Life in Bali

Thailand is behind me...already seems like a distant memory actually. I arrived here in Bali almost a month ago, and I truly don't know where the time has gone. I am in my own little house...great bedroom, nice bathroom with a comfy tub, little kitchen...and a fantastic veranda with a view over bright green rice fields and swaying palm trees....and its $10/night. I wake up every morning, open my doors, and the sun comes bursting in. I sleep in, meditate, then jump on my bicycle and head to yoga, or to a little cafe to eat something yummy for usually around $3, or I just stay 'home' and sit on the veranda and read. But the two things that take up most of my time are actually, checking in with the world on email or composing my year in Thailand into a fantastic book, which I plan on publishing. Writing this book has become my new passion.

But as I sit here, at one of the many hip, open air cafes here in this town of Ubud, on the island of Bali, in the country of Indonesia, in my t-shirt and shorts, (and in the shade of course, because the direct sun would be too hot...) I feel a bit torn. I have been away from home for over a year now, and although life here is warm, slow, relaxed, amazingly affordable, culturally rich, tropically beautiful...I am missing home. I have met some very nice people here, so its not as if I wander around by myself with no one to talk to all the day long...but there really isn't a comparison to hanging out with people that have known me for a few days, versus friends and family that have known me for a lifetime.

My visa allows me to stay here until February 20th, but I have recently learned that money can buy an extension. (Imagine that, what a shocker, right?) But I'll run out of blood testing strips if I stay until then (which they may have in the main city an hour away from here...but I have not confirmed that yet). What I do know is that before I go, I want to travel around this island and check out all the sights, which I hear are fantastic. Since I've arrived, except for one day visiting the surf punk beach town of Kuta with my cousins the day before they headed home, I haven't left this cute town, nestled here in this jungle landscape, interspersed with glowing, bright green rice fields. So I think I'll take off for my around the island journey in the next day or two. But after that, is it ready to head back home? I seem to change my mind daily...well actually, more like hourly.

My return ticket will take me back to Bangkok and has flexible dates for the next 6 months. Once I do leave here, I might stay there for a few days just to say some final good-byes. Then I figured I'd make a trip out of heading home (you know me...are you surprised?)...so I'm thinking about visiting friends in London for a week....and then since I'm flying over the east coast anyway, visit Emily, one of my dearest friends from Bastyr and who lives outside of Boston, for a week....AND THEN, drum roll please, fly HOME!

Now, having said that, I still haven't started my journey around this island...I may fall in love with some amazing little beach side town and not want to leave for weeks.....or perhaps I'll have seen it all and be done with the traveling thing in a mere 2 or 3 days. Who knows, really?

But I must say, the tug at my heart to be around the loving faces and arms of my family and friends seems to be growing stronger everyday. I find myself talking with travelers and having them tell me, "Oh, you MUST go see this! And that! And you'll love this other thing too!" And I think to myself, 'Thanks, but I'd rather just be at home relaxing and laughing with my friends and family...maybe even wearing a big sweater... instead.' But really, I'm sorry for those that may want a firm decision (I don't seem to operate that way naturally) I'm just watching my mind right now and am taking each day as it comes. One thing that I am aware of is that I have felt lonely while being IN Seattle in the past. Everyone has such busy lives today. Although I envision coming home and being surrounded by everyone I know, is that really a reality in today's world? Perhaps I should work with that part of me that can feel lonely even when I'm at home...and see what it is that I'm truly hungry for...Hmm.

A cool side note...for those of you who have read, Eat, Pray, Love...I live on the same street as Ketut Liyer (I ride my bike past his porch everyday) and I met Wayan at her Traditional Balinese Healing shop last week (but Tutti was outside somewhere, playing with friends). Funny thing is that both of them were extremely tired so I didn't really chat much with either one. I felt like I was imposing if had stayed any longer than a few minutes. To them, I was just another foreigner wanting to meet them. They have hoards of travelers coming to meet them everyday now, since the success of the book. When they kept mentioning to Elizabeth Gilbert how in need of money they were, I guess they should've been careful for what they asked for!

So that is my update. Its 5pm on Saturday, January 17th....which means all of you in Seattle are likely sleeping (only 1 am Saturday for you). I will probably continue to sit here at this little open air cafe for a while longer; continue to watch the Balinese woman walk down the street with baskets on their heads and all the other locals cruise by on their motor bikes; continue to watch foreigners turn right, then left, then turn their map up, and then down, and then perhaps figure out where they are going...or not; and then maybe in an hour or so after I write a bit more of my fabulous book, jump on my bike and pedal home.

Then I'll wake up tomorrow, open my front door to let the sun burst in... maybe go to yoga, or not...maybe work on my book, or not...or maybe head out for my around the island tour and spend the day contemplating about what amazing beauty surrounds me and yet at the same time, how I long to be surrounded by the familiar, albeit gray and cold, sights and sounds of home.

I love you all,
Jody