The Theory of Maximum Hassle

By Paris Mercurio ‘23, UGM Fellow

My first two weeks in Indonesia were a whirlwind of new sights, experiences, and people. After so many months of applications, preparation, planning, and seemingly endless waiting, I was so excited to have finally arrived that I barely gave myself a minute to sit alone with my thoughts or process everything that was happening around me. I spent my mornings studying Bahasa Indonesia, afternoons exploring the city with new friends I’d made at my homestay, and evenings eating delicious homecooked meals with my host family.