Not the usual

I had a blue,blue Christmas, the ocean and the sky above glistened with an unbelievable shade of blue. A holiday unlike any other considering we spent our time jumping of clifs, snorkeling in the deep water and dancing in the ocean under a full moon as glittery plankton shone around our drifting bodies. Though I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful way to spend five days, only thing that would have completed it would be to have my family and friends surrounding me. Luckily my longtime dearest friend had come to explore Thailand with me for the next few weeks and it was truly wonderful having him by my side. Railay treated us well and offered us an abundance of lovely sights and breathtaking cliffs. It's not every Christmas eve I enjoy kayaking through giant rocks in the Andaman Sea...ahh but when I do it's in the south of Thailand.

A Cross off my Bucket List

I can't believe it's actually coming to a end.  Currently sitting in the airport waiting for my flight home, and can not stop thinking about how fast the past 3 months have flown by! Needless to say I still captured the whole experience of living a Parisian lifestyle.  I mean, last night I even got felt up on the metro! That was definitely just the cherry on top of the beautifully frosted cake ;)  As excited as I am to go home, I will definitely miss this beautifully, dirty, eclectic, simple-living city.  I remember my first few weeks here, always feeling uneasy and never confident in my decisions, nor my speaking abilities, but when I look at how I approach my day to day life now, I am confident, adventurous and perfectly fine getting lost in side streets and finding my own way back.  Just like when I first moved to San Diego for college, not knowing a single soul, living on my own, driving in a city I had never driven in before, you learn to adapt, and slowly you build back up your confidence and eventually make that city 'Yo Bitch'.  I think by the end of this experience, paris was my female dog.  Adventuring to parts of town that aren't your "typical" hot spots, but nonetheless explored them and got the most out of it because, I can!  If there was somewhere I saw and wanted to go, I would without hesitation grab my coat and jump on the metro and ride that thing till I got to where I wanted to be!  But may I add I am extremely thrilled knowing I won't have to take the metro to school... or ANYWHERE, for that matter, any more!  I now cherish my personal space, because in Paris, there is no such thing.  I have gained so much from this experience and thank god for pictures (I swear I have short term memory loss) I will remember this trip forever.

Fire in The sky

My dream came true...I took part in the annual lantern festival in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand. It was truly a beautifully amazing experience. I had the pleasure of letting my lantern go with the assistance of a monk, that alone was a wonderful thing. Though the three day festival was colorful, bright and delicious. Unfortunately the festival was covered in a swarm of tourists, can't blame them, but even that didn't stop the beautiful night sky scattered with thousands upon thousands of lanterns. Every chance I got I would lay on the grass field and state up into the night sky and follow the lanterns as they danced with one another and disappeared into the abyss. Chiang Mai is the second biggest city in Thailand, but doesn't compare one bit to the craziness of Bangkok. Chiang Mai is such a wonderful place to be, with it's laid back feel and beautiful people. From the locals to the travelers the people are welcoming and very interesting. We stayed in a guesthouse that was located down a side street that we vet quickly discovered was right around the corner from a wonderful farmers market and small local restaurants. The food in Chiang Mai never failed to please, even the Mexican fish tacos could compete with the quality in California. What really makes you feel something for a place is its vibe, let me tell you...they got it going on around here.

Beauties of Bali

Maybe I wasn't ever meant to leave, or possibly it wasn't my time to leave. The things we never know, but life's throws things our way that makes us believe that its a sign we must follow. Does that mean all my complications with fligh schedules, the wounds covering my feet and making it hard for me to walk our really just obstacles getting in my way? Trying their hardest to make me stay? Well either way I had to leave Bali, priorities take over and what's right to do must be done. Though from the moment I landed I had an unbelievable experience filled with surprises and never ending amounts of appreciation. I had the pleasure of joining my childhood best friend and her friends in Kuta beach. It's wonderful being able to experience another moment with a friend who I haven't seen in years, it really goes to show how even with time friendships don't change and the appreciation and love for another can withstand time. Shortly after that fun adventure I boarded a motorcycle to cruise the east coast of Bali. Heading all the way up to a quiet diving town called Amed, my friend and I stumbled into a secluded hotel only inhabited by a another couple and the people that work there. The term relaxation had been taken to a whole new level. I lost myself under the stars, for it had felt like I hadn't payed them a visit in some time. I swam in the lightly dimmed pool, tranced by the sound of the waves and the gleam of the stars. That feeling when you smile to yourself, throw your head back with joy and laugh, for you realize how damn beautiful life is. The next morning a cruz around the coast woke me right up. Deserted hotels, small quiet villages, and beaches stretching for miles was all that was to be seen.
On the road again, the next destination Kintamani, where huge mountainous volcanoes can been seen and hiked in the early am just in time for sunrise. That evening around dusk we decided to explore the small village surrounding the volcano that we'd be climbing in the morning. Well to our surprise we were welcomed with open arms into lovely company and hospitality. A game of footy (soccer) and Indonesian language lessons by sweet village children, Balinese coffee in a small art studio, and a simple meal. These were the things that reminded me of the simple joys in life. The smiles on the kids faces when they saw us, how funny they were as they ran in front of me, begging for another picture. Im sure I learned at least fifty words that evening, though my vocabulary still only consists of about ten. Around four am we rose to the cool night with only small flashlights to guide our path ahead as we scaled Mt. Batur. We were close to the top when I found myself gasping for breath and realizing how out of shape I had become, either way I had the strong gustto pull myself together and instill a morsel of strength. Once we reached the top and the break of the sun was visible from the horizon, a hot cup of coffee in my hand, climbing for two hours seemed like nothing. Sadly only part of the sunrise was visible because the misty fog and low clouds ended up obstructing our view. Though what was visible was breathtaking, and the slow walk down also continued to shine its abundance of colors and textures upon us. From then on the third destination was ahead of us. The final destination in Ubud was wonderful, and the culture and art is really something amazing to see, but it was the journey there that I believe was truly the best part of the third adventure. Winding up an down mountains, being heated by the sun then spat out into the misty fog of the mountains was a trip. The lush forest and the tropical breeze felt refreshing and like a breathe of fresh air. Stopping here and there when something would catch our eyes, may it be a viewpoint or a widespread rice patty. We cruzed along with our eyes wide open, occasional oh's and ah's exchanged. The lush of the surrounding forests and the mountains rising and falling all around were breathtaking.
The true adventure lays in the journey and how many times I threw my head back and closed my eyes,
I truly felt the beauty of the journey.
The next few days were spent along the ocean, gazing into the distance and witnessing surfers shred the waves. Heading all the way down to Uluwatu was wonderful, how simple and joyfully it felt to sit around in pure bliss. The colors of the ocean were unbelievable and the large waves crashing all around left me in awe. The best part of this small trip was the delicious ocean side lunch that was prepared before my eyes. Fresh caught fish and sautéed veggies never tasted so good.
Bali is truly a beautiful place, and I can easily see myself moving there one day and spending a few months working and living. The culture and the amazing people were the reasons I fell so in love with Indonesia. There's no need to complicate our lives saying we can't do this or that. Assuming its so difficult to pick up and head somewhere else. For we are home, you take thy everywhere you go. Home lies within and the beauties of the world just make it grow.