Yup, you read that very well: I have said goodbye to Bali.
But first of all, it has been a while since I last blogged, shame on me, right? No excuses for it, I just simply didn’t do it. But hey, here’s an update about my Bali adventures.
Let’s rewind first: I was on Bali during August and September 2023, taking a short break after teaching yoga in Laos. Those were my last yoga classes for now, but who knows, I might spice things up a bit in the future 😉.
Bali as a holiday residence was good, the weather was nice, and not that sticky. Even a bit cold in the evenings, like 23 C.
Mid-September, I went back to the Netherlands, for some family gatherings. I left in October for Portugal for cat sitting and continued my trip to Spain. With the idea: I will find a house at the area of Malaga that will be my home 🏠. Whoop whoop, finally a real house! What a nice feeling💫💃!
After six weeks in Spain, I realized this country, at least this area, wasn’t quite what I was looking for. My heart still longed for Bali. So, I took the leap, sold or gave away most of my belongings, packed two suitcases (weighing 40 kilos in total, including the suitcases themselves🧳🧳), and left. Said hi & bye to my family in Amsterdam and touched down in Bali in mid-December.
What a nice feeling💃… for a few weeks. But soon, I realized that Bali couldn’t offer what I needed anymore. The visa regulations were changing too rapidly, and I couldn’t align them with my values of honesty and transparency. Plus, it just didn’t feel like home anymore. Bali, the land of my dreams since I was four, felt shattered.
So, I had a choice: try to mend my dream or forge a new path. Remembering lessons from past challenges, I knew rushing to mend things wouldn’t work. So, I decided to let go and embrace whatever new opportunities came my way.
Back to Europe? No, too cold🥶. I would stay in Asia, for sure.
Then, out of the blue, a message from a friend in Vietnam, Da Nang. He knew I was in Bali, and looking for a house. He figured out that it didn’t work out as I was hoping for. He asked me: why don’t you come to Da Nang, where I live? To make up your mind, and have a little fun. Best question and invite ever of 2024 so far!
Because I really like Da Nang, it’s beyond my expectations 😊.
So, I made up my mind and booked a ticket to Da Nang for early February 2024, just before the Chinese Lunar New Year 🐉 (which started on 9 February 2024). Visa approved, last days in Bali cherished — yoga on the beach, catching up with friends, and diving into my Human Design studies (more on that later, it is a really interesting topic, and I love talking about it).
Packing up, I found a few stray pieces of my Bali dream hidden under my suitcase. Tossed them out, made peace with Bali: you’ve been a good teacher for me from March 2006 to February 2024. I have learnt my most important life lessons. Thank you for being my teacher👩🏫👨🏫🙏.
On February 7th, early morning, a friendly Grab taxi driver drove me to the airport.
Bye Bye Bali 👋🙋♀️. Vietnam, here I come 🤗!
With love 💜 & light✨,
littlemissyoga
P.S. Check out some pictures here if you’re interested!