International Backpacker Delegate.

The 'IDN International Backpacker' program to Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand was far from a typical high school study tour. The selection process was incredibly rigorous, primarily because we were required to fund the entire journey using our own hard-earned money. Over my holidays, I hustled to raise funds by offering freelance graphic design and web development services, and even taught basic IT skills to my peers and neighbors. After passing a thorough interview regarding my motivation and financial planning, I was thrilled to be chosen as one of only 9 students out of hundreds of applicants. Our independence was tested long before departure; we were tasked with personally booking our flights, securing accommodations, and mapping out public transit routes across all three countries with minimal guidance from our chaperone.

Our itinerary was packed with educational milestones. Rather than just sightseeing, we visited global hubs like the Google office and the National University Centre for Oral Health in Singapore, Universiti Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, and attended university seminars in Thailand. To push us out of our comfort zones, we were assigned daily tasks to interview locals and document our journey through vlogs. It forced me to overcome my language barriers, walking up to strangers to converse in English about their daily lives, careers, and local culture.

The true test of our resilience occurred at a heavily crowded immigration checkpoint, where our small group accidentally got separated. It was a genuinely terrifying moment, especially since only a few of us held the physical tickets and active phones. We were essentially lost in a foreign country with no way to contact each other. Instead of letting panic take over, we stayed calm and relied on our communication skills, asking local officers and bystanders for help until we successfully reunited. Navigating foreign public transportation systems and solving real-world crises on the fly gave me a massive confidence boost, proving to myself that I can adapt, survive, and thrive in any global environment.