Reconnect

It's been over a week since I looked at a calendar, which for me, being a type A scheduler, is quite a feat. In fact, we were flying across the International Date Line for NYE, and our new year began in a completely different hemisphere. It was important to us to start the year off with strong minds, committed hearts, and renewed intentions that will help lay the foundation for creating a prosperous year. So we decided a month in Bali would be the best place to achieve that. This past year was one of the busiest of our lives - greeting the newest constellation to our family, Maximillian, travel to Europe, Mexico and Asia, our wedding, moving homes, and working with incredible clients around the world doing what we love. But first and foremost comes family - which brings me back to Bali. This month will be about reconnecting this little unit. About making time for real conversations with my husband (new parents, you will understand this point), and having our son experience life as a family, instead of just one of us at a time. It's also about taking those moments for ourselves to tap into that space that gives us peace. This morning I awoke to waves crashing and birds chirping, a sliver of a moon fading into the pink and orange sunrise. Sitting outside, I took a moment to breathe and stretch, to reconnect with my body and mind. In that moment, I could feel my body begin its healing, my mind begin to settle. I am reminded of how important it is for me to experience that. I am reminded of so many things that I have put off this past year. I am excited for this next month of reconnecting and exploring, but moreso, I am excited for this life ahead. I am filled with so much gratitude for all the people and moments responsible for helping me shape the world that surrounds me today. I know the power lays within me... and that is everything.

I'm going to check out (as much as a type A can) for a moment, so I can fully be with my family, however I will still make time to reply to client emails (please give me a days grace in this regard!). I look forward to meeting and working with all the new couples coming into my world! I hope you all can take the necessary time to reconnect with whatever part of your world you need to in this moment, and start this year off in a beautiful space. Much love to you all xoxo.

(photo taken in Baja this past year - we seem to have a knack for finding those dilapidated shacks...)

Follow Me | The Perfect Hideaway

Many of you know I travel quite frequently, especially in the winter months. I have recently started another company called The Perfect Hideaway, which features Boutique and Unique Accommodation Around the World. I have been blessed to stay in so many amazing places and spaces that I wanted to share... and now it has taken on a life of its own.

For the next two weeks I will be touring Bali, featuring some amazing properties and private villas. I will also be featuring must-see shops and restaurants along the way.

Follow me on instagram @theperfecthideaway or www.theperfecthideaway.com!

Indonesia Instagram

Yes, I know. This year has been off to a slow start for blogging. But I’m ok with that. Knowing the imminent wedding chaos is around the corner, I think I will relish in the quiet of where I am. Right now, that happens to be Indonesia. A couple days in Bali and now on the island of Sumbawa, I am a week into my adventure. Loving the heat, the white sand beaches and the sweet frangipani that seems to linger in the air.

Bali Roadtrip | Day 6

Indonesia is an amazing country. Its history, environment, and cultures alone are so comprehensive, as visitors, we can only hope to try and scratch the surface of the complexity of it all. The life of Indonesia is a complex tale of discovery, oppression and liberation. It is the world’s largest archipelago with over 17, 500 islands and a population of 245 million. The landscape is a varied terrain of peaks and valleys, with some of the largest peaks being snow-capped all year round, but in most areas the skyline is dominated by volcanoes. It served as a crossroad between India, China and beyond, a convenient midway point where cultures crossed over and merchants met and exchanged goods. However, as a result of the seas and rough terrain, travel within Indonesia was restricted and thus resulted in the nation’s distinct cultural entities.

So many cultures, religions, ethnic groups and languages, and yet the one thing that unites them all is an openness and friendless I haven’t experienced anywhere else in the world. They are a truly beautiful people.

Escaping Kuta, we traveled west to a surf break an hour away, staying in a local losmen overlooking rice paddies, and a black sand beach with a fun right hand break at the river mouth. Watching the sun rise over this scene was stunning. There was a serenity that seemed to hover alongside the morning mist, bringing a calm that I haven’t experienced in a long time.

Returning to Kuta to catch a flight to Sumba, we discovered the plane “broke” and we had to change our plans. The first lesson of traveling… go with the flow, and enjoy what presents itself!

 

Finding the Beauty in the Chaos of Kuta | Day 3

Kuta is chaos. There is no way around it. The maze of alleys will suck you in like a black hole. Always staying longer than you planned, you will leave having consumed more alcohol than you ever thought possible, be wearing cheap knock-offs, and have at least one injury from a motorcycle accident. However, on the positive, you will feel a freedom like never before.  Kuta doesn’t judge. Here, the crazier the better. I see people arrive wearing their hesitation on their sleeve, and within days, they are different, or moreso, they are no longer afraid to be themselves.  With parents and friends on the other side of the world, it is a place to find yourself, or reinvent yourself… and if you don’t like what you find, you can then be whatever you want… whomever you want. 

But in the end, it is chaos, and after a time, it must be escaped. The exhaust, the noise, the partying, the constant harassment from vendors… I start to crave the real Indonesia… the one of black sand beaches and rice paddies, of jungles and small villages. So in my search for authenticity, I walked Kuta at sunrise, and to my surprise, was able to find simplicity in her chaos, patches of beauty among the tourist façade.