BALIIIIIIII !!

BALIIIIIIII… it’s not just my excitement in screaming the name, that’s even how the locals say it. It’s just so… exciting! BALIIIIIIII! I’m in love, I’m in love, I’m in love and I don’t care who knows it! Okay, how I have lived without this place for so long is beyond me. Maybe it’s the excitement of leaving India (no offense, India) or maybe it’s the epic surfing conditions, equatorial sun, the cute little shark I saw on the reef today, all the baby sea turtles, world-renowned sushi, or the fact that I can get or do just about anything for three to five bucks. Who knows? But I am in love!

The first few days I spent surfing. So amazing to get back in the water without a 7mm wetsuit—better yet—no wetsuit at all! A friendly Balinese man named Jimmy Checko (yeah, I believe that’s your real name like I believe the Earth is flat) found me the first day out in the water and offered to show me some of the less crowded breaks. Most of the waves were gorgeous, we’re talking painting material gorgeous, soft and welcoming. With these conditions I was able to catch some of the biggest ones I’ve ever ridden. And probably the most fun I’ve had on a board since 2006. After a few days of completely overriding and losing all sense of compassion for my own body, I took a break from the water (my board rash and throbbing ribs thanked me) and headed inland to the yoga capital of Indonesia.

After all the downward facing dogs one can fit into a day, I heard about an elephant sanctuary that was taking volunteers. I signed up to leave the next morning. Only it wasn’t just elephants. A lot of the animals that had been displaced in Sumatra were being cared for at the same center. So I got to hang out with orangutans, camels, tigers, and elephants! It was amazing. I fell in love with a tiger cub named Luna. She had really been struggling with sleep since the tsunami, so I offered my yogic practices and voila! She sleeps like a baby… at least for a few hours. We shared a lovely moment together.

The next day I headed back to the ocean for my last couple of days on the island. Had to get the waves while there were waves to be gotten. On my last day, my energy had irked me to stay out of the water. It was the first time in my life I had ever been in a warm climate and not wanted to be in the water. So, I ignored it, duh, and charged the water with my bad attitude. It proved to be unsuccessful as I had about 5 wipeouts and only caught two waves before my board swung around and smacked me clear in the face as if to say, “get out of the water, stupid.” Alright, alright, you don’t have to beat me over the head with it (pun clearly intended). With my head in a tremendous amount of pain, I caught the next wave in and headed to the local guy whom had let me borrow his board.
“Oh my god, it hit you in face!” he yells which cause a few people nearby to wander over.
“So, you can see it, huh?”
“See it? It almost take eye! I get you ice, you stay here. Bleeding will stop with ice. I promise.” Bleeding? I’m bleeding? Crap, that’s all I need is an open wound, and next to my eye no less. I think it looked worse at first than it was. Of course, it did stop bleeding and the swelling went down, although the bruising and throbbing continues all the way up to the airport. This adventure went way too quickly. So to Bali, I would like to offer my gratitude for the fast and beautiful lessons, the experiences, and yes, oh yes, the waves. Keep rockin, I will be back for you. And to the readers of this blog, if I can offer you any piece of advice it would be to go to Bali. It has beauty, culture, love, adventure, and anything else you can ask for from a warm climate. Please do it, I’ll even come with you ☺