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 :-)
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
And for those of you 'Eat, Pray, Love' fans...
Remember Ketut Liyer, the medicine man she spent so much time with? I ride my bike past his porch everyday...I live next door to him. Apparently, he is so busy now after all the publicity around the book that he is pretty tired. He had just awoken from a nap when I stopped by to say 'hi,' so I kept my stay short and haven't been back since. (But noticed a brand new Mini parked in his garage.)
But Wayan and I are friends now. I stop by her herbal medicine clinic regularly just to give her a warm 'hello.' I told her I was writing a book, just like Elizabeth was, and so she's been reading up on my sign of scorpio to see what tips are out there in the stars for me to ensure a successful book. She also is tired a lot these days with how busy she has become, but seems to be pretty happy with the new constant inflow of money...She just bought her first ever car, but has never learned to drive. So she has hired a driver in the meantime until she goes to driving school and gets her license. She is so excited and nervous about having her first ever (brand new, to boot) car though, that when she (well, the driver, with her in the passenger seat) gave me a ride to see her family's temple, I was sitting on the plastic that she has yet to remove from the seats.
And what about the money Elizabeth raised for her to build a brand new clinic? That seems to be a bit of a mystery. She still lives in her family village (as all Balinese do) and still works in her same little clinic...But last week she (well, her driver) took me out to a brand new house she just finished building to see if I wanted to rent it out. To live in the house that was (likely) built from the money of the famous author of Eat, Pray, Love as I myself am writing my book seemed like too cool of an opportunity to pass up. Unfortunately, it just wasnt what I was looking for....Oh, well. Just to be in it was cool enough, I thought.
As for her daughter Tutti, she is now a thirteen year old in full bloom. As all three of us took part in a sacred temple festival (Wayan invited me along so that I could witness the Balinese culture first hand), and as the priest was bestowing blessings upon us, Tutti was busy text messaging her friends on a cell phone ten times more fancy than my own....Apparentley the success of Eat, Pray, Love is spreading to her entire family...
But Wayan and I are friends now. I stop by her herbal medicine clinic regularly just to give her a warm 'hello.' I told her I was writing a book, just like Elizabeth was, and so she's been reading up on my sign of scorpio to see what tips are out there in the stars for me to ensure a successful book. She also is tired a lot these days with how busy she has become, but seems to be pretty happy with the new constant inflow of money...She just bought her first ever car, but has never learned to drive. So she has hired a driver in the meantime until she goes to driving school and gets her license. She is so excited and nervous about having her first ever (brand new, to boot) car though, that when she (well, the driver, with her in the passenger seat) gave me a ride to see her family's temple, I was sitting on the plastic that she has yet to remove from the seats.
And what about the money Elizabeth raised for her to build a brand new clinic? That seems to be a bit of a mystery. She still lives in her family village (as all Balinese do) and still works in her same little clinic...But last week she (well, her driver) took me out to a brand new house she just finished building to see if I wanted to rent it out. To live in the house that was (likely) built from the money of the famous author of Eat, Pray, Love as I myself am writing my book seemed like too cool of an opportunity to pass up. Unfortunately, it just wasnt what I was looking for....Oh, well. Just to be in it was cool enough, I thought.
As for her daughter Tutti, she is now a thirteen year old in full bloom. As all three of us took part in a sacred temple festival (Wayan invited me along so that I could witness the Balinese culture first hand), and as the priest was bestowing blessings upon us, Tutti was busy text messaging her friends on a cell phone ten times more fancy than my own....Apparentley the success of Eat, Pray, Love is spreading to her entire family...
This is ME!
Where to start?! So many amazing things seem to keep happening in my life over here, I truly could sit here for hours and write about all the wonderful things from just this past week! But, I've been getting serious about spending time writing my book (which to be honest, I have been so filled with other things that it's been taking the back burner for a while) that I am going to keep this entry short...so I can get back to writing my book!
