(Just off the plane, my first look up. Our opening mandala. And the happy group of us.)
There is a cliche I've heard so often of late, and I have no idea where it came from - a tourism marketing campaign? A line in a show tune from South Pacific? I don't know. But they say that you don't necessarily call to Bali, but that Bali calls to you. That cliche was my truth. On New Year's Eve at our annual party, our dear friend Sarah, of Your Lotus Path, mentioned that she was going, to be the yoga instructor for A Soulful Escape to Bali. Of course I knew of Em and Nicole (who have been repeat Sponsors here on SouleMama) and the beautiful moments I'd seen coming out of their gatherings there. So I instantly had a vision, based on photographs and stories only, of course, of what that would look like. A few hours later, in a conversation with Steve I mentioned Sarah's upcoming trip. He gave me a look with raised eyebrows, and said, resigned but encouraging, "You're going. I can tell by the way you're talking about it that you're going." (He's a good one, that SoulePapa.) I was honestly shocked. I'm going? Oh my gosh, of course I am! And literally, that was it. I booked a flight within days, secured my spot at the retreat, and starting planning and plotting and packing - before I even had time to doubt myself.
(Getting our craft on, with silversmithing, indigo dyeing, beading, stitching and more. And daily yoga - mnn....so good.)
Because really now, what was I doing???? I don't even like to travel! I love home, I do not love unpredictability and I am not a fan - at all - of flying. The last flight I took - 55 minutes, mind you - to New York City was an enormous challenge for me. How was I to make it through 48 hours of an epic journey on long plane rides and airport funk? And then back again? Plus, there's this funny little thing of a coconut allergy. That's right....I was headed to THE LAND OF COCONUTS with, um, an allergy to that very thing. And none of that even begins to touch on the worry of leaving my babies for so long - two weeks! two weeks!
(Learning to make traditional offerings. A dance class for littles! Some very patient ladies trying to teach us some Balinese dance (oh my!). And then an amazing private performance of music, dance and costume.)
But, as the cliche goes, Bali was calling. And I answered with all of my effort, resources and energy to making it happen. Honoring that call, I tried my best to remain open with my expectations of the trip. I didn't know what it would be like, or what I would get out of it or put into it, or what I'd come home with. And well, I think with that open heart, I was completely blown away and moved in ways deeper than I ever could have imagined or hoped for from this trip. The words are impossible for me to find, but I hope that the images will show you a bit of what it meant to me. Of course there was the beauty, and the warmth and the color and the history and tradition that were so amazing and inspiring and wonderful. But it was the second night of our trip that I realized, and found what I had come for. We had been invited to someone's home for dinner. And there, sitting around and enjoying a meal in the evening in someone's home, were a group of women - with more than a handful of languages spoken between us - but absolutely connecting, over motherhood, and home, and life. I didn't want to travel all the way to the other side of the world to sit in a hotel with a bunch of Americans, eating Western food and getting driven from place to place. I really, truly, and deeply wanted to travel to the other side of the world to really be there. To get to know people that I now call friends, to be a (hopefully gracious) guest in the homes, temples, holy springs, gardens and kitchens of the people who live there. And oh my goodness, I received that gift tenfold. In retrospect, that's what I think called me about this particular retreat, is the deep connection that Nicole and Em have with the place and people who live there, having spent so many years (on Nicole's part) living there herself. She shared her life-long friends and favorite off-the-beaten path places with us, and we were greeted there with such joy, kindness and love. I can't begin to express the gratitude I have for that, and what a special and important experience that made for us.
(Friends. Including one very special lady who will forever have my heart for putting up with me so graciously on the back of her motorbike early in the morning, on the way to the market.)
My heart has been opened wider by each one of these people, and I am so full of gratitude for all they gave to me, and especially for the moments we shared. Soulful escape, indeed.
Tomorrow - let's explore around Ubud, shall we?
