Seminyak, Bali

I just spent the last two days learning how to surf. Bali has some of the best surfing, for all levels. The weather here is just perfect for surfing as well. Surfing was hard, tiring and fun! I had a great time attempting to be flexible, strong and energetic!  I'm actually really satisfied with my performance, considering it was my first time.  To be any good at it would definitely take alot of practice though!

Bali is diverse, energetic and dynamic. The Balinese/Indonesian people are so rich in culture; its beautiful to watch their lives and how deeply rooted they are. It sounds weird, but they are so connected; with themselves, eachother and nature. Just watching them you can tell there is something different about these people. When I took my first surfing lesson, the instructors were showing us how to lift yourself and stand on the board. If you are not flexible (like me!) than it becomes a problematic task to bend your knees and keep both feet planted on the ground. They moved with such ease into these positions and when I was telling them later about taking a week of yoga, they said "can you teach us yoga?! come back and teach us yoga!!" I found it so funny becuase they were already way conscious of yoga than me simply by growing up here,in Bali!!!!

As I leave Bali and head back to Bangkok, I am thankful for an incredible experience. My time here has been exactly what I was hoping for; I have pushed myself to try new things, been refreshed, rejuvenated and set free in some ways too. I want to come back. This is one of the few places along the way that has drawn me in a special way.  All the places have been unique and beautiful in their own way but Bali has more to offer me.

On to my next adventure....Heather is coming!!!!! yyyyyyyaaaaaaayyyyy!

craniosacral therapy in Ubud, Bali

One of the teachers at the yoga studio I have been going to for the last week does craniosacral therapy as well. I have always wanted to do craniosacral therapy and see what happens. According to definition, 'craniosacral therapy is an alternative session involving the therapist placing their hands on the patient, which they say allows them to tune into what they call the craniosacral system'. In my terms, its an energy flowing session; it allows energy to flow and be released according to the bodies needs. Going into the session I figured it could be either a bunch of crap or a cool experience.


So, in the session, I laid on her table for 2 hours while she "worked" on my body.  It was invigorating, stimulating and so fascinating.  I felt this electricity run through my body that Ive never really paid attention to and really enjoyed my time. It was deeply relaxing.  After the session, Cat (the therapist) gave me a debriefing and said that my body is really sensitive and responds really well to this kind of work.  I was in a different, peaceful state of mind for the next couple days. 


I also wanted to come to Bali to give yoga a fair shot.  I have heard all the beneficial side effects of yoga and have not given yoga the time to be something transforming in my life.  So I wanted to immerse myself in yoga for a week and see what happened. I did yoga atleast once a day for 6 days, sometimes several times a day.  It was hard to not give up (because I am not flexible at all!) but the results are awesome.  After just one week, I feel like a lighter, relaxed, energized new person!


The point of me writing all this is to summarize my time in Ubud.....I came to a unique place in my journey.  Up to this point in my life, I have known I was sensitive and have become more aware as time passes at my strong efforts to avoid this fact. I have avoided dealing with my body or being connected to my body for a long time.  This has also become apparent to me in Bangkok with all my food issues. My week in Ubud, Bali was healing, satisfying and freeing.  I am eager to continue my journey in wholeness...


I am now in Kuta/Seminyak, Bali.  I have several surfing lessons over the next couple days and a great hotel so I'm excited to relax, enjoy and BE.

Bali, first couple days

I got to Bali a couple days ago and went straight to Ubud to start my yoga/detox/alone time. Ubud is this artsy, healthy community on the inland of Bali. So, Im not next to the beach (that comes in a couple days!). Alot of the natives here speak English really well because this is such a commercialized area of Bali, in alot of ways.  Its the place to find yoga, health food, spas, spiritual guidance...you name it in the arena of new age!!!

I came here through balispirit.com and they set up all my accommodation, spa treatments and yoga classes. The place I've been taking yoga classes offers classes basically all day long so you can come whenever you want. I told myself that I would give yoga a fair shot; that I would really attempt it and take it in.  Its been two full days now of yoga, and Im having my doubts that I will ever be a 'yogi.' Im just not flexible and alot of yoga is painful for me.  I don't know what happened to all those years of dance and gymnastics, but I no longer have any flexibility to me. Its been a bit frustrating and quite embarrassing to say the least, but also enlightening as I find parts of myself that need to be released.  What do I mean by that?!  Well, I have noticed alot of stored emotion in the last couple days and as I find myself in certain positions during yoga, I just start crying. Interesting...