But here it is in a nut shell....spent a week driving around this island of Bali on a moped I rented for $3/day and witnessed the most amazing scenery I think I've ever witnessed in my life. (Think lush green nature in every direction decorating the slopes of multiple, massive volcanoes...completely unspoilt from any development except humble thatched roof homes, quaint towns, and very narrow and winding, yet luckily paved roads.) Doing an Ashtanga yoga course for the next 5 weeks from 7:30- 9:30 am, six days a week with two of the most vibrant and alive yoga instructors I've ever met in my life (and apparently very famous in the yoga world). Met a woman who works for a book publisher and offered any help I might need. Then met a man who told me all about how he self-published his book. Met a woman who spends her life traveling the world holding health retreats...which planted the seed for the very likely new direction in my life (once I publish my book, of course). Was wondering how I was going to make my money last long enough for me to finish my book while still living in this amazing place...and then met a woman who works here at a ritzy spa (similar to the one I worked at in Thailand) who told me they were looking for someone to do health consultations with their guests and if I knew of anyone who would be interested...I have a job interview with the manager tomorrow at 10am...
This island of Bali is amazing. It attracts the most vibrant and conscious living group of people I've ever met...and I keep meeting more of them around every corner I turn. It attracts writers. (There is an international writers conference here every October.) It attracts people who want to delve into themselves and follow the path of what their heart truly desires. It attracts organic farmers and raw foodies who open restaurants here that allow other like-minded people to fill their bodies with super healthy, toxic free foods, as nature intended us to eat. It attracts people who live outside the box, and think big...
And on that note, I will end with the following quote, which you can simply read below, or enjoy as it is matched with an inspiring YouTube video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUfH-BEBMoY
“Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The trouble-makers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status-quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify, or vilify them. But the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
~ Apple Computers
I love you all,
Jody
But here it is in a nut shell....spent a week driving around this island of Bali on a moped I rented for $3/day and witnessed the most amazing scenery I think I've ever witnessed in my life. (Think lush green nature in every direction decorating the slopes of multiple, massive volcanoes...completely unspoilt from any development except humble thatched roof homes, quaint towns, and very narrow and winding, yet luckily paved roads.) Doing an Ashtanga yoga course for the next 5 weeks from 7:30- 9:30 am, six days a week with two of the most vibrant and alive yoga instructors I've ever met in my life (and apparently very famous in the yoga world). Met a woman who works for a book publisher and offered any help I might need. Then met a man who told me all about how he self-published his book. Met a woman who spends her life traveling the world holding health retreats...which planted the seed for the very likely new direction in my life (once I publish my book, of course). Was wondering how I was going to make my money last long enough for me to finish my book while still living in this amazing place...and then met a woman who works here at a ritzy spa (similar to the one I worked at in Thailand) who told me they were looking for someone to do health consultations with their guests and if I knew of anyone who would be interested...I have a job interview with the manager tomorrow at 10am...
This island of Bali is amazing. It attracts the most vibrant and conscious living group of people I've ever met...and I keep meeting more of them around every corner I turn. It attracts writers. (There is an international writers conference here every October.) It attracts people who want to delve into themselves and follow the path of what their heart truly desires. It attracts organic farmers and raw foodies who open restaurants here that allow other like-minded people to fill their bodies with super healthy, toxic free foods, as nature intended us to eat. It attracts people who live outside the box, and think big...
And on that note, I will end with the following quote, which you can simply read below, or enjoy as it is matched with an inspiring YouTube video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUfH-BEBMoY
“Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The trouble-makers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status-quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify, or vilify them. But the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
~ Apple Computers
I love you all,
Jody
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Life in Bali…Over the hump and Loving it
In the entry I sent out just a few days ago, I shared my feelings of having one foot kind of enjoying my life here, while the other already had its running shoe on and was headed home. Same thing happened to me I think it was around month three of living in Thailand. Well, my indecision seems to have passed and I have fallen in love with my life here!
Amongst the colorful Balinese culture of super smiley people, devoted to their families, their Hindu rituals, and to a beautifully, simple way of life, there also exists this well represented sub-culture of westerners who have left the grind of the ‘normal’ way of life back home…a 9-5 job, a house, kids, errands, traffic, bills, being inundated with advertising that tends to make one always feel that we are not enough or okay as is, etc…and have arrived here in Bali to ask ourselves the question, “What kind of life do I truly want? What will truly make me happy?”
