did. This is why I always believe that kindness is usually found amongst strangers. The closest ones just often take you for granted. Mais, c'est la vie. Nothing is perfect. But kindness is real and it happens to you in different ways. 💖