Bali has had an impact on every stage of my life so far.
When I was a child, a family friend returned from the exotic island and brought me back a tshirt of batik design. Emblazoned with palm trees, but was far from tacky. I wore that T-shirt until it was nothing but holes. And then I kept the remaining swatch in a photo album, an early wish-list of travels to come.
My first overseas trip was after I had left high school and had saved enough from a few casual jobs. My best friend and I headed to Bali - as an 18year old, this was a land of nightclubs, beaches, parties, beaches, surfing, beaches, cheap shopping, great food, beaches (I had a thing for beaches!). My friend and I studied and worked part time so that we could go to Bali every 6 months, it was our playground.
As a young mum with a small family, we ventured back to Bali and into the mountains of Ubud for some relaxation and cultural exposure. My baby son learnt to walk in Bali, he was toilet trained in the rice paddies of Ubud (that doesn't sound too great for those eating rice right now); my daughter learnt grace from our rented-villa staff ladies and we all learnt how to ride bikes down steep slopes and survive. Bali had a way of allowing me to parent peacefully without turning into a bliss ninny.
As a career woman for a large global company, I went to Bali often for conferences and work. I made many friends in Bali and learnt about doing business in Indonesia. Conferences were often held in sterile beachside resorts, with little downtime to explore and play. But I managed to find time to mingle and discover new treats in Bali. Restaurants pop up every day, stylish furniture and clothing stores, amazing massage parlours and affordable private villas.
Many of my family live in Perth which is almost on the doorstep to Bali, so a family trip across our country also means an excuse to quickly fly up to Bali for a few days relaxation. Its easy to justify this as an economical and time saving excursion - its only a few hours and a couple of hundred dollars. Bali to me means relaxing.
If I can find an excuse to visit, I find it. If I cant, I make one up!
This week we head back to Bali for a few days as a transit point to Flores. I have booked us into a little villa by the seaside with a plunge pool and plenty of reading space. We only have three days there and I plan to make the most of every minute.
