Week 7: Choosing the Dates

If my little family and I could settle in Indonesia, if we could make a living by introducing this beautiful country to tourists from all over the world, if the money we raise could help the children of our village build a better future — these are the dreams that carry me forward. Choosing the dates is now under way. By next Friday, I should have received most of the date preferences from the budding adventurers who will join us in Java next July or August. For now, only a small third of them have replied, and the dates they've picked are pretty much the same. I hope the rest of the pre-registrants will wake up over the next few days and spread themselves across other periods than mid-July, which is currently sweeping up all the votes. We clearly won't be able to accompany fifteen people at the same time: the local travel agency's minibus will be too small and the accommodation will be overflowing. Short of having some people sleep on the sofa and putting others in the trunk, it's essential to spread everyone out so that the trip is comfortable for all.

The Official Documents Are Ready

The survey people received on WhatsApp or Messenger came with two very detailed PDF files so that the outline of their future trip would be perfectly clear. The first one is the itinerary. It explains the planned program day by day and helps people picture themselves there. I had a great time writing engaging descriptions designed to make readers want to jump on the first plane to Jakarta today. The second document is a more technical summary of the expenses to plan for, along with an overall reminder of Java Horizon's legal specifics. It is very important to stress as much as possible my role as a guide and companion, as well as the duties of the local agent who will handle bookings on site. Since I'm not authorized to sell complete packages the way licensed travel agencies do, the way my offer is organized isn't always easy to grasp at first, hence the importance of explaining things very clearly so that no one is left in the dark.

The Adventure's Senior Member

Even though pre-registrations are now closed, I keep receiving enthusiastic calls from a very eclectic range of people eager to discover Indonesia. Since my partner agency hasn't yet started the final selection of accommodation and minibuses, it's no problem to bring a few last-minute latecomers on board. We are therefore welcoming a retired lady, the mother of one of my friends from the mosque. She's a true globetrotter who was in Jordan just last summer. Her health isn't perfect, but our phone conversation helped me better understand her needs, and I'm convinced that our accessible journey will suit her perfectly.

The Piano Teacher

I don't have a communications manager to promote the project yet. I handle the advertising myself, and this task takes up most of my time. However, I've been lucky enough to come across a great ally who never stops talking about me to everyone around her. On top of her classmates, she has even managed to convince her piano teacher to spend his holidays with us on the other side of the world. I was able to talk with him yesterday. He is French-Tunisian and may come with his brother from Tunisia. He grew up in a Muslim country and will feel right at home in Bandung, where the call to prayer echoes five times a day across every corner of the city.

Coming up this week

I'll keep collecting the preferred time slots of my 30 pre-registrants until Friday. I'll then try to create the best possible groups based on ages and the specific requests sent in by each person. Once we've all been sorted into the right boxes, we'll choose our plane tickets together so that, ideally, we can take the same flight and get to know each other in the air, above the Indian Ocean.