I first learned about Nyepi while touring around Ubud last year. As I motored though village after village, I spotted boys and teenagers constructing huge demons that rivaled any Hollywood creation. I began to film what captivated me. Each village funded the construction of demons, called Oguh-oguh monsters. I mean, is there anything better to …
Everyone needs their own torch… Late on my last night in Joga I realized I’d forgotten to pack a flashlight. When my friend Rinto found out, he insisted he take me to a store close by so I’d have one for the next morning’s pre-dawn climb to the summit of Bromo, I’d need one for …
90 Spontaneous Days Around The World : The Zen of the dark Read More »
March 6, 2014 I’ve heard about Bali my whole life and it seemed like an exotic place only other people would visit. But today, I’m going to set foot there. There were a million reasons to not go. To stay stuck in fear. To pull back, especially in the face of so much pain and …
90 Spontaneous Days Around The World : When we believe the best about ourselves Read More »
March 2, 2014 Seloliman Nature Reserve, Java The jungle hikes at Seloliman will stay in my imagination forever. So much to inspire. The great variety of life…the beauty of the wild. I thank God for waist-deep hikes in this jungle. Swallowed in nature, I’m blessed to experience the aliveness of an exotic world. A world …
90 Spontaneous Days Around The World : Killing my own spiders Read More »
“the truth I ‘d been running from was so strong, it was as big as the promise of the coming day…” My roommate Hannah and I sleepwalked into our clothes. Together with our traveling companions, we piled in five jeeps to take the dizzying, nighttime drive to summit Mt. Bromo. I sat in the far …
On what would have been my twenty-eighth anniversary, February 14, 2014, Kelud erupted, a volcano 175 miles to the east of Yogyakarta. I learned of the deadly details of the eruption on my return to Jakarta, where I prayed for the victims and hoped for the best with my travels. Borobudur and Prambanan temples closed …
90 Spontaneous Days Around The World : It all started with a taxi ride… Read More »
When I left her in Melbourne, Dee said that the world is my oyster. It was wonderful to hear, but I had yet to believe it. One world had ended and my new world had yet to begin. I was between worlds… Feb. 19, 2014 – Arrive Sydney, Australia – Rothwell Guest House, Glebe Glebe …
“You know, some are glass half-empty people, and some are glass half-full people. But some people aren’t limited by the glass.” When I chose to take big leaps in my life, people all around me, well-meaning friends and family, even acquaintances all had advise and opinions about my plans. Supportive, to be sure. At the …
90 Spontaneous Days Around The World – Week 1 : No limits Read More »
A year ago I began what would turn out to be a 90-day spontaneous trip around the world. Spontaneous, you say? Uh-huh. In honor of the journey, I’m featuring posts about the trip over the next three months. Wanna join me? I thought about giving you a preview of where we’re heading. But, heck, I …
5 must-haves for women world travelers (the best $60 I ever spent) Read More »
