Settling In To My Island Life

Sep 24

There are days in Bali like anywhere else, when you just want to stay in bed and read books, lounging about in solitude.

Today, that was the urge, as I’m still pretty tired from the last year of my life, as well as the long travel over. But I forced myself to get up and move, so that I can undo the stiffness and lethargy from living without daily outside exercise. I’m old and sore lol

You have to force yourself to stay in motion, especially with the unrelenting humidity that pulls the moisture from inside your skin to the outside. Drink water, rehydrate and then dehydrate again. It’s not something I’m usually conscious of outside of south east Asia. I’m not quite up to my weekly goal of walking 6-10 miles per day, 3-4 days per week, but I’m averaging about halfway there so far.

It’s not about weight. It’s about health. Long walks outside refresh my mind as much as my achy joints. It was a long, rainy and drab winter in Seattle.

I’ve been waiting for some rain and it looks like we may finally get some tonight. The rice fields are dry and browning under the sun, which is an unusual sight in a place that’s typically so lush and green.

I went to brunch and had a yummy mango and banana smoothie with bee pollen, as well as a delicious coffee with coconut milk, and then ran my errands to find some toilet paper, as I had accidentally grabbed paper towels and didn’t realize it until I got home.

I also needed a fan. I have air conditioning in the bedroom, but there’s no mosquito netting over this bed, and the little buggers wait until I’m trying to sleep and bite my fingers and hands. Last night, one got me and swelled my finger up so badly that I had to take benedryl so that i could rest. My finger got so fat, I thought the skin would bust open like a bratwurst on a grill.

With a fan, it tends to keep them from landing on your body. Bug spray tends to attract them and DEET is not a deterrent. Too many tropical diseases to worry about and I’m not going out like that. Once you acclimate and rid the scent of tourist, it’s not as much of an issue.

Then I went to buy some new books, schedule a tattoo appointment, and am finally back in my garden for the evening.

I met a new friend in the Ubud Community FB group, a few months ago, and she’s arriving tonight. Her first time over here, and she’s nervous and anxious at not knowing what to expect. My heart remembers my first adventure to Bali, with all the fears I had about the unknown, and I was blessed with a soft landing because I stayed at a coliving place, and even met one of my (still) closest friends as I was checking in.

I know what it’s like to be a stranger in a new foreign place. It’s exhilarating, terrifying and overwhelming. She’s skeptical and wondering why a perfect stranger would volunteer to take her under her wing, but I know that over the next month, she will come to realize the “why?”

We’re on the island of the Gods, in the land of Karma. Solo female travelers, especially mothers, take a special kind of courage to make this leap of faith, usually for adventure, sure…but we also do it to renew our belief that people are still good and that we aren’t the total sum of all the bad we’ve experienced.

There’s more to life, and we need to find it so that we can move forward, not being held back by the past.

The first time I came, I was plagued with worry…even about my luggage being “too clean.” I thought the seasoned travelers would spot me as ”green” and I’d be an easy mark.

The luggage is no longer clean.

Having a new friend who comes from your own type of culture (or at least hemisphere) is a welcomed gift and this is my chance to “pay it forward” in thanks for the many kind people I’ve encountered along the last 5 years. I’m so excited to meet her and watch her shed the fear for the wonder, as she adjusts to Bali life over the next few weeks, leaving stronger and with more confidence and peace, as she deserves.

Namaste as a greeting generally means, “The spirit (or divine) in me, greets and respects the spirit (or divine) in you.”

I’m no yogi or guru, but I think we should all approach others with that sentiment.

The Buddha in my garden taunts me with his peaceful, gentle smile, as I still haven’t found my own peace again yet. I lose it when life throws too much worry my way. I’m spending my first week here with no expectations or plans, trying to just remember how to relax and be still.

Yes, I’m finally here, but my worries flew in my luggage with me. I’ll blame the heavy weight in them, on that.

I’m unemployed and it’s a recession, and I have financial responsibilities to maintain. There’s natural self questioning…”Is this irresponsible and selfish? Should I try to get a new job right away, or should I take time to really think things out?”

But I have the benefit of some savings to see me through while I take a breather. I’ve been working since I was 14 and this is only the second time in my life that I’ve had this chance to be unencumbered with work for a few months, figuring out what comes next.

There will always be another job. There will not always be time guaranteed to do what I’m doing.

This is a gift, and one I am resolved to not squander.

Next week it’s game time, setting intentions to complete some goals and release expectations.

Ahh, and finally here comes the rain to cleanse my spirit and renew my “taksu” or creative inspiration, so I can write this damned book.

Let it pour.

About the Author

Keri Tietjen Smith is an Applied Psychology Practitioner, talent strategist, and writer focused on the future of work, reinvention, and human systems. Her work blends psychology, culture, and storytelling to help people navigate complex transitions in careers, identity, and modern life.