KELLY'S GONE AGAIN
…AND HERE'S WHERE I'M AT.Archive for April, 2009
#33. New York: Coming Home and Going Again
Week: 11
Countries: 7
Cities: 35
Charitable Causes: 10
Injuries: 7
New Friends: Tons
Photos: 800+
Planes, Trains, Buses: 53
Lost Bags/Delayed Flights: 0
Passport Pages Left: 3
Last week around this time, I was getting ready for bed in my small, sparse, hot hotel room in Pedang Pedang. Paper-thin, pastel curtains, gentle, oscillating fan, gecko song. Hard mattress, cold shower. The 126th backpack search for toothpaste. Alarm setting for seaside sunrise. I fell asleep to the deep, animated voices of my neighbors – chilled-out surfer boys, all bare feet and Bintang beer – sitting on our shared balcony and storytelling of “epic swells.” So good. So recent.
#32. Back in Seminyak: I Miss You
Is anyone else exhausted?? I am, and as a result today’s update is purely off-the-cuff — no edits, no revisions, no rethinking.
That said, the thought for today is this: I miss you. I miss you, New York, I miss you, Washington. I miss you, friends, families, colleagues and acquaintances, tap water, washer/dryer, high heels, salad, Western toilets… and, I ask, exactly what does a girl have to do around here to get soymilk in a latte?
#31. Gunung Batur: Morning on the Mountain
One of my favorite phrases in Indonesian is “selamat pagi,” which means “good morning.” I find that I say it, on average, about 800 times before noon to pretty much anyone, but it had particular importance today. Last night, after paying a visit to the Green School (a new, environmentally-sustainable international school here, made mostly of bamboo and fueled by a micro hydro-power generator) I decided to go on an early morning trek up one of Bali’s active volcanos.
What better way to celebrate the fact that I still have both of my legs after swimming with sharks this weekend, right?
#30. Candidasa: Back to Business
I’m back in Ubud now, but let’s get caught up on the last few days, shall we?
So, all of that beach decadence made me feel like I really oughta’ up the devotional practice, which fit in perfectly with my already-organized trip out to the Gedong Gandhi Ashram in Candidasa. I’d wanted an excuse to get to the east side of Bali anyway, so the location was an added bonus. My purpose there was to learn more about the ashram, understand how it fits in within the larger community structure and, naturally, provide a little bit of service while I’m at it (it *is* named after Gandhi, after all).
#29. Gili Islands: Really? Really.
Over the last 3 days, I’ve spent my waking hours as follows: approximately 1/3 on the beach, another 1/3 in a freshwater pool, and the last 1/3 sitting on the side a wooden diving boat riding across the sea, every now and then actually doing the diving, walking along the ocean floor and gently swimming next to sea turtles.
I mean, really?
I’m on the Gili Islands, northwest of Lombok, Indonesia, undergoing a PADI open water diving certification. The Gilis — each with their own distinct personalities — are my substitute for the original island retreat plan, the famed southern Thai islands, Ko Tao, Ko Samui and Ko Pha Ngan. Being here is, in case you might not have guessed, absolutely brilliant.