Enter the Yoga Barn. The Yoga Barn is a stunning beautiful, open air yoga studio where all of us seem to congregate throughout the day…perhaps for a 7am breath class, or a 11am get-your-sweat-on core strengthening class, or a 6pm unwind-from-the-day gentle yoga class…and then throughout the rest of the day, it is inevitable that we bump into each other either at the super healthy ‘Kafe’ Café, or the all-organic ‘Bali Buddha’ restaurant.
I’ve met tons of great people…Brian and Alexandra are an extraordinarily energetic and upbeat couple from LA. Brian sold his very successful health conscious social networking internet business a few years back, and now spends his time reading the works of the greatest philosophers of all time and leads group discussions on them 3 times a week….and Alexandra teaches “Goddess Training.” Mia and Kathy are two cool chics from London who are starting their own yoga clothing line. Michael is a great guy from a little island in Scotland who sold his soul to BP oil for 23 years and now is just enjoying his relaxing life here in Bali. And I’m Jody, the cool woman who worked in Thailand for a year at some ritzy resort and is now here writing a book about it.
So I’m loving it! People ask me everyday, “So how long are you going to stay?” And I answer, “Don’t know…just seeing what shows up each day and how long the money will last!” So what has shown up in the last few days? Well, let me tell you… Three days ago, I got an email from my ex-boss who is now starting a health magazine, asking me if I wanted to contribute an article on health. Yesterday, the man that runs the place where I’m living asked me if I wanted to help him with how to make his business more profitable. Today, a local guy sitting next to me at the internet shop when I was talking on the phone, commented on how clear my English was and asked me if I wanted to become an English teacher on the island...So, how long will the money last? Maybe longer than I think. Only time will tell.
So in the meantime, I have fallen in love with my life here. Everywhere I turn, I get more inspired with new ideas, new energy, new people... You may ask,” JODY! But what is your PLAN? Well my answer is, I’m not going to worry about it. I am going to keep loving my life and watching my story unfold, literally and figuratively, and just trust that whatever is meant to show up, will show up! Now, back to my book….bye for now!
Amongst the colorful Balinese culture of super smiley people, devoted to their families, their Hindu rituals, and to a beautifully, simple way of life, there also exists this well represented sub-culture of westerners who have left the grind of the ‘normal’ way of life back home…a 9-5 job, a house, kids, errands, traffic, bills, being inundated with advertising that tends to make one always feel that we are not enough or okay as is, etc…and have arrived here in Bali to ask ourselves the question, “What kind of life do I truly want? What will truly make me happy?”
Enter the Yoga Barn. The Yoga Barn is a stunning beautiful, open air yoga studio where all of us seem to congregate throughout the day…perhaps for a 7am breath class, or a 11am get-your-sweat-on core strengthening class, or a 6pm unwind-from-the-day gentle yoga class…and then throughout the rest of the day, it is inevitable that we bump into each other either at the super healthy ‘Kafe’ Café, or the all-organic ‘Bali Buddha’ restaurant.
I’ve met tons of great people…Brian and Alexandra are an extraordinarily energetic and upbeat couple from LA. Brian sold his very successful health conscious social networking internet business a few years back, and now spends his time reading the works of the greatest philosophers of all time and leads group discussions on them 3 times a week….and Alexandra teaches “Goddess Training.” Mia and Kathy are two cool chics from London who are starting their own yoga clothing line. Michael is a great guy from a little island in Scotland who sold his soul to BP oil for 23 years and now is just enjoying his relaxing life here in Bali. And I’m Jody, the cool woman who worked in Thailand for a year at some ritzy resort and is now here writing a book about it.
So I’m loving it! People ask me everyday, “So how long are you going to stay?” And I answer, “Don’t know…just seeing what shows up each day and how long the money will last!” So what has shown up in the last few days? Well, let me tell you… Three days ago, I got an email from my ex-boss who is now starting a health magazine, asking me if I wanted to contribute an article on health. Yesterday, the man that runs the place where I’m living asked me if I wanted to help him with how to make his business more profitable. Today, a local guy sitting next to me at the internet shop when I was talking on the phone, commented on how clear my English was and asked me if I wanted to become an English teacher on the island...So, how long will the money last? Maybe longer than I think. Only time will tell.
