I’ve been counting down since we booked our trip, and the time has finally come: today I’m Bali Bound!
The year since our loss has been an unexpected season filled with exertion, weariness, and uncertainty, and in the middle of my sabbatical—even before the opportunity to lead a group of pilgrims to Iona arrived—I found myself longing for an adventure that was exotic, relaxing, and deeply spiritual.
I’ve wanted to go to Bali since reading Eat, Pray, Love almost 10 years ago (I have a feeling Indonesia owes a lot of its tourism industry of late to Elizabeth Gilbert), and as I tuned in to my yearning and my desire to be bold and take a risk, I knew that now was the time. Within days (or was it hours?) Kyle and I were looking up flights, booking accommodation, and pinning up a storm on our newly created Bali Pinterest board.
We leave late tonight, arriving in Bali on Sunday afternoon, and while I’m a bit nervous about the flight (I’ve never had a 12 hour flight before, followed by another nine hours in transit), when I think about our time on the island a peaceful smile forms on my face. The idea of spending a week there gives me such a sense of freedom, and I can’t wait to savor all that Bali has to offer, even I’ll just be getting a taste.
While it’s definitely non-traditional and I certainly haven’t done much preparation, for me, this trip is a pilgrimage in away—a journey that was planted within me long ago—and I look forward to setting my feet on that soil (or digging my toes in the sand!) and seeing what grows.
I’ll be sharing pictures from my journey along the way on Instagram and Facebook, so be sure to follow along!