I missed Bali from the moment I stepped foot into the airport on an otherwise perfect day in July. It felt entirely wrong to be leaving a life I loved but against my better judgement, I went anyway. The months that followed would bring me to beautiful places California, Canada, my home in Wisconsin, all across Europe, and finally to the stunning South Africa. I had some amazing days. Days that made me feel like maybe it was the right choice. Days that made me so beyond sure that it wasn’t.
Miserable days that made me feel like not listening to myself would be the hardest lesson I would learn that year. Drunk on a bottle of red wine that no one would help me drink in Portugal, I booked a one way flight back to the only place I remember being fully myself. In tune with my surroundings. Beaming with happiness. In love with humans and with life.
Its hard to say what it is about this place that makes broken humans feel whole but maybe searching for reasons where they don’t exist isn’t the point at all. Maybe the point is simply being present in our experiences and listening to ourselves. And this time, I wont forget to listen. This time, I’m here to stay.