So in the meantime, I have fallen in love with my life here. Everywhere I turn, I get more inspired with new ideas, new energy, new people... You may ask,” JODY! But what is your PLAN? Well my answer is, I’m not going to worry about it. I am going to keep loving my life and watching my story unfold, literally and figuratively, and just trust that whatever is meant to show up, will show up! Now, back to my book….bye for now!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
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
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
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Happy New Year!
31 December 2008
… “I hope everyone’s holiday festivities have been decorated with love and time with friends and family. I have felt blessed to still be here in Seattle because my original departure date was supposed to be back in November….but now its scheduled for Jan 3rd. So as I sit here today, December 31st, 2007, at my mom’s kitchen table, I am admiring the gorgeous blue sky shining in Seattle, taking in these last few glimpses of the city I have called home for over 30 years. Some of you might be asking, you’re doing what?! You’re moving to Thailand?! How did that happen?! Well, here is the story…”
Can you believe it?! Yep, that was the first day I started to sit down and write about my adventures. My year of writing started EXACTLY a year ago with that entry. Today is December 31st, two thousand and EIGHT.
Since that entry, I have flown across the globe to Thailand, moved from my home on Queen Anne into a room with a bed in a staff apartment building, worked as a holistic physician at a health resort on the beach, have met amazing people from literally all around the world, learned to speak a bit of Thai, eaten more Thai food in a week than I ever had before in my entire life, ate dinner on the roof of a 65-story building in Bangkok, rode an elephant around ancient temple ruins, explored deep into caves in the north of Thailand, snorkeled in clear blue waters off islands in the south of Thailand…and have said good-bye to everyone I met in Thailand…
…Have flown to Indonesia, arrived exhausted from having flown all night, asking myself, “Why the heck did I think adjusting to yet again another new culture would be a good idea?!”…Yet, I found an amazingly cute little place for $10/night where my hot breakfast is delivered to my patio every morning, spent Christmas dinner with my aunt and uncle and cousins who were vacationing here for the holidays, spent today exploring town and met more friendly people that speak English than I did during my entire year living in Hua Hin….and right now, am writing to you from a funky little café, here in this town called Ubud, on this tropical island of Bali.
It has just become dark…must be a bit after 7pm. Living near the equator, it pretty much gets light at 7am and dark at 7pm, everyday, all year round. It’s new year’s eve, so I guess I’ll stay up late and walk around town. But to me right now, its just another day, as have all the other holidays been to me this season. I’ve enjoyed it, really. No pressure to go shopping and buy a bunch of stuff that I’m not sure if anyone will like. No parties where I leave with a belly over-stuffed with holiday cuisine and of course, chocolate of all sorts. No worries like, “Oh gosh, what dress should I wear to the party?” Its just been simple. No stress…no holiday stress that is.
Adjusting to yet again a new culture isn’t exactly easy. Then, on top of that, who knows what hit me… but on about my 5th day here, I was horribly sick. My throat was so raw it hurt to swallow. My ears hurt. Sneezing. More sneezing. Nose running like a faucet. My chest ached. I went out and got a massage and then slept for 14 hours… I woke up the next morning amazingly okay! Thank goodness.
Anyway, back to my cute little café where I am sitting right now. So what am I doing here in Bali? Well, resting, relaxing, healing….and turning all of my writings into a book. My visa allows me to be here for 60 days. And that is all the plans I have…for now anyway.
I only have 8% left on my laptop battery and I really need to go pee. So I just wanted to take this moment to capture the fact that I started writing exactly a year ago to the day…and to wish everyone a very Happy New Year. May the wonderful journeys of life, mine and yours, continue into this next year to come…and may 2009 be a beautiful year for all of us! Jody ☺
… “I hope everyone’s holiday festivities have been decorated with love and time with friends and family. I have felt blessed to still be here in Seattle because my original departure date was supposed to be back in November….but now its scheduled for Jan 3rd. So as I sit here today, December 31st, 2007, at my mom’s kitchen table, I am admiring the gorgeous blue sky shining in Seattle, taking in these last few glimpses of the city I have called home for over 30 years. Some of you might be asking, you’re doing what?! You’re moving to Thailand?! How did that happen?! Well, here is the story…”
Can you believe it?! Yep, that was the first day I started to sit down and write about my adventures. My year of writing started EXACTLY a year ago with that entry. Today is December 31st, two thousand and EIGHT.
