My Balinese Adventure Begins: The Bukit Peninsula

Paragliders sail over Pandawa Beach, The Bukit Peninsula / September 2013

Ten days ago I arrived in Bukit, a peninsula located on the southern end of Bali – it is an area still very much rich in culture and traditions, and remains yet to sell out in the way Kuta has. By chance (or as I prefer, by reason of the universe) I have had more of an authentic Balinese experience than many would even dare imagine. (I’m not just talking cold showers.)

I happened across accommodation (an eco-villa on a permaculture farm) in an untouched village where many inhabitants didn’t speak a word of English. I spent a lot of my time walking through the quiet villages reflecting on where I'm at and where I'm headed, I got a lot of reading and writing done and through meditation, I have managed to silent my thoughts for a good few minutes at a time! (Baby steps.) Testament to how little exposure some of these villages have to tourists, is the fact that every single day, I had groups of Indonesian people at the beach asking to take a photo with me. 

I was lucky enough to be invited to a Balinese style Hindu ceremony at Balangang beach. I quite literally felt as though I had been plucked from real life and placed into a scene from Eat Pray Love. I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face as I took in all the bright colours, hypnotic music and endless offerings – it was so surreal and different to any kind of religious ceremony I have ever taken part in, but the energy was incredible and I too received cleansing and blessing.

EAT

Padang Padang Breeze – If I had to choose one dish to eat for the rest of my life, hands down I would choose the marinated mussels (which the menu should correctly amend to clams) from this restaurant. No moment in my entire life could compare to the sheer pleasure that my tastebuds experienced upon tasting this creation. The fish in Bali is always incredibly fresh along the coast, but this warung (or restaurant in English) takes it to another level.  I highly recommend ordering (and sharing only if you feel generous) one of the BBQ platters, which serve a variety of fish and crustaceans, accompanied with standard sides such as rice and incredibly delicious battered potatoes. The mojitos here go down a treat seeing as they are made with rum and NOT arak, and the staff were just delightful.

DO

Beach Hop – Some of the most pristine beaches I have ever seen can be found off the Bukit peninsula, and several are famous for their surf. Warungs along the beach will let you hire a beach chair and umbrella (don’t pay more than 25,000 rp), where you can sit and sip on a coconut (15,000 rp). Try to pay with the correct money because I have witnessed and experienced them running away with your cash and not bringing any change. Most weekends the locals will host a beach party, complete with reggae band, eclectic dj mix and bright lights – it feels a lot like a blue light disco. The beach parties are a heap of fun, you can buy beers (and mushrooms) – the locals or surfers can point you in the direction of which beach to visit on any given night.

I'll be spending the next ten days in Seminyak - my body is yearning for a little luxury and indulgence after what has been an intense few months! I will get some of the incredible photos from my time in Bukit up in the next few days, but for now: massages, sun tanning and cocktails await. xx

Leaving London - What to Eat, Drink & Do

Beautiful houses on a glorious Sunday in Notting Hill, London / August 2013

Today marks my last whole day in London, and Europe. I had originally intended to spend a few weeks in Italy before flying home, but the value of the Australian dollar continues to drop and I'm in need of a bit of a Sabbatical. Tomorrow I start my journey to Indonesia, where I'll spend two weeks on the Bukit Peninsula realigning my mind, body and spirit. My body is yearning for some detoxification after months of partying and my mind is hazy and in dire need of revitalising. 

I'm ready for some serious soul searching (cue 'sah wanky' comments from my friends), and you will see a lot of that spill over onto my blog in the coming weeks and forever on after that. My sole purpose for creating this blog was to help me explore the different avenues which interest me (not just travel), to help me create intention and direction for myself. I know after these next two weeks I will be well on my way to working out the path that I should be paving for myself, and I can't wait to share that journey with you all.

I am so grateful for all the natural and constructed marvels I was so privileged to see on this trip, and not to mention the incredible people I travelled with and met along the way. It amazes me how diverse the cultures are from country to country in Europe, even when they are often only a couple of hours apart. It is such an incredible continent, and I can't wait until I'm back again. I'll have to come up with an overall 'best of' post when I return to Sydney, but for now some of my favourite places in London xx

EAT
The Breakfast Club - There are a few different locations for this cafe, my preferred spot being East London. The cafe is open from breakfast until dinner, and serves a variety of smoothies and cocktails, big breakfasts and burgers (gourmet of course). There is a great vibe in the cafe - it is set out like a diner and filled with an eclectic mix of retro 50s furnishings and 'junk from the owners childhood bedrooms.' The Breakfast Club is home to the most amazing tasting vegetarian burger I've ever tasted (I've probably said that before, but I mean it now) and has some delicious share-plates for starters. (Haloumi and marinated olives, yum!)

DRINK
The Ten Bells - You will never go thirsty in London, I doubt there is a single street corner that doesn't house a pub. The bars in London are all quite expensive, not to mention most will hit you with a 12.5% service charge so I opted for drinking at pubs. The Ten Bells was our local, just a few steps off Brick Lane. It doesn't matter what time of day or night, there was always a huge crowd of people with a beer drinking on the footpath (cheers Summer sunshine). It did get a bit tight for space inside with all the tables taken, but the drinks were reasonably priced and the bar staff were all darlings.

