Bali
Bali, where do I begin? In 2016 I visited Bali for the first time. On a 2 week holiday with my mom. I had never been there, and it just felt like coming home. If you’ve ever been to Bali you know that when you land, the energy, the frequency immediately changes and impacts your whole mood. They don’t call it ‘the island of gods’ for nothing.
On the 2 week trip with my mom we explored the island and Bali was still very quiet, not much tourism and less fancy restaurants and hotels then there is now. Since then I have been back to the Island three times and as I am writing this I am packing my bags to leave again next week. Every trip was transformational and that is why I am sharing my heart connected story’s with you all.
Bali 2016, the year after I traveled 2 months in the USA from NY to LA and back to NY with a tent, camper and 10 strangers. Januari 2017 I was leaving to go to Australia for a year. So Bali with my mom sounded great! When I left I was considering getting back into a relationship with my ex boyfriend. We had split ways for over a year and were getting back together just giving it a try. I told myself that I’ll make the decision in Bali. I could feel love growing day by day when I was in Bali, wanting to share this with him. Halfway through our trip I could feel that I started to miss him. His presence, jokes, energy and love. I can see myself in the exact place right now where I received a text from him telling that he missed me, I immediately texted back, I was feeling the same. And so we’re still together 6 years later.
Bali 2017, the year of Australia and where Yoga became something I never knew could be a part of me. I worked as a nanny for 6 months (where I did Yoga for the first time), traveled alone for a month in Tasmania and after 7 months my boyfriend flew into Australia and we traveled together for 5 months. This year I learned what the words ‘i miss you’ really mean. Ofcourse we planned to fly to Bali during our trip. We stayed for over 6 weeks, exploring, finding a way to ‘live’ it was amazing. Bali just became a little more home. My best friend who was at the time traveling Australia flew into Bali to be with us. He was a little third wheeling some days, but if I think back of this time it were the best weeks we had together. In our last 2 weeks my boyfriends mom flew in. We got to show her all the magic Bali had to offer and she also fell in love. I remember very clearly one day we visited a temple where we had a little ceremony guided by our guide (insta: mangpsubud). The energy was so beautiful, we all felt this relief of ‘it’s going to be okay’ ‘you are guided’ short after that my bf mom found new love for life and is still thriving.
Bali 2019, the year before corona. The year before I got stuck into an unhealthy lifestyle and almost lost myself to find myself again. This trip was one of the most pivotal ones of all. On this trip I very unexpectedly met my soul sister, a friend a didn’t know I deserved in this lifetime. With again another crazy funny story attached to it. On this trip it was just me and my boyfriend. We had just arrived and were about to meet up with some friends from Belgium. I dated the guy when I was younger. But my boyfriend and him were good friends and wanted to meet up in Bali. I didn’t mind because that relationship just wasn’t ever going to work out and we just became friends. And there they were, at a beach club we met and his girlfriend was one of the softest souls I’ve ever met. We spend 3 full days together and we could just not stop talking. We shared literally e v e r y t h i n g. It felt like we had known each other in another life. It just clicked. My bf and I had an amazing 4 weeks and when we got back home we tried to meet up straight after and the rest is history.. She became my shoulder to cry on, my listening ear and biggest support during my Yoga and self development journey. We helped each other grow to where we are now and she always believed in me. I Still thank Bali for this every single day.
Bali 2022, the year I waited for to come since 2020. After our last bali trip I spiralled into bad habits, negative energy, unhealthy environment and job flow. I had to get out of it but my body just gave up. (you can read my whole story on journal page ‘my story’) The first time going to Bali alone, I booked to go back and take a Yoga Teacher Training back in 2020. Obviously bcs of C. i couldn’t go. I had to take the course online and start teaching from there. It worked out very well and would never wanted it any other way. This august I could finally go back and do the Yoga Teacher Training in person. A life changing experience in Bali, 30 days with like minded people, incredible energy. I got to meet again such amazing soul sisters and brothers to align with from anywhere in the world. Everyday was a day full of bliss even the first days where I got sick (C). Being sick in Bali for the first time thought me how far over your limits you can go. And if you break that barrier your body just says NO you need to rest now and take care of your health and basic needs. The training gave me a new wave of energy, like my DNA was being removed and I got a new DNA. Flying home felt like rebirth on so many levels of my life. Time to bring my seeds into flowers.
Bali 2022, the year I get to go to Bali twice. As you have read in the beginning of this I am flying back next week. And guess what? I am going with my boyfriend and our friends who we had a few days with in 2019 are also flying to Bali on a holiday and we are spending one week together. Celebrating 3 beautiful years of friendship, growth, love and life. What this trip has in store is still a blank page, so to be continued …