If you ever get the opportunity to visit Bali, take it. It was a life-changing trip for me. Their positivity and way of life was so eye-opening, and I feel very blessed to have experienced it. Bali is known as the Land of the Gods, and every inch of it exudes peace and beauty. It took over 20 hours of traveling to get there, but I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Bali has the most incredible black sand beaches filled with flecks of glitter. A photograph can’t do it justice. Lava from the Mount Agung volcano created the sand black and mica makes it sparkle unlike anything I’ve seen before.
My favorite part of the entire trip was going to the village of Tabanan and seeing how the local community lives. Our translator explained that the community acts like a family, where everyone takes part and feels like it’s their responsibility to help one another. They go to the market every morning to buy fresh produce that has been brought overnight from local farms. They only get what they need to last one day, and it becomes this special ritual that carries them through to the next morning.
I took Penelope with me to the market one morning, and we saw the beautiful Gunung Kawi Sebatu Temple across the street, which sits in the center of the village. They have a huge bell at the top that they ring to express different meanings. For example, if there’s an emergency and they need everyone to gather, they ring the bells a certain way, which I found really interesting.
In Bali, I tried to live in the present and use that time to be a better mom, sister, friend, and co-parent. I loved taking Mason, Penelope, and Reign to meet the local children and bring them school supplies. I think it’s really important to show our kids how others live in the world with so much less, and we have to be so grateful for our blessings. I was thinking I would love to take them home with me, they were so adorable, but I realized that they had a better life in Bali filled with what seemed to be true peace and joy.
In the village, I loved how extended families all lived together in one house, from grandparents to newborns. Every section of the house has a specific purpose and is designed to be in perfect harmony with the universe.
There is a family temple called the Sanggah, where everyone gathers to worship. They store rice in the lumbung, and the ceremonial pavilion is where they celebrate milestones for each family member.
We wanted to fully embrace the culture, so we met with spiritual healers to see what they believe in. They explained that there are three pillars for happiness: our relationships with one another, our relationship with nature, and our relationship with God. I met with one healer in particular who gave me business insight after reading my aura, including the best month to launch a new project and partners to avoid based on the first letter of their name.
To connect with nature, we headed to Mapantigan and literally immersed ourselves in the earth by taking a mud bath. I felt so comfortable and free in the mud, at one point the locals put a chicken on my head and I just danced with him perfectly balanced there and had the best time. I think this was a good example for our kids to show them we’re open to new experiences, and we can get dirty and be down to earth literally and figuratively.
I felt like I needed this pillars journey for my soul, and I’ve tried to incorporate that philosophy into my daily life back home, too. Bali has the most incredible positive energy pulsing through it—it’s contagious. I left there feeling so amazing and spiritually fulfilled. It’s a good reminder that we all have room to grow and be better, and visiting new places can help bring us there.
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