I was in Jakarta last week shooting a wedding. I love traveling because not only do you get to learn about other people, you get to learn about yourself.

Some things I learned while in Indonesia:

1.  I miss taking baths. Our hotel had this nice HUGE tub, and every morning, instead of hopping in the shower, I took a bath. I forgot how nice it is to take a bath. I am going to do it more often (as long as there isn’t a drought happening).

2. I like Eastern culture.  Although I was born in the states, my upbringing has a heavy Asian influence. From the food to the people, it’s comforting to be around.

3. Take time to acknowledge people.  This is elaborating on point #2. Indonesian people are great at this. When they walk by, they nod their head with a smile and say hello. When they say thank you, they put their hands in prayer, look at you, and say thank you. When they give you something or receive something, they use both hands. It makes you feel really appreciated.

4. No one walks around while eating.  In fact, I think few countries do this outside of the US. We like to snack here. Other countries don’t. On the way to Jakarta I stopped in Germany. I was eating a sandwich while waiting on the platform for the train. I looked around and realized I was the only one doing this. In Jakarta I was at a mall. I was walking around eating a pastry and realized the same thing. People don’t walk around while they eat! They sit down to eat. I think this is a good thing.

5.  Slap me if I ever complain about traffic in LA again. What would take 10 minutes by car can take up to 2.5 hours (not exaggerating) when there is traffic in Jakarta. It is faster to walk, but then you don’t want to walk, because the streets can be flooded or you might get mugged. Traffic in LA is a breeze.

There is more, but those are the 5 that first come to mind.  I’m in SF hanging out with my family for a couple days before taking off to NYC.  I love being on planes but after this, my butt needs a break (literally!). Excited to shoot one last wedding before the year ends, and then ring in the New Year in one of my favorite cities in the world!