This is what I always keep in mind that grumpy people usually those who have lots of spare time to waste. Thus, I always prepare to make my day busy in order to avoid any negative thought on myself. Although at some point I am still pissed off because of unexpectable thing happen in my life, but I found that planning everything ahead give me directions to move on.
Since spring semester, I was starting to manage my resume, letter of intent, graduate degree application, work application and looking for some opportunity to do after I am home. Besides, I was also contacting some volunteer organization to keep me busy when I am home. As a result, two days after I arrived in my home country I started my daily activity. Three months at home I was doing 4 interview for graduate programs, one interview for scholarship, work volunteer as to help some old people in my hometown to make their passport because they don’t have enough money to pay for ‘calo’ and they don’t have enough energy to work with bureaucracy, sharing my experience in my previous schools and university, and most importantly I was still enjoying my new hobby I got from my host institution which is playing traditional music from my hometown. I was having a concert in the end of my program in my host institution and I was happy to have another concert back home for a farewell party in my previous middle school and got a wonderful chance to perform in one of national TV program as an extra gamelan player.
As the result, I even didn’t have time to give a shit on  people business and comment about my homecoming. I did tell my father about all of my plan ahead before he got frustrated too, so I communicate all things I did back home. In the end, I got a grand to continue my Master in Curriculum and Instruction  at the University of Montana with 50% appointment as Graduate Teaching Assistant. It was such a bless and I am pretty sure that every hard work will be paid off someday.
Realizing why we got the grand and what our sponsor expect on us
This is what we need to keep in mind all the time. The reason why we got a grand in cultural exchange is not to make us an asshole back home but more like to create global awareness on global issues and how to solve it. They send us abroad not for having a free honeymoon but for learning something that can be brought back home. That’s why, in my 9 months of exchange program I was actively involved to cultural events, volunteer organization, students organizations, or even local people organizations to interact with more people who live around me. It was part of my rehearsal on how interacting with people back home. Since there will be a possibility for me to work at different part of Indonesia, I feel like I need to learn how to understand people and how to make them understand us.
Besides, I also broadened my networks to interact with people who are in the same boat. Some people give quite an interesting suggestion and some people give a wonderful story, but the point is you have more friends and acquaintance to hang out with. We never know if in the future we will be connected and work with them at some point. Â I listen to their story on how contributing meaningful action for both my sponsor and my country back home. Because for me, expressing my thankful for the wonderful platform for me to develop myself is by giving my best in making their expectation on me into reality.
When I was at my host institution I tried to be actively involved in students activity, university events and organizations, and community service while I was trying to develop my personal quality too in the same time. In fact, back home I want to contribute something meaningful for my people. Thus, I always come to any invitation to give motivation or even to just share stories. Since, I have not had a home institution at that time, what I did is more like local basis like being involved to the community I live with, helping people who need help which at that time dealing with bureaucracy and immigration officer in technical basis or informational basis and one thing for sure keep developing self-quality.
Use the land language
It might sound silly but remember you haven’t used it for quite long time, so at some point you will switch your language into the language you used in your host country. For me myself, if I forgot certain words I will describe them to make people understand.
I keep using my mother tongue although some people insist on using English with me just because they thought I will show off using the language. Sorry people I didn’t buy your expectation. For me, I will always try to use a local language where I go to avoid any awkwardness. Besides, local people will feel more convenient to interact with use because we speak the same language.
Avoid the idea of comparison