Until Next Time

Sad to be leaving Bali today. After a month and a half it really started to feel like home. Spent the last few days in Canggu, a surfer town on the west coast with beautiful beaches and beautiful people. It has a much more laid back vibe than some of the other popular beach towns and after the sensory overload in Ubud and Seminyak, I found it very refreshing. 

I found a gem of a hostel that felt more like a vacation home and met some pretty awesome people. If you are ever in Canggu stay at The Temple, for $14 a night you get a room cleaner than my own at home, a sweet pool, and a kitchen. Plus Berlin, the Balinese guy that runs it will show you a fun time and teach you to surf (or go catch some waves with you if you're already a pro). 

In the last 3 days I cruised around town on the back of a motorbike, watched the cotton candy colored sunset on the beach, learned to surf, taught my first yoga class, ate fresh Mahi Mahi and rice using a palm leaf as a plate and my fingers as utensils, and danced all night to live music at the local hotspot (Deus is the place to be on Sunday nights).  I'm really going to miss this place but I'm pretty sure I'll be back before long.

Off to Bangkok for the next 48 hours. I'm excited to do some solo exploring and see what this crazy city is all about. On my to do list: get multiple Thai massages, eat copious amounts of pad Thai.....that's all I've got (suggestions welcome). I don't speak a word of Thai and I have none of the local currency in my wallet, or any idea what the exchange rate is. But that's all part of the adventure..

Thailand here I come!

Life is but a Dream

I always hate goodbyes. They are so final and so melancholy. I much prefer a see you later. So 25 see you laters have been said and now here I am in Ubud, back to my original travel companions; my backpack and my yoga mat. Plus a couple of friends I picked up along the way. Happy to have spent  the last few days with an incredible group of people in the spiritual heart of Bali. From teaching a karma yoga class at the local school for children with disabilities to salsa dancing and late night talks by the pool, we definitely made the most of our last week together. I am so grateful for our special circle and the lifelong connections I've made. It was a life changing month and I'm humbled to have spent it with so many inspiring individuals. We've officially made it to the starting line! Now the real adventure begins! 

Ubud is a bit of sensory overload coming from a month in the mountains more or less isolated from civilization. Clothing shops line the streets, filled with tourists and motor bikes zipping by. There is a vegan cafe on every corner and laughing buddha statues everywhere you turn. The balanced feeling I had leaving the mountains dissapated quickly and I found myself feeling homesick and totally confused the last few days so I decided a day of pampering would make me feel better. After a stressful 2 hours trying to find FedEx to ship a package home, I settled on the post office, spent $80 to ship home some books and clothes that I won't be needing (which takes 2-3 months by the way) and I ended up poolside for a few hours in the sun. Then I hit up the spa and for $50 got a mani, pedi, facial, full body massage, sea salt body scrub, and a bubble bath with rose petals. Follow that with a delicious, healthy dinner at a beautiful restaurant for $10. God, I love the prices here. Amazing what a trip to the spa and some good food can do for you! 

I feel completely rejuvenated and ready to conquer this next adventure. Just have to conquer the monkey forest tomorrow and then I'm saying see you later to Ubud, and heading onward. I'm not sure where yet but I know it will be on the coast. I've got another 6 days to kill in Bali before I leave for Bangkok and I have every intention of spending them on the beach.

Stay tuned!

Bali Life

Finally made it to Bali after traveling for 3 days straight. My expectations of this place did not even come close. It is absolute paradise. I had some reservations about being in the "mountains" vs being at the beach since I am such a beach girl at heart but its so beautiful and calming being in such a secluded place.

Prana Dewi, my home for the next 30 days is comprised of a handful of bungalows spaced out amongst the rice paddies, a small open air restaurant, a yoga studio, and a gorgeous pool filled with natural mountain water. The bathrooms of the bungalows are completely outdoors, the toilet and sink area are covered by a little roof but the shower gives a new definition to outdoor shower. It is a bamboo stick that water flows from out onto a little wooden patio surrounded by luscious plants and tiny geckos running around. 

I wake up every morning at 6am to roosters and some Indonesian chanting. Follow that with a half an hour of meditation and I'm feeling pretty zen after only 3 days of being here. Its funny that my biggest qualm was not having internet access because now the disconnection from the outside world is one of my favorite aspects about this process. I thought it would be a difficult transition but it hasn't phased me at all. I have no desire to check emails, social media, or text messages. I know there probably won't be another time where I have the opportunity to completely tune out so I'm taking full advantage of this technology cleanse and opting to check in only once a week. There's too much to enjoy here to spend my time on an iPad. Tomorrow after dinner I'm getting a one hour massage for $8!

So excited and grateful for this opportunity to be immersed in this yoga teacher training and focus entirely on myself. I can't wait to put everything I'm learning to use and actually start teaching! I still have so much adventure lying ahead, so much unknown, and so much possibility. Feeling very positive about life and grateful to myself for making my dreams happen.

The pictures really don't do it justice- I'll try to get better ones later!

Xo Molly

Taking Off

My last day in America before I take off for Bali tomorrow. I think I've felt every emotion in the past week; from eagerness and excitement to anxiety and sadness. But now as I sit here lounging by the pool in San Francisco, I can't help but be amazed at how awesome my life is. I am so grateful to be exactly where I am in my life. I have no obligations, and so much adventure lying ahead of me. For as long as I can remember, I've been talking about this dream of mine to travel the world. Sometimes I doubted if I would ever take the plunge but the urge was too strong to ever deny. Now here I am, 24 hours away from hopping on a plane and living my dream!

Tomorrow I will board a plane with a backpack, a yoga mat, and no plans of when I will return. The first 6 weeks will be spent in Bali, living on a rice paddy and emerging myself in a 200hr intensive yoga teacher training. After that, I have absolutely. no. plans. Wherever I want to go and whatever I want to do, the world is my oyster! 

The scariest part of this entire adventure is not that I'm going halfway across the world, or that I'm traveling alone. The scariest part for me is that I'm not going to have internet access for 30 days, and after that who knows? How am I supposed to check in on my friends and fam? No snapchat or instagram? I hate to admit that my life has become so absorbed with social media and less focused on what is going on around me in the current moment. As hard as it will be, I'm excited to detach myself from this online world and tune into the present. 

I have so much to see and so much to learn. Can't wait to find out where this journey takes me!

xo Molly