300 days in Asia and 300 reasons to love it!

"It's a wild and wonderful world; follow your heart and let the adventure unfold"

So apparently a few days ago was my three hundredth day of being away. I never planned on it, but then again sometimes those are the best kind of plans. 

Since being here I've met some truly incredible people that I hope to stay in contact with. I've also been to places I had never heard of, visited and explored with family, got the chance to travel Thailand with two of my favorite travel buddies, spent more time by myself than I ever have before (its rewarding and at times a little lonely), and eaten food that has been oh-so-delicioh-so good!! And besides bumming around I also got my dive master certification and taught balinese kids for a few months. If you asked me earlier this year about what I would be doing, I never would have known. I'm so grateful to have taken the first step for this journey nearly a year ago and continued it for longer than expected. Now that I'm here, it's been like a snowball rolling down a hill and now it's impossible to stop. (Which thankfully I'm enjoying it so much that I don't mind). 

So what do I love so much about it here?

I know I said 300 reasons, but we all know I won't write that many and you won't read them all, so let's not get so picky. 

•The food. 

Restaurants, food stalls, street food, tropical fruit, noodles noodles and more noodles, markets, hole on the walls, rice rice and more rice, chilis, sauces, and skewers. Everything needed to satisfy any sort of craving. 

• Durian. 

I know I just had a food category, but durian deserves one of its own. It's nicknamed the "king of fruits" probably because nothing compares. I'd say its one of the top reasons to come to Asia. Really. 

•Living out of hostels and guesthouses means strangers come into a room and clean up all the mess I've been working on for the last few days. It’s incredible. No making my bed or cleaning of any kind. Also, I have new "roommates" every week. If I like them I made a new friend and if I don't then I never have to see them again. 

•As for laundry well, it’s not necessary as long as you keep on the move. Wear your favorite t-shirt for a week, no-one will know, just don’t spill curry on it. But when you're afraid the whole subway car can smell you, just take it to a laundry place, drop it off, and pick it up. It comes back smelling like a floral shop, ironed, and folded perfectly. Viola! The worst chore done for you!

•The little things really count, like finding those little treasures you've missed from home, like a chocolate bar or salt and vinegar chips. Well, it's time to celebrate! (I'm still huting for that egg nog. Diary products are hard to come by)

•Sandles are still my go to footwear…if I need shoes at all. 

•They sell Crispy M&Ms in Asia. You remember those right? The are in the blue pack and personally are my favorite kind. For some reason they are nowhere to be found in the states...

• Its easy to get around. 

Just hop on a plane, train, city bus, coach bus, tuk-tuk, motorbike, taxi, ferry, metro, long-tail boat, bicycle, or just walk. 

• It's easy on the budget.

Lots of stuff is pretty cheap in comparison to US money. Makes it easy for a little to go a long way. 

• I guess I should mention one of the main reasons for going someplace else is the people and their culture. It's a learning experience everyday. Seeing how other people live and celebrate their lives is worth the journey!

• Markets. Food, knick-knacks, paintings, food, clothes, accessories, food, snacks and more food. 

• The weather.

This is both a blessing and a curse. I now understand what an endless summer feels like. It seems like I've been in the same season the entire time here. Even if it rains its still a nice 72 degrees. That's great and all, but I'm not sure how much more my body can sweat! 

•Anything is possible. 

The very best thing about traveling, that comes above all the rest, is the realization that it is very possible to live all of your wildest travel fantasies and once you’ve had a taste of one adventure it’s unlikely you’ll stop anytime soon.

Falling in love...

"We travel, initially, to lose ourselves; and we travel, next, to find ourselves. We travel to open our hearts and eyes and learn more about the world than our newspapers will accommodate. We travel to bring what little we can, in our ignorance and knowledge, to those parts of the globe whose riches are differently dispersed. And we travel, in essence, to become young fools again- to slow time down and get taken in, and fall in love once more." Pico Iyer, Why We Travel

So there's something you should know about me. I fall in love a lot. Like, all the time. 

Usually it's something as basic as a glance, and before I know it, I'm head-over-heels infatuated, humming out some Bryan Adams tune.

Now, rarely do things get out of hand and get to the point of any real commitment (mainly because I'm too busy humming), but hardly does this have any impact on how its so easy to appreciate whats around and fall in love. 

So it should come as no surprise that after a few day fling in Bali I was humming the opening chords of some love song about the no nonsense lifestyle and beauty around every corner. 

I. LOVE. THIS. ISLAND. It has everything I love wrapped up conveniently in a little package. Clear turquoise waters. White sand. Black sand. Pebble sand. Jungle interior. Mountains. Whispering palm trees when you want to relax. Majestic temples everywhere you turn. Streets lined with flower offerings to the gods. Fields and fields of rice swaying in the breeze. Not only that, but the people here have such a rich culture that is celebrated everyday.

While there I was completely comfortable being in the natural rhythm of the community around me. What did I even do everyday? I'm not really sure how those few months went by so quickly. My days were filled with teaching the best class of 4th graders I could ask for. They are full of spirit and eager to learn. They joke around a lot and pick on each other even more (most of the time in good nature). Smiles that light up their eyes are plastered on their faces and they leave school piled on bikes, sometimes one peddler and two more hanging on! 

I never knew what to expect with those kids either. Like the time I came to class and the boys had collected buckets and buckets of crabs of all sizes from the river and brought them to class. No big deal at first until the class trouble maker poured one bucket that had momma crabs and literally hundreds of baby crabs onto the floor. There were crabs everywhere! The girls were screaming, the boys were picking them up and chasing the girls, and I was trying to herd the little critters back into the bucket without getting stepped on. It's kinda fun going to class and wondering what kind of excitement the students would create in class that day. I loved it! Never a dull day, that's for sure!

I enjoyed nearly every minute I was in Bali. It's been the highlight of my trip. After a few months here they've kicked me out, but I'm only trying to find a way to come back again, and soon! I just can't resist this place that has left it's mark.