When you first come to a new country, you feel amazed.
You don’t know anything about it, everything is brand new and your surroundings are unknown spaces, places and people.
But after a while, what was completely unknown becomes slowly familiar, and you get your way into this new place that you call home.
You go from being that person asking questions about “how come it’s like this here?” to that local who answers all your friends’ questions when they come to visit you.
I had the chance to experience that in a few countries/cities, and after telling you all about South Africa, Paris, Tanzania or Egypt, I am happy to tell you a bit more about the Island of Gods.
Because for a lot of stuff, let me tell you something; they only happen in Bali, baby.
You will see more water than you’ve ever seen in your life. And if you thought you knew what the rainy season was because you went to the Fijis once, you are wrong. You will witness flooded roads and blocked paths in less than five minutes after the rain starts. That’s monsoon baby.
Talking about roads, you will experience traffic jams. Not the one you know from big cities like Paris: the real traffic jam. It will take you more than an hour to drive two kilometers by scooter, and when you’ll get there, you’ll be happy it took only an hour.
The driving capacities of your Grab Driver will define if you will be in a good mood for the rest of the day, or not. Feeling comfortable and not fearing for your life on the Balinese roads before your first cup of coffee has the marvelous capacity of making you really, really happy.
You will find that paying 6€ for a dish is insane since you’ve been paying 1.5€ for the best Mie Goreng you’ve ever had, not later than two days ago.
You will eat a lot of Mie Gorengs.
On the other hand, you will be genuinely thrilled to pay 14€ for a cocktail since you’ve managed to get a table for sunset at La Brisa, which is even harder than getting a table for Brunch in the 3rd Parisian arrondissement on a Sunday.
You will be able to recognize an Aussie just by looking at their haircut.
You will be able to recognize a Russian just by looking at their lips.
You will be able to recognize any other nationality just by looking at their non-mullet haircut, or their unfilled lips.
You will never hear the word “massaaaaaage” the same way, ever again.
You will stop meeting for Brunch and will instead get used of seeing friends around a coconut, sunset, surf session or beach walk.
You will get used to the Durian smell. You will still hate it, but you will get used to it.
You will quickly understand the vibe of each city. Because you don’t live the same way in Canggu, Kuta, Seminyak, Ubud, Sanur or Uluwatu.
You will live in yoga shorts, even when going out, even when not doing yoga at all. And yes, it will feel totally normal.
I can’t tomorrow I’ve got a water purification.
I can’t tomorrow I’m going to see my guru.
I can’t tonight I’m going for a massage (massaaaaaaaaage)
Do you know a good healing crystals store?
I can’t at 10 am, I have a yoga class.
I can’t make dinner, I’m fasting.
You will fall in love with the incense sticks, the celebrations, the offerings everywhere, bahasa, the sunsets, the ice creams, the sound of the nomad vendors, the “hello boss”, the scooter rides, the work environment, the swimming pools everywhere, the lush nature around you, the people of the island, and the hidden views, always gorgeous, always breath taking.
You will fall in love with Bali, because after all; it’s Bali baby.
