TWO WEEKS ALONE IN BALI

Reporting live from a window seat in the back of a plane–I’m halfway through my 27-hour flight back from Bali. I went on a 2-week solo trip, and I’ve gotten so many DM’s on Instagram from you guys wanting to hear more about the trip, so here I am! I’ll tell you a bit about the reason why I decided to take this trip, and in a separate post I’ll give you my tips on where I stayed, what I did, and where I ate.

For starters, I will say that I’m very comfortable doing things alone. Whether it’s going to the movies, the museum, a hike, the spa, whatever–my alone time is when I regenerate, reflect, and regain my energy.

But there is a difference between “doing things alone” and “being alone.” Six months ago I was blind-sighted by a breakup in a two-year relationship. And while those wounds have healed and we actually are still great friends–I was still shaken by the feeling of being alone.

Whether it’s a boyfriend, girlfriend, parent, or friend, it feels good to have someone who’s your rock. Your home. Your sense of security and grounding. Your “root chakra” as they say in yoga.

But I decided, fuck that.

Fuck needing anyone to make you feel complete. I’m going to be my own rock. And so I went to Bali to embrace the notion of what it really means to be alone in this world. And honestly, it was amazing.

You don’t have to be going through an Eat Pray Love heartbreak situation to reap the benefits of solitary travel. A solo trip is a time to fully indulge in your passions. In the things that truly make you happy in life. The things that make you, YOU. For me that’s yoga, spirituality, the ocean, health food, and surfing (I’m terrible, but I love it and am determined to get better).

And so due to it’s epic waves, rich Hindu culture, stunning landscape, and notorious vegan scene–Bali seemed like just the place.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit nervous about spending so much time alone. What if I go insane? Get lonely? Get so depressed and want to come back home? But honestly it was AMAZING. Every second was better than the last.

I spent two weeks going to yoga at sunrise and swimming in the ocean at sunset. I wiped out surfing Uluwatu’s legendary reefs. And visited a Balinese healer in Ubud. I took a meditation class so powerful I cried. And treated my body to healthy food every day. I talked to strangers. Got 7$ massages daily. And went to sleep at 9pm. For two weeks I lived my life exactly how I wanted to live it. And I had a fucking blast.

I noticed the real transformation happened at the halfway mark. When I started to feel the physical and mental effects of the trip. I felt happier, lighter, and immensely grateful. I found myself smiling more to strangers. And my anxiety was nowhere to be found. I woke up every morning with a big fat smile on my face. And went to sleep every night like a baby. I was completely alone in this big, crazy, amazing world. And I couldn’t have been happier.