Time is quickly sneaking up on me and in just one day, I will return to Bali, known as the "Island of the Gods". The Indonesian island is one of the few, beautiful, cultural gems left in the world. It is a place where I always feel at home and amazingly, where my heart is always at rest. Yet, I do have some trepidation about the changes I will find, with massive numbers of tourists, choking motorbike traffic and no turning the clock advances of technology. My first trip seemed both magical and mystical, was twenty two years ago, while my last trip was ten years ago. As for this trip, I'm not sure how I will describe it later, but I am simply "open" to meeting the right people at the right time and being led along another Balinese path of adventure, wherever it takes me.
From San Francisco I will take a 12 hour red eye flight on China Air to Taipei, Taiwan, where there is a 3 hour layover, and then a final 7 hour flight to Bali. Hopefully, my small check in suitcase on wheels, will soon be packed and ready to go. Spread out on my spare bedroom floor are small piles of items, including 100% cotton sun dresses, a couple of knee high shorts, Keen sandals, a floppy wide brimmed hat, a one piece turquoise swimsuit, a bottle of sunscreen, bug repellent, a black umbrella (rainy season begins) an Indonesian phrase book, assorted, miniature light weight toys for the orphanage, a small bag of baby items for a medical clinic, silicone earplugs (to block out the nighttime roosters crowing) a passport with a 2 month visa, a list of Bali contacts that I hope will still remember me and a several pink tablets of emergency Pepto Bismo.
Since, it is my third extended trip this year, after Guatemala and Colombia/Ecuador, I have to shyly admit that I am making the most off this year and for any lost time in the past. I love the adventure and the challenge of travel more than anything I can think of. To answer the questions that I am continually being asked as I travel alone, "No I am not overly worried about my safety" although I do pack a bottle of pepper spray and "No, I don't plan to be lonely, even if I may alone at times." Everyone is unbelievable friendly when traveling, like being in another universe.
I don't know much I will write when in Bali or how reliable their wi-fi will be, but I will try to send out some updates and post on the blog........Sending Love
My 7 Favorite Quotes:
The woman who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The woman who walks alone is likely to find herself in places no one has ever been before.
Albert Einstein
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
Mark Twain
We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.
Jawaharial Nehru
Whether traveling far and abroad or close to home, the magic of the land has the power to open doorways and perceptions, and when you return you will most certainly be changed.
Ixchel Tucker
If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion, and avoid the people, you might better stay home.
James A. Michener
So never refuse an invitation, never resist the unfamiliar, never fail to be polite and never outstay the welcome. Just keep your mind open and suck in the experience. And if it hurts, you know what? It’s probably worth it.
Alex Garland
A spirit in my feet said go, and I went.
Matthew Brady
Albert Einstein
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
Mark Twain
We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.
Jawaharial Nehru
Whether traveling far and abroad or close to home, the magic of the land has the power to open doorways and perceptions, and when you return you will most certainly be changed.
Ixchel Tucker
If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion, and avoid the people, you might better stay home.
James A. Michener
So never refuse an invitation, never resist the unfamiliar, never fail to be polite and never outstay the welcome. Just keep your mind open and suck in the experience. And if it hurts, you know what? It’s probably worth it.
Alex Garland
A spirit in my feet said go, and I went.
Matthew Brady
