Going to the Island of the Gods!

Selamat Pagi! (Greetings in Indonesian)

This is my first blog ever... I thought I may start one as a new way to keep people who are interested informed on my whereabouts and activities, instead of sending the group emails like I always do. Now people won't feel bad if they didn't read my 3 pages of monologue, but can just check the blog when there is a new post, and they should be shorter, I hope!
But it is also for me. I have a bad memory as most of you who know me know... so this is also to organise my thoughts. Well I'll try.

I'm now about to leave on a trip for the self, the mind, the spirit and all the senses - no drugs involved I assure you - to Bali...
Why Bali? Well, I've been there twice: once when I was 17 with my schoolmates - a huge party with lots of drinking, beach-buming, clubbing, partying, staying up til sun rise, sleeping until the afternoon, hooking up... although it was supposed to be a class trip! Main place of hang out was Kuta beach and some time at the Bamboo Foundation in Ubud where our class project was...

Then, I went back this year when I turned 30 with one of my best friends and it was a totally different experience: mostly in Ubud - the cultural centre of Bali, where we enjoyed lots of SPAs, massages, walks in Padi fields, eating healthy food, did cooking classes, yoga classes and a day at the beach with some diving. But this time, I knew there was something about this place. Something so south-east Asian that I missed so much, something so peaceful, but intense. Something that just drove me to go back there but on a different agenda. Perhpas a sort of spiritual quest, a place to be just me. A place to search, learn, discover, experience the little pleasures of life with the most authentic eyes and mind. Just to be.

I have little contacts and little plans out there but I'm going to let myself be guided by the good that comes to me and see where it takes me. I have to be carefull to not have such high expectations, but the few things I want to do there are: learn to meditate, practice yoga, work on my memory, learn how to do something creative with my 10 fingers, fully rest my mind and then, perhaps start looking for jobs - maybe even there! Dream on! I know... Well, one can just hope.

So I'll leave it at that. I leave tomorrow Geneva-London-Hong Kong-Jakarta... I don't adore flying but this trip should be well worth it.

I'll try to update when I get to the mad city of Jakarta - 23 million people, the world's 12th largest city with traffic jams of at least 2 hours to succumb to before getting home. But I'm sure it has its charms...

See you later.
Lucy F