Since that entry, I have flown across the globe to Thailand, moved from my home on Queen Anne into a room with a bed in a staff apartment building, worked as a holistic physician at a health resort on the beach, have met amazing people from literally all around the world, learned to speak a bit of Thai, eaten more Thai food in a week than I ever had before in my entire life, ate dinner on the roof of a 65-story building in Bangkok, rode an elephant around ancient temple ruins, explored deep into caves in the north of Thailand, snorkeled in clear blue waters off islands in the south of Thailand…and have said good-bye to everyone I met in Thailand…
…Have flown to Indonesia, arrived exhausted from having flown all night, asking myself, “Why the heck did I think adjusting to yet again another new culture would be a good idea?!”…Yet, I found an amazingly cute little place for $10/night where my hot breakfast is delivered to my patio every morning, spent Christmas dinner with my aunt and uncle and cousins who were vacationing here for the holidays, spent today exploring town and met more friendly people that speak English than I did during my entire year living in Hua Hin….and right now, am writing to you from a funky little café, here in this town called Ubud, on this tropical island of Bali.
It has just become dark…must be a bit after 7pm. Living near the equator, it pretty much gets light at 7am and dark at 7pm, everyday, all year round. It’s new year’s eve, so I guess I’ll stay up late and walk around town. But to me right now, its just another day, as have all the other holidays been to me this season. I’ve enjoyed it, really. No pressure to go shopping and buy a bunch of stuff that I’m not sure if anyone will like. No parties where I leave with a belly over-stuffed with holiday cuisine and of course, chocolate of all sorts. No worries like, “Oh gosh, what dress should I wear to the party?” Its just been simple. No stress…no holiday stress that is.
Adjusting to yet again a new culture isn’t exactly easy. Then, on top of that, who knows what hit me… but on about my 5th day here, I was horribly sick. My throat was so raw it hurt to swallow. My ears hurt. Sneezing. More sneezing. Nose running like a faucet. My chest ached. I went out and got a massage and then slept for 14 hours… I woke up the next morning amazingly okay! Thank goodness.
Anyway, back to my cute little café where I am sitting right now. So what am I doing here in Bali? Well, resting, relaxing, healing….and turning all of my writings into a book. My visa allows me to be here for 60 days. And that is all the plans I have…for now anyway.
I only have 8% left on my laptop battery and I really need to go pee. So I just wanted to take this moment to capture the fact that I started writing exactly a year ago to the day…and to wish everyone a very Happy New Year. May the wonderful journeys of life, mine and yours, continue into this next year to come…and may 2009 be a beautiful year for all of us! Jody ☺
Thursday, November 27, 2008
A Long Overdue UPDATE!! and Happy Thanksgiving to All!
Whew! So much has happened since my last entry! Where to start?! WELL, I guess I'll just start...at the beginning!
I quit. Yep, I'm done. As of 19 November 2008 (which happens to be my birthday!), (and yes, I've adjusted to the way the rest of the world writes the date...makes more sense really) I no longer work at the resort. I originally wanted to stay for exactly a year just for my own sense of accomplishment (my contract was open eneded)...which means that 7 January would have been my last day....but then realized that our annual bonus is given out on 31 January, so I should at least wait until then....but then that means that I can't put my 30 day notice in before getting the bonus (because its quite a subjective bonus scale), which means I would put my notice in on 1 February, and thus my last day would have been 2 March...which when I'm feeling done NOW, 3 more months for a bonus that could potentially amount to peanuts seems way too long to wait!
So my next option was, do I really care about making it exactly a year? My contract was open ended, so that didn't have to be a consideration. Bali has been calling my name ever since I read Eat, Pray, Love when I first arrived here. I've been dreaming about kicking back and relaxing there before going home....finding some amazing little place for $10 a night to just chill out at for a month or two...dedicate my time there to being a writer...catch up on all the blog topics that I have yet to write about...and turn this blog into a book! Then I remembered that my aunt Marie & uncle & cousins will be there for Christmas!! So that was that! Decision made!