DO
Harry Potter Studio Tour - The truth comes out: I'm a huge geek. The Warner Bros studio where much of the Harry Potter movies were filmed is in Watford, a short train ride from London. The studio houses many of the original sets which were used in the films, all of which are still completely dressed. There are thousands of original props and costumes, you can walk through Diagon Alley, there are interviews with stars and set designers, you can drink Butterbeer and see moving chess pieces - and the actual model of Hogwarts Castle. I am obviously a huge fan so was completely swept away with the experience, but it was truly magical and I urge you to visit. Tours sell out weeks in advance so book ahead!

Leaving On A Jet Plane

8:30pm sunset in Mykonos, July 2012 #nofilter

I blinked and somehow my Europe 2013 trip has snuck up on me.

In just 7 sleeps I will be boarding my (budget) flight to Singapore to commence my three (?) month journey. I'm very unprepared for this trip - both mentally and physically. I booked most flights and accommodation for the trip up until mid-August, but at this point I don't even have a potential date to return home. My money is still all in Australian dollars and I haven't bought my travel insurance. I started packing, but after 6 outfits I threw in the towel. I haven't been working out so my body is definitely not beach ready. And mentally? Well. Emotionally, I am on the road to nowhere. I have spent the past few months in an emotional rut, unsure of what I want, who I want and whether the goals I am working towards are still relevant to my interests, so to just up and leave right now feels a bit like running away.

I will be spending a number of weeks away by myself, and I intend to spend this time really rigorously soul searching. I think to reboot my personal growth it's important to get back in touch with my spirituality and work on mindfulness and meditation. A secluded beach in Tellaro, Italy is obviously the only place I will be able to successfully achieve this ;) I intend to spend a couple of weeks before the journey home in a quiet town off the Mediterranean coast where I can journal, fully realise my strengths and fears, reassess the current path my life is on and devise a 5 year plan for myself.

I am so grateful to the universe for providing me the means to spend so much time travelling over these past two years. I feel like the least I can do now is utilise the opportunity to improve myself to the best possible version of myself. I can't wait to share my journey with you all (although probably don't expect to hear from me more than once a week.)

Sending ALL of the love and happiness to you all xxxxxx

Decluttering Your Way to Self-Improvement

More often than not, our external environment is a reflection of our internal state. If we live in mess and clutter, this is an indication that our mind and spirit are misaligned and are in a state of chaos.
Stagnant energy is a result of clutter - negative energy which traps you in the past, preventing you from attaining your goals and progressing towards a satisfying future.

We often disassociate ourselves from the word 'clutter,' as we have become conditioned to affiliate clutter with hoarders and collectors. This is not the case, clutter is not just physical but also emotional excess which weighs down our mental state. Holding onto mementos from past friendships and relationships, old clothes which you no longer fit into, trinkets that gather dust on your window sills  - this sort of clutter prevents the movement of positive vibrations around you.

We may convince ourselves that hiding our clutter in boxes under the bed or at the back of our wardrobes is clearing space and effective, but why are we holding onto these objects 'just in case.' The energy still looms because we know the clutter is still there. See how often your reach into one of these boxes over a four week period - any objects that you fish out you can find a prominent home for - everything else should be eliminated. A clear living space = a clear, serene state of mind.

By all means it is important to 'decorate' and 'beautify' our surroundings, but material objects are not necessarily conducive to self-fulfillment and 'meaningful' objects that remind of us negative experiences are sure to repress the best version of ourselves. Our surroundings should inspire us to dream and to accomplish these dreams, but they should also serve us as a retreat to reflect on our self-improvement. 

Thought of the Day: Why Do We Settle For Less?

This weekend I had quite a confronting realisation - I am settling for less than I deserve in some of my friendships. As I mulled over this little epiphany (two bottles of wine worth of mulling), endless examples of people I knew who were settling for less in their jobs, friendships and relationships dawned on me.

In all other areas of our lives, when an object does not serve it's intended purpose, we dispose/return/resell/let it sit in the back of the cupboard never to be seen again. We don't fully immerse ourself into said object and become so consumed by it that we grow to resent it. So why do we let jobs and relationships that don't set our world on fire make us miserable?

When it comes to relationships, the inherent reason must be fear. We fear rejection. We fear being alone. We fear confrontation and hearing about all the 'inadequacies' in our personalities. We are so scared that there won't be another suitable job, another friend, another lover that we just make do and settle with a mundane relationship and a job that is a chore. 

Oh, and did I mention we're lazy? Our generation has grown up having everything always handed to them. If a job with a six-figure salary/mega-babe that ticks all our boxes doesn't just fall into our laps, we will make do with what we have because it is safe and just continue to hope that without actively looking for it, it will come. 

As soon as we settle, we become complacent. When we are complacent, we fail to strive towards improving our lives. When we find ourselves in a rut as a result, we blame and resent ourselves for settling for as long a time as we have.

If you're not happy, leave.

And yeah.