On the other hand, I have had several spa treatments here and they are to die for!! The U.S. has no idea what its doing when it comes to spa treatments, come to find out. And its SO much cheaper!!  They actually pamper you, touch you and know how to work with your body.  Today I got a spa treatment called the Ayurvedic. As you walk into the treatment rooms, it has a table, a shower and a tub overlooking rice paddies with the windows open. In Bali, you get completely naked and they massage you pretty much everywhere. Its not like the states in that sense, you must be very comfortable being naked. You lay on your stomach first for an hour, than your back and then you sit while they massage you once more.  The fun part about my treatment today was that it focused on my chakras. So, the massage oil was put on my chakras first and then I was massaged according to these seven energy points in my body. Then you get a warm oil slowly dripped on your 'third eye' in between your eyebrows. The Indian yogis call this shirdara and it restores calm and vital balance to the mind and nervous system. It is supposed to enhance self awareness. After the massage, I was scrubbed down and then sat in a tub filled with water and flowers to relax while overlooking rice paddies and lush greenery!(and while drinking fresh juice.)  They end the treatment with a shampoo.  It was 4 hours of heaven...

The people here are so fascinating too.  It attracts alot of spiritual people.  I was sitting in the coffee shop yesterday and this girl sat next to me and started asking me about my kindle (my electronic book). We started talking and she started telling me her story; shes from California and travels quite a bit with her 'partner' (its a man) and teaches tantra. For those of you that dont know what tantra is, its basically sexual healing/energy/some would say yoga; living out of your sexual being. She told me alot about it and it was so funny to notice that while she was talking to me, she was also very comfortable touching herself in those 'private' areas. I was simply speechless trying to take it all in...

I'm really grateful to be around people that understand health food. Bangkok does not have any clue what health food is, so its been refreshing to eat what I normally eat at home and feel healthier.

We will see what the next couple days brings, it should be interesting, challenging and enlightening!!!

Hong Kong-ing it up

I just arrived back to Bangkok from Hong Kong this afternoon.  Im leaving in the morning for Bali. Talk about living out of a suitcase...

I absolutely fell in love with Hong Kong. Its a place I have always wanted to visit and when I found out that my friend Sarah was studying abroad there, I basically made her say it was ok for me to visit!!! Haha! We had a great time together.  She had class all of the days I was there, so we spent the evenings together and I spent the days in the city.

I think one of my favorite things about Hong Kong was the food. Sarah enjoys food like I do, so it was awesome to share meals and go to our favorite cuisines. The first night I was there, we went across the harbor to watch the light show in Hong Kong and then found an amazing Italian restaurant overlooking the water. (For those of you that dont know about Hong Kong, they have a light show every night with music and the buildings. There are lights on the buildings and lasers and you watch it from across the harbor.  It's a Hong Kong novelty!) At the Italian restaurant we went to, we had the most amazing wine and cheese appetizer. I never realized how much I take good wine for granted.  Thailand doesn't believe in wine and it has been depressing to not find any here, without paying quite a bit of money for it. Sarah and I also enjoyed Malaysian, Vietnamese food and Dim Sum.

In Hong Kong, wednesdays and thursdays are ladies night. So on Wednesday night we went out to enjoy the free beverages and dancing.  Long story short, we found ourselves heading home at 7:30 in the morning and were hungry so stopped for Dim Sum.  It was such a neat experience because we were hanging with all the locals as they had breakfast. We ate a ton of food and only paid $14 between the 3 of us. Its ridiculously cheap!  That is literally the 2nd time I have ever stayed out dancing that long (the other time was in Prague) and Dim Sum was perfect for breakfast! Now my body will just be screwed up for a couple days...

Hong Kong was cold while I was there (about 65 degrees). All the residents were dressed in parkas and were freezing.  They dont have heaters in Hong Kong, so it was very interesting that the buildings just all get cold when its cold outside. I was actually freezing!!  I guess that means my body has acclimatized to Bangkok weather, but it was so nice to get out the humidity and heat of Bangkok.  Im so tired of sweating all the time!

Now off to Bali to yoga, spend some time in the mountains, see volcanos and surf!!!

An afternoon at the hospital

I have heard great things about the health care and dental care in Bangkok, but got my first experience with it today. Ever since Erin and I were in Chiang Mai a week and half ago, my bowels have not been happy.  In the last couple days, I have felt incredibly bloated and uncomfortable.  The symptoms from what seemed like food poisoning just weren't going away and I was getting more uncomfortable and my appetite has pretty much disappeared because I get sick from everything, so I decided to check out this hospital first hand. Its a good thing I went because when I got there, they weighed me and no joke, I have gained 12 pounds in the last week. gross...

