It’s been a long while since my last post. A lot has been going on and life-altering moments oftentimes derail even the best-laid plans. The past months have been very challenging, on a personal level, to say the least. Family and work took priority. Travel plans had to be shelved.

I started to rethink my travel goal of 50@50. Perhaps, I should just shoot for all the continents instead? I realized, setting out on an ambitious goal also started the pressure to just keep going for trips, somehow taking away the joy of planning that goes with every travel. It used to be as simple as just taking off whenever and going with the Universe’s flow. It has now become a conscious effort to book a flight, tick another country off the list, and avoid those which I have already visited (even if I would love to visit them again). It has turned into an exercise with frustrating outcomes, especially when plans go awry.

Last month, I took a short break from everything and spent a week in Bali. I’m glad that I did. It was exactly what I needed to remind me why I love traveling. And why I enjoy going solo most of the time. It is when I step out of my comfort zone, without my family, my friends and anything familiar, that I become a different and yet the same person.

There is that keen sense and consciousness of being open, present and respectful to a different set of norms, beliefs, traditions, and people. It makes me appreciate the differences and similarities of my country with the rest of the world. It also reinforces the fact that we are all the same – we all experience the same whole gamut of emotions of love, pain, happiness, gloom, hope and despair. Every trip is an immersion activity. And every time, it is an enriching experience. I leave home and come back a different person. And yet the same.

I fell in love with Bali and its people. I gained new friends. I’ll write about it on another post though. I’m just glad I took the trip. I seem to have lost my bearings the past few months… I’m happy and thankful, I have found my way back. ❤