Photo: Weaving the Earth by Aliyya
Aliyya from Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia undertaking an exchange at Flinders University during Semester 2 2025.
I came up with the term “weaving the earth” to describe the highlight of my time abroad. For me, it means viewing the world as a single, interconnected fabric, with each individual, culture, and narrative serving as a thread that completes it. My father would often tell me as a child how beautiful Australia was and how people from different backgrounds came together to form this multicultural nation. I always thought of it as a future gift that would be revealed as something priceless. I opened that gift at the age of nineteen. I was forever altered by my first real experience of weaving the earth when I came to Adelaide for my exchange at Flinders University.
Of course, it was not an easy journey. Moving alone to a new country meant facing the cold winter for the first time, battling sickness, and carrying the quiet weight of homesickness. On some nights, I missed Indonesia, my family, and the comforts of home. However, I learned resilience from those experiences. I grabbed my camera, explored my favorite spots in Adelaide, or spent time with friends who quickly became like family whenever the weight got to me. Gratitude gradually replaced the loneliness, and I came to see that I was never really alone.
The community I discovered here is what I value most. I was able to meet people from all over the world thanks to ISS, FUSA, and Orientation Week. Along with PPIA, I saw people participating in traditional games and angklung music to commemorate Indonesia’s Independence Day, surrounded by people who carried pieces of their homeland. Like the pieces of a puzzle slowly coming together, I laughed, made new friends, and connected with more friends at other social gatherings. I experienced what weaving the earth truly means during those times: discovering purpose, love, and connection across borders.
If I were to offer future students one piece of advice, it would be to embrace the unfamiliar and break out of your bubble. It might be frightening at first, but after you leap, it turns out to be the most rewarding aspect of your journey. I found love and support from people who encouraged me to believe in peace efforts, no matter how fragile, along my own journey. I will never regret coming to Adelaide.
One thread at a time, you will also be weaving your own earth.
Aliyya was fortunate to be awarded a Destination Australia Cheung Kong Exchange Program Scholarship to support her exchange experience.