Jody's Top Ten!

What I will Miss About Living in Bali

#10 - Mystery food that is so yummy but since I have absolutely no idea what's in it, I'll never be able to recreate it again.

#9 - Being mesmerized and fascinated by the devotion of the Balinese as I watch them carry out their prayer rituals on a daily basis.

#8 - Meeting fellow fascinating travelers from all around the world, around every corner I go.

#7 - Being part of a culture that is so in touch with living in tune with nature, who go to the market every morning to get their fresh food.

#6 - Seeing a dad with a huge grin on his face as he drives his three young kids also with beaming grins in their school uniforms to school...as all 4 of them are hugging each other's back as they ride on a single motorbike.

#5 - Having freshly blended papaya juice every morning for 90 cents. Buying avocados for 20 cents. (I bought one for 25 cents once and my local friend replied, "Wow, that one was expensive.") Having extraordinary meals for $1-3.

#4 - To do yoga in an open air studio surrounded by palm trees and bright green rice fields.

#3 - To be on such a sacred island that seems to attract some of the most positive minded, environmentally conscious, big hearted people from all over the world that I've ever met.

#2 - To have a glorious ocean beach to play on all day just an hour away from where I live.

#1 - The endless growth that comes from living alone in a foreign culture.



Why Its Time for Me to Come Home

#10 - To be hugged by my friends and family!! (and especially, Manana! my Queen Anne neighbor who at this point has been a friend only via email!)

#9 - My weekly phone calls to Granddad over the past 18 months have been a fabulous way for us to stay connected... but we are long overdue for a face to face date with lots of big hugs!

#8 - I am so excited to be able to ask for directions, or the time, or where this or that place is...and to not even be bothered by the concern of wondering if they understand english!

#7 - and on that note, I'm just excited to be understood by anyone I talk to for that matter! (well, at least my words will be understood....as for if what I'm really trying to communicate is grasped, that seems to be a universal challenge, regardless of any language barriers :-)

#6 - I have been without access to a kitchen for over a year and am sooo excited to buy my own food! and to know exactly what I am eating! and prepare my favorite super healthy meals! (which is really funny because when I moved to Thailand, I couldn't wait to have all my meals made for me and not have to cook. :-)

#5 - To not have to put SPF 50 on my face everyday and yet still feel that my beautiful skin is being over run with sun spots.

#4- To stomp around all my favorite familiar stomping grounds and to know exactly where I'm going with no need to ask for directions. And to not be endlessly asked as I walk around town if I am in need of a taxi.

#3 - To not be told how much something costs until I am looked at up and down and had a financial assessment done based on by appearance. To be charged the same price as everyone else. To not have to haggle for absolutely everything I buy..and then feel ripped off anyway.

#2- I woke up yesterday to bright beaming sunshine and thought, "Oh great, another day I'll be drenched in sweat."

#1- I woke up this morning to a cloudy sky and thought, "YES!"

See you all soon! Touch down in Seattle is June 14th!