When we moved to Indonesia, people imagined one long, glamorous, Eat Pray Love experience.

Palm trees.
Infinity pools.
Spiritual awakenings.

Reality?

We started in Jakarta.

And Jakarta said:

“Welcome. Please enjoy traffic, humidity, and a mild identity crisis.”

Jakarta: Baptism by Megacity

We only lived in Jakarta for four months.

But those four months?

Felt like four years of emotional growth packed into a jet-lagged blur.

I arrived with:

✔ A baby
✔ No furniture
✔ Total disorientation
✔ Questionable confidence

The Empty House Era

Our shipment hadn’t arrived yet.

So there I was…

In a massive house…

With absolutely nothing in it.

No couch.
No chairs.
No distractions.

Just me, sitting on the floor thinking:

“What in the actual hell did I get us into?”

Pack ’n Play = MVP

My baby slept in a Pack ’n Play for months.

And that humble little travel crib became:

Familiar
Safe
Predictable
My emotional support furniture

Because when your entire world flips upside down, tiny comforts matter big time.

Finding My Lifelines

Somewhere between panic and adaptation, I found:

🇦🇺 ANZA (Australia New Zealand Association)
The company expat wife group

Absolute sanity savers.

ANZA: Coffee, Babies & Survival

They welcomed me despite my very obvious lack of Australian credentials.

“You have a baby? Come sit with us.”

Suddenly:

Coffee dates
Playgroups
Women who got it

The Expat Wife Group: Instant Community

These women took me under their wing with breathtaking kindness.

They introduced me to:

Activities
Outings
How to function in Jakarta
Friendship

Because expat women understand something deeply:

We were all new once.

Then… Plot Twist: Pekanbaru

Just as Jakarta stopped feeling completely overwhelming…

We were relocated to Pekanbaru, Sumatra.

Cue emotional whiplash round two!

Breaking Big News (All at Once)

When I told my nanny, Ibu Atik, we were moving…

I also told her:

I was pregnant with #2

Because why deliver life updates in manageable portions?

Her Reaction Was Not What I Expected

Instead of sadness…

Instead of hesitation…

She essentially said:

“Okay, we’re coming too.”

Excuse me?

What She Did Next Still Blows My Mind

She went home and told her husband:

She would leave him if he didn’t agree to BOTH:

Moving with us
The pregnancy news

Reader, he agreed 😆

And just like that…

They came with us.

More Than a Nanny

Atik became:

My security blanket
My constant
My translator of life
My friend

Because when everything keeps changing, the people who stay matter the most.

Pekanbaru: A Completely Different World

If Jakarta was sensory overload…

Pekanbaru was

Quieter
Slower
Smaller
More intimate

But also…

Initially lonely.

Enter: The Distributor Company Wives

Through a simple invitation, my husband being asked to a movie night by a coworker, everything shifted.

Because in expat life:

One invite can change everything.

Suddenly We Were “In”

And just like that:

Sushi nights
Compound crawls
Dinner clubs
Workout groups
Real friendships

What once felt like:

“Where ARE we?”

Became:

“How did we get so lucky?”

Yes, There Were Politics

Of course there were whispers.

Some moms wondering why I was included.

Why me?

But they were the minority.

Because Our Situation Was… Unique

We were:

• The vending company
• The only family relocated to Sumatra
• The only “Bules” outside the distributor compound

Which meant:

We weren’t tucked inside the typical expat bubble.

We were immersed in an Indonesian community.

The Unexpected Magic of That Immersion

This is where the story gets really special.

My Nanny Built Bridges I Couldn’t

Atik connected with Indonesian families living in our small compound.

Even without a shared language…

Connections formed.

Friday Pool Parties (Yes, Really)

Every Friday:

Ladies would come over
Kids splashing everywhere
And me… making pasta

Because apparently I became:

The compound’s Italian restaurant

Then the Beautiful Shift

Over time, they began bringing:

Indonesian dishes
Homemade food
Friends
Culture

Suddenly I wasn’t just feeding them…

They were introducing me to their world.

A Language Barrier Doesn’t Block Kindness

We couldn’t fully communicate.

But we didn’t need to.

Smiles.
Gestures.
Food.
Laughter.

Universal language.

Memories I Will Hold Forever

Those Fridays…

Those women…

Those shared meals…

Were some of the most genuine, human, beautiful moments of our entire expat life.

What Indonesia Truly Gave Me

Not just adventure.

Not just stories.

But:

Community
Perspective
Deep cultural connection
Lifelong memories

And proof that even in the most unexpected places…

You can build something extraordinary.