It's always nice to have a trip lined up as a Peace Corps volunteer. Something to look forward to on those dog days at site. I had been looking forward to this trip since a group of us started planning it in June, and on October 12, it finally arrived.
7 days. 8 Peace Corps volunteers. 2 hospitable parents. 1 villa.
2 days scuba diving. 3 days surfing. 1 day of art and culture. 1 candy land power hour.
PHEnommmenal food. Shark, turtle, and cuttlefish spottings. A WWI wreck dive. An epic wave (to which I got destroyed).
Balinese pants. A camel strip tease. A waterslide beer bong. And NO RAIN (I say this with enthusiasm since coming from the Philippines, this was truly a blessing).
I was originally searching for a laid back, chill vacation. Something different from what we experienced last New Years. As our numbers increased, the more I thought this idea was a mere fantasy. But this trip wouldn't have been the same without our cohesive group. It offered everyone something different and in the end, everyone got out of it exactly what they needed. For me, it was that timeout from my "routine." A break muna as we say in the Philippines. A chance to remove myself from the life I had been accustomed to for the past year.
As I sat around the dinner table my last night in Bali with my two friends Josh and Dan, we discussed this break muna and how this trip became more than we had ever anticipated. And at the perfect time. The following week was our MST conference, where our entire batch gathered to reflect and share on the past year and look ahead to our next one.
For me, Bali set the tone for my MST and for my year ahead. My last one as a Peace Corps volunteer. Sure I wanted the time away to escape and in a way, to be reacquainted with western life. But it ultimately ended up being the opposite. Bali became more than a break muna, and reminded me that there is still so much more out there. More people to meet. More places to explore. More culture to soak up. In the Philippines and beyond.
Our home for the week. Not too shabby thanks to Tito and Tita Crow
The civet; its poop makes the world's most expensive coffee
Jeff and our tour guide Wayan enjoying the civet coffee. Wayan wasn't a big fan
Rachael, Russ, and Melissa (L-R) enjoying a nice stroll through the rice fields to our lunch spot, Sari Organic
Waiting for the smoke to clear??
A Balinese temple in Ubud
The Monkey Forest in Ubud. How many can you spot?
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