I put my 30 day notice in on 1 November to allow myself time to explore the lush mountainous regions of Northern Thailand during the first two weeks of December before heading to Bali. But here comes the hiccup. Management had originally approved my vacation with my Dad and Jean, scheduled to be from 18 Nov to 26 Nov...but suddenly two days after putting my notice in, I received an email on 3 Nov that said they were only going to approve the first 2 days of the vacation, and that occupancy was too high to approve the rest. (Given the history of the way they operate, I am SURE that me leaving right before busy season had NOTHING to do with their change of mind...NOT!).
So my choices were, have Dad & Jean fly all the way over to Asia to see me but tell them that I had to work, OR have my last day be 17 Nov so that I may enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore Asia with them. Except for the fact that by leaving before working a full 30 days from when I put my notice in means that I will be out having them pay for my flight home...ouch...it was an easy decision. One of my favorite mantras I use when traveling is this: As the years go by, I will always remember the amazing memories I've had, never the money I've saved.
So along came 18 November, and I was off for Bangkok to be reunited with Dad & Jean. (Lots to say about my last day of work...all the tearful good-byes to the amazing people that I have met...that last minute regrets, such as "Why the heck am I leaving a steady paying job in the midst of the economical climate of the day?!"...packing up my entire life into little boxes, again...) ...and then there we were, Dad & Jean & I, all together in the lobby of their hotel, as if not even a day since we last saw each other had passed.
We had an amazing three days in Bangkok (which would take me another hour or two to write about, so maybe once I'm chillin' in Bali)....an amazing two days in which they stayed at the resort and I was lucky enough to still be allowed to stay in my room...and then three days ago, we flew to Cambodia and were blessed enough to witness one of the most architectural and artistic wonders of the world, an 800 year old temple called Angkor Wat. Google it!
So yesterday was the day of loving goodbyes, full of gratitude for the amazing time we had together...but not without a glitch. If you've been reading the news, you are aware that political protestors have taken over the Bangkok airport and it has resultantly been shut down. Dad and Jean have continued their travels to Vietnam, but I was meant to return to Bangkok, and then head up north to start my adventures up there...But I'm still here in Siam Reap, Cambodia...No flying to Bangkok for me.
We all went to the airport together with the expectation of catching our respective flights...but then headed back into town together, to find me a hotel. That was yesterday. So here I am today, 26 November 2008, Thanksgiving Day in America, and I am by myself, stuck in Cambodia...and FULL of gratitude of a whole different kind.... Not only of the harvest, and the abundance of food that I have had access to throughout my entire life, but of the endless list of other blessings that fill my life....the ability to travel and learn from other cultures, to see amazing sights literally all over the globe, for my heart to be filled with endless love from my family and friends, to have money in my pocket and a desire for adventure pumping through my veins, my health, to be safe, to be warm, to have clothes..that are clean, to have a roof over my head everywhere I go, to have a bottle of clean water in my beautiful purse, to have food in my belly...and to know that in a few hours I'll have some more, to have confidence in my talents that wherever I end up, I'll be just fine...
So as I end this entry, I want all of you reading this to know that I wish you the very best for a day of deep gratitude for all of the blessings you have in your life, on this day of Thanksgiving. :-)
And for me, instead of eating turkey & pumpkin pie, I'm about to head out of this little internet cafe, along this busy, dusty Cambodian street, full of motorbikes darting this way and that... to figure out, where the heck to catch a bus, to wherever the heck I decide to go next!! Sending love to you all...bye for now!
I quit. Yep, I'm done. As of 19 November 2008 (which happens to be my birthday!), (and yes, I've adjusted to the way the rest of the world writes the date...makes more sense really) I no longer work at the resort. I originally wanted to stay for exactly a year just for my own sense of accomplishment (my contract was open eneded)...which means that 7 January would have been my last day....but then realized that our annual bonus is given out on 31 January, so I should at least wait until then....but then that means that I can't put my 30 day notice in before getting the bonus (because its quite a subjective bonus scale), which means I would put my notice in on 1 February, and thus my last day would have been 2 March...which when I'm feeling done NOW, 3 more months for a bonus that could potentially amount to peanuts seems way too long to wait!
