Bali Update!

Hello from hot but very rainy Bali!

Yep, its rainy season and man, does it rain! The main road turned into a rushing river yesterday. And one of the funniest sights is to see everyone on their motorbikes pull out their umbrellas and just keep driving!

So, I've been doing a lot of thinking and thought I'd take a moment to update you all....Life here in this town of Ubud, on this island of Bali, in this country of Indonesia (just for a little geography lesson for you all, in case you were unsure) is really quite wonderful! The Balinese are such genuinely kind and loving people. Riding my bicycle through the streets, I pass groups of them hanging out together with their big, glowing smiles and contagious laughter everyday. (Juxtapose that with the frustrations of a daily commute on a congested freeway.)

But what makes life really liveable for me here is that there is a very full and alive culture of English speaking westerners as well. Everyday I keep meeting fantastic people from all over the world who are becoming friends of mine. Last night I went out with a woman from Portland who has been a yoga instructor here for 2 years, another woman from England who just moved here 2 weeks ago also as a yoga instructor, and another American who does almost my exact same job that I had in Thailand at one of the many ritzy resorts here. Cool people everywhere! That's #1.

Not to mention, that I have had contact with three different health resorts where I could potentially work. I just spent today putting flyers together regarding the services I can offer as an ND to their guests, which I am also going to post up on the many message boards around town to target the many disposable-income-full retirees who live here. Job Opportunities... potentially more than what I would find at home! That's #2.

Its sunny! And warm! That's #3.

Its sooo affordable! My rent is less than $10/day for my little place, which has the most extraordinary view over the bright green valley that stretches out in front of me and a massive volcano in the distance (great setting for writing my book!...which is going to be fabulous, by the way...I am so excited to share it with the world!). I dont have to pay car insurance for my bicycle that I rent for $1/day, nor do I need to pay for gas, nor a gym membership (since my commuting is my workout...love it). I bought an avocado the size of a football today for 25 cents, and a papaya that could barely fit in my fridge for 35 cents. Huge organic salads at one of the five hip and healthy organic restaruants in town cost me $3 and a super antioxidant fresh veggie juice made to order costs $1.50. That's #4.

Cool people. Job opportunities. Sunshine. No commute. No bills. Affordable living. Fantastic healthy food....So my point is, I think I'm going to stay here for at least the next 4 months! (which is when my visa will force me to leave the country, for at least a day anyway....many just fly to Singapore and back). So to be honest, if I were to come home, I don't really know where I'd go. Seattle is my 'home' but I truly can't take how down I get with all the rain and clouds. And the traffic is not something I miss.

But speaking of things I miss... my LOVING FAMILY! AND WONDERFUL FRIENDS! Of course I miss you all!!! You guys are the entire reason why I would come home!! But then I'd see you all, I'd be so full of smiles and love and hugs, it would be absolutely extraordinary...and then I'd have to find a job... and life would get busy... and expensive... and cloudy and rainy...and then I'd probably wish I were back over here.

So, that's what's going on!! I'm writing my fantastic book, living on my savings from my job in Thailand, having job opportunities keep appearing, working with feeling all of your love even though I'm so far away (translated to mean that I'm thinking, "do I really want to be so far away?!") , and just going to see what unfolds over these next four months.

But in the meantime, if any of you are in need of a vacation...COME TO BALI!! I'm serious. Its cheap and BEAUTIFUL! And I'd get to see you and give you endless hugs!

SENDING LOTS OF LOVE TO YOU ALL!!
LOVE, JODY :-)