This past November was full of fun, enriching, and insightful bonding moments between ETA Avery Erickson and her teaching community in Surakarta. One Saturday, a host of co-teachers from SMKN 4 and other English teachers from the Surakarta area embarked on a journey to visit the ancient Hindu temple, Sukuh Temple, and the magnificent Jumog Waterfall.

They examined the stone carvings depicting scenes of Hindu mythology at Sukuh Temple, enjoyed a delicious lunch of traditional Javanese foods, and then took Jeeps through the Gondang village until they arrived at Jumog Waterfall. These beautiful, ancient, and natural sites stimulated rich conversation between ETA Avery and her co-teachers about the current climate change issues and how Indonesia balances the values of tradition while adapting to the ever-changing landscape of modernity and technology. These valuable, profound exchanges of ideas, culture, and perspective drew ETA Avery and her community closer, and she is excited to embark on more trips with her community.

Avery Erickson is currently teaching at SMKN 4 Surakarta, Central Java.