Before Departure

 Before departing to the Philippines, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia hosted an event to debrief the 9th batch of SEA program participants, which included myself and Nafisah, among 12 others. The event took place on September 14, 2023 in Bandung. I bid farewell to the head of my study program and asked for prayers for my friends' safety.

Afterward, I went to my dormitory to pack and prepare for my trip to the Philippines. Since my hometown and the campus were located a considerable distance from each other, it took me four hours to travel home.

During my visit, I bid farewell to my family and requested their prayers. Additionally, I took a day to rest and recuperate. Once fully recovered, I meticulously checked my belongings to ensure I had not left anything behind before departing.

Without delay, I headed to the Soekarno-Hatta airport, as my flight was scheduled for 2 a.m. on Saturday. I arrived at the airport at 8 p.m. and met Nafisah there. Our families picked both of us up, and we waited for our friends and family to arrive. Once they did, we took photos together before boarding our flight. At 11 p.m., we joined the boarding line for the Philippine Airlines. The boarding officer checked to ensure our baggage was within the weight limit before directing us to Terminal 3, Soekarno Hatta, for our departure station. We had arrived early, so we had to wait for our boarding time. Once it arrived, we boarded the plane in an organized line.