Bali Bagus
Bali is soul much more than jet-set and remote working with endless, inexpensive quality experiences
From sunsets on the beach to rice paddies everywhere, Bali's soul much more than a vibe, it's vibrant, it felt like home, and for me, was a piece of the picture, in understanding inner peace.
sunset in seminyak / sometime in 2019 / shot on 35mm
Just before the pandemic shut everything down in 2019, I had the opportunity to visit Bali. The place was never on my bucket list but was something Bev was very much interested in and for her birthday one year, with some luck on fares and POOF *magic* made it (surprise!) happen.
The look on her face when I handed her a guidebook wrapped in a pareo, sharing that she’d need both was a mix of shock, disbelief, and bewilderment, all of which are words to describe the range of such a feeling.
not bewildered here, just beautiful / sometime in 2019 /shot on 35mm
Growing up in a tropical destination myself, I’ll be the first to say that such places elsewhere are not what I seek out. Despite it not being on my radar. I’m very glad that we were able to have such an experience there, together.
I’ve never read Eat, Pray, Love but after spending some time there, I can understand why the book made so many curious to go and seek out spiritual depth, healing, and release amidst such a beautiful backdrop.
campuhan ridge in Ubud / shot on iPhone w/moment wide lens
The first thing that hit me was influence of the Hindu culture. I loved that there were so many ways in which ritual could be found woven throughout the days of the people as they honored the gods and their traditions, how they took care of each other, and the Bali dogs, a vibe unto themselves, as those friendly, albeit semi-feral pups roamed and accompanied any and all, all over the island.
Each morning in Ubud, where we first based, I would walk to a coffee shop down the way from our Airbnb, order a coffee, sit, sketch and write in journal. I just marveled at the tranquility that was embedded in the ether.
In that chapter, after a series of happenings beyond our control in 2018 and earlier in 2019 (oh little did he know what 2020 would bring), it was just nice to get away, to experience something brand new, and get a fresh perspective on tropical living.
Bali, its sprawl of nature with clusters of humanity, small kine reminded me of the Big Island, and its diverse ecosystem. When we first moved there from O‘ahu, my parents sought to go holoholo across different parts and we really got to see the difference beyond just the dry, leeward, and wet, windward sides of the island.
somewhere on the beach in bali / shot on iPhone w/moment wide lens
By the time we moved to Seminyak and had the chance to sit on the beach and just watch the sunset bring our day to a close, much like I would somewhere on the South Shore back home. I felt at ease and was reminded of something a monk once shared with me in 2010.
It was then that I sought to understand the uncertainty that I had wandered into and openly expressed, “I’m on a spiritual journey.” and I would take in the answers of any who entertained my seeking.
You see this flower, you see that tree? You see my skin, you your skin? They all might look different, but inside, the same. After you see the world, you will find that this is true. Then you shall find peace. When you find peace, you will be happy.
Bali was a piece of the picture of that peace for me. A piece that came to reinforce much of the what the monk spoke of in finding that same peace, everywhere, as it’s something that is reflected out from within.
There’s a different movement and energy beneath the surface of our everyday experiences. I think one way to better understand this is by observing water.
And as a person born from an island, the ocean, and water, period, is just so core to my existence.
Where Bane grew up in the darkness in Batman, I grew up in the rain of Hilo.
I have waded in, and against better judgment, swam in rivers, as they flowed towards the ocean. I have also been lucky enough to see, touch, and feel the Atlantic while journeying across the Continent and Indian Ocean during that time in Bali.
But most meaningful to me because of my birth near it, I have taken in the Pacific Ocean, or Moananuiākea, from even more perspectives.
And each time, whether I stand with my toes in the sand upon the shores of islands here in Hawai‘i, or found myself somewhere on West Coast, Japan, or Australia, the beauty and vastness of the ocean, and how it holds us, gets me every time.
I feel so fortunate to have had all of these glimpses and reminders of how peace is feeling at home in the moment. I’m still working on expanding and being reminded of that throughout each day, but for now, I’m stoked that I’ve even had the opportunity to witness such connectedness that binds creation and gives us life.
soul mahalo from a small kine gazing up at the sky and out across the sea / shot on iPhone w/moment wide lens
soul enjoy and have a good one!
And if you’re looking for some chillhop and misc. ocean and sunset views with some, check out the soul chill playlist on YouTube.
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