So, I registered myself in the hospital and went to see the doctor. I had a great experience, she understood me fully and basically she thinks I have an infection in my bowels from food poisoning and that the weight gain is from water/salt retention.  She thinks I should be back to normal within 5 days (she didnt make any promises about the weight though).  Its so weird that 5 days ago, I was feeling happy, healthy and now I feel un-appetized by everything and really fat. Just how a girl wants to feel when its 100% humidity outside!!

On another note, the hospital care was incredibly affordable and I had such a great, easy experience.  The hospital was pure luxury; it felt like a hotel, the doctor was really great and helpful and I wish that health care was this simple back in the United States.

Asian culture lesson #923

I have so much to still learn about this culture.  Sometimes the hardest things to learn are those which you refuse to accept. I have had the hardest time accepting certain parts or understanding things Asians do.  For instance, you will be standing in line at the grocery store or at 7-eleven (yes, they are on every corner) and some mane or woman (usually a woman) will come and just cut you in line like you aren't even there.  It is the rudest thing to me.  It even happened in the line to get into Thailand from Cambodia.  Kelly and I put up a stink and told this little lady she had to go to the back of the line and it took her a good few minutes to finally comprehend that we were not going to let her do that to us. I just dont get it...

On another note, just got back from Koh Samet yesterday for a couple days.  I wanted to get out of the city for a couple days before I leave for Hong Kong on Tuesday and it just happened to work out that my friend Joe, from highschool, just moved to Thailand to teach and had a couple days to go with me.  We had a lovely time just sitting on the beach and doing nothing except sitting,eating and drinking  Thai beer.

Today I finally made it to the weekend market in Bangkok. The weekend market is huge in Bangkok and I can't believe I hadn't made it out there yet.  It was fabulous!  Now that I am used to the markets in Asia, the crowds and craziness dont bother me as much. You expect to walk slow and sweat alot; pretty simple really. Its my last official weekend in Bangkok.  From here on out, I wont be in Bangkok for a weekend.....how crazy and weird!  Time is going so quickly!

Chiang Mai

After our time on the islands, Erin and I headed back to Bangkok for a day and the proceeded to Chiang Mai, in the north of Thailand. Its obviously quite a different landscape since we are no longer near the beach and find ourselves in a rain forest/mountainous area. On our first day here, we went on a 'trek' and rode elephants, went bamboo rafting and white water rafting.  Since our 'trek' was gear towards tourists, it ended up being quite cheesy but we had fun with a british couple that was on their honey moon.

Yesterday we spent the morning relaxing and spent the afternoon and evening zip-lining through the trees outside Chiang Mai. We drove an hour outside of Chiang Mai and sailed above the trees from platform to platform screaming, turning upside down and having a great time!  When we got back to the city last night, we wanted to make it to the Thai boxing match but didnt and instead enjoyed the famous night markets of Chiang Mai, where good deals, food and enjoyment are always had!

Today we head back to Bangkok for a day and then Erin leaves.  I have about a week before my trip to Hong Kong.  I am looking forward to some down time with no plans since the last month of my life has been such an adventure!!! Maybe I will find myself heading down to Koh Samed for some beach time...

Extending our trip

We were walking to the pier yesterday to hop on our boat back to the mainland and both decided that we were not ready to leave phi phi yet, so we changed our flights and everything to stay a couple more days. phi phi is apparently calling us, it is so amazingly beautiful here!

Last night was also the full moon party. We have been watching this fire show every night on the beach and gotten to know one of the performers Johnny. He is absolutely hilarious and incredibly talented. He wanted us to come join him and his thai friend celebrate the full moon party. They totally took care of us and took us to a beach dance party where we danced until the wee hours of the morning. Awesome, beautiful, sweaty, hilarious and just what we needed...

Today we will just lay on the beach while drinking fresh fruit drinks, we will probably get coconut oil massages, we will eat great food and it will be perfect.  Life is good.

Phi Phi Islands

Erin and I came to the Phi Phi islands for a couple days and words cannot describe the beauty of this place! When you see pictures of the beaches in Thailand, you are most likely seeing pictures near the phi phi islands.  Yesterday, we took a private boat tour around the islands, went snorkeling and got to see one of the most amazing sunsets I've ever seen from our long boat (the boats they use in thailand). It was so awesome!

We have also been drinking fruit shakes a pretty much every opportunity. The fresh fruit shakes around here are phenomenal. Pineapple is usually certain to be the best.  I think when you imagine coming to a tropical island, the picture that comes to your head might be something like getting a massage on the beach while drinking a fruity drink out of a coconut.  This is the place to do that, and I have found the drink I want to be sipping on. While watching a fire show on the beach last night, I drank a blend of fresh mango, rum and coconut milk while I think enjoying a piece of heaven at the same time!  I love these moments in life to simply just enjoy!