This story will take you to the journey of love and life. Coming from a decent yet simple family, Kelly, a strong-willed girl, had tried every possible way to make one of her dreams come true. That was to study overseas. Days and nights were about her struggles to escalate her TOEFL and GRE scores, her sleepless night writing the statement of purpose. While she was preparing for the graduate school admission, she was also teaching at one of the language centers. These activities kept her busy. Lessons taught by his father are to always fight and never give up. After countless of rejection, she finally made it to the US.

Charming, open-minded and sociable, Kelly has made many friends from many races and nationalities. In the States, she is faced and challenged not only academically but also culturally. While trying so hard to adapt to her new life, she has received a piece of sad news. Her father, who has been a best friend, passed away. She started to question God. Kelly who was religiously educated is in doubt of her faith. At that critical period, Mark and Hikari came at two different times. One is sweet and attentive; the other is kind and smart but believes in no God.

Her days are full of studies, social gatherings and teaching. While she’s embracing her new circle of friends, she is still in touch with her best friend, Raisha and her senior high school friends through chats. Filled with some adventurous and some cultural shocks, Kelly is eventually able to adapt just fine with her new life.

While all is well, one figure from her past is suddenly coming to her life again. She knows that she still likes this person; however, she is always in doubt due to his vague action. While they get finally reconnected through chats, she keeps questioning if their relationship will ever be realized. Chats between the States and the Netherlands somehow made them closer. As much as she enjoys this virtual companionship, she is unsure about what is going on with the two of them.

In New York, a place where she spends her winter break, she’s finally made up her mind. Is it to be reunited with this man or to forget him? Find the answer by reading her life and love story!

Note from AMINEF: Nelly Martin , 2006 Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant, University of Hawaii; 2011 Fulbright Presidential Ph.D. Student, University of Wisconsin, Madison. Staff Member, Center for the Development and Empowerment of Language Teachers, Ministry of Education and Culture, Jakarta.

Puspa Populer Publishing House, Jakarta, 2014; 264 pages.