So my next option was, do I really care about making it exactly a year? My contract was open ended, so that didn't have to be a consideration. Bali has been calling my name ever since I read Eat, Pray, Love when I first arrived here. I've been dreaming about kicking back and relaxing there before going home....finding some amazing little place for $10 a night to just chill out at for a month or two...dedicate my time there to being a writer...catch up on all the blog topics that I have yet to write about...and turn this blog into a book! Then I remembered that my aunt Marie & uncle & cousins will be there for Christmas!! So that was that! Decision made!
I put my 30 day notice in on 1 November to allow myself time to explore the lush mountainous regions of Northern Thailand during the first two weeks of December before heading to Bali. But here comes the hiccup. Management had originally approved my vacation with my Dad and Jean, scheduled to be from 18 Nov to 26 Nov...but suddenly two days after putting my notice in, I received an email on 3 Nov that said they were only going to approve the first 2 days of the vacation, and that occupancy was too high to approve the rest. (Given the history of the way they operate, I am SURE that me leaving right before busy season had NOTHING to do with their change of mind...NOT!).
So my choices were, have Dad & Jean fly all the way over to Asia to see me but tell them that I had to work, OR have my last day be 17 Nov so that I may enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore Asia with them. Except for the fact that by leaving before working a full 30 days from when I put my notice in means that I will be out having them pay for my flight home...ouch...it was an easy decision. One of my favorite mantras I use when traveling is this: As the years go by, I will always remember the amazing memories I've had, never the money I've saved.
So along came 18 November, and I was off for Bangkok to be reunited with Dad & Jean. (Lots to say about my last day of work...all the tearful good-byes to the amazing people that I have met...that last minute regrets, such as "Why the heck am I leaving a steady paying job in the midst of the economical climate of the day?!"...packing up my entire life into little boxes, again...) ...and then there we were, Dad & Jean & I, all together in the lobby of their hotel, as if not even a day since we last saw each other had passed.
We had an amazing three days in Bangkok (which would take me another hour or two to write about, so maybe once I'm chillin' in Bali)....an amazing two days in which they stayed at the resort and I was lucky enough to still be allowed to stay in my room...and then three days ago, we flew to Cambodia and were blessed enough to witness one of the most architectural and artistic wonders of the world, an 800 year old temple called Angkor Wat. Google it!
So yesterday was the day of loving goodbyes, full of gratitude for the amazing time we had together...but not without a glitch. If you've been reading the news, you are aware that political protestors have taken over the Bangkok airport and it has resultantly been shut down. Dad and Jean have continued their travels to Vietnam, but I was meant to return to Bangkok, and then head up north to start my adventures up there...But I'm still here in Siam Reap, Cambodia...No flying to Bangkok for me.
We all went to the airport together with the expectation of catching our respective flights...but then headed back into town together, to find me a hotel. That was yesterday. So here I am today, 26 November 2008, Thanksgiving Day in America, and I am by myself, stuck in Cambodia...and FULL of gratitude of a whole different kind.... Not only of the harvest, and the abundance of food that I have had access to throughout my entire life, but of the endless list of other blessings that fill my life....the ability to travel and learn from other cultures, to see amazing sights literally all over the globe, for my heart to be filled with endless love from my family and friends, to have money in my pocket and a desire for adventure pumping through my veins, my health, to be safe, to be warm, to have clothes..that are clean, to have a roof over my head everywhere I go, to have a bottle of clean water in my beautiful purse, to have food in my belly...and to know that in a few hours I'll have some more, to have confidence in my talents that wherever I end up, I'll be just fine...
So as I end this entry, I want all of you reading this to know that I wish you the very best for a day of deep gratitude for all of the blessings you have in your life, on this day of Thanksgiving. :-)
And for me, instead of eating turkey & pumpkin pie, I'm about to head out of this little internet cafe, along this busy, dusty Cambodian street, full of motorbikes darting this way and that... to figure out, where the heck to catch a bus, to wherever the heck I decide to go next!! Sending love to you all...bye for now!
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