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Hi, thanks for joining up and following my travels :) I have no idea how much "blogging" I will do during my trip, but with 8 hours in KL airport w free wifi, it seemed like as good a time as any to start...
Got in here at 4am and tried to sleep on a lounge rather than blow $50 on the airport hotel, but it wasn't very comfortable and it kinda looked like I was planking, and with over 50 other chairs around me, some large woman decided to lie right near me and commenced a world record snoring session that quickly ended any thoughts of sleep. So I got up to look for sustenance, which promptly led to me smashing the bottles of duty free that I bought in Sydney, so most people are keeping their distance from me as I stink like Johhny Walker...nice!
Heading to Bali in 2 hours, where I will stay in Kuta for 1 night with my mate Darren, before meeting Ingrid, James and Benjamin tomorrow at the airport and transferring to our 4 days at villa Puri Purnama just north of Sanur. After that we head to Uluwatu where we are staying for 3 days at Mick's Place. Hopefully the surf is up, as it is one of the worlds best surf spots for consistently rideable waves.
It was a huge relief to finally get on the plane yesterday, after a year and a half planning for the trip, a monster job to get my house all packed up, my stuff sold and to finish up @ work...I need a holiday!!
A huge thank you must go out to my family and friends who have helped out physically and emotionally to get me to where I am sitting now. Your all amazing and I wouldn't have been able to do it wothout each and everyone of you! So THANK YOU :)
It has been a hugely s*** year for me personally as most of you know, but I have tried to stay positive and move on with my life. This trip represents for me what could have been, what now is and what can be. I hope to reflect, re-energize and re-focus myself on what I want to do and where I want to be, in all areas of my life. I have left not knowing when I will return and this is both extremely liberating and s*** scary...
I am 100% certain though that I am doing the best thing for myself in taking time out, and that what shall be shall be and it'll all work out for the best...it always does. You rarely get handed an opportunity to start afresh and I am thankful to have this chance, even though it is tinged with much sadness and dissapointment.
But one door closes and another opens and I have already had many amazing experiences and met incredible people from all around the world. I recently signed up to Couchsurfing.com and I hosted around 20 people on my couch over a 3 month period. There were french, italians, germans, spanish and czechs and each and every person I welcomed into my home taught me something new and wonderful. I can honestly say I now have 20 new friends and 20 new places to stay :) If you want to add some international flavour to your day, join up and host someone! Don't worry, they won't steal your s*** or treat your home badly, everyone involved that I met was honest, friendly and helpful and I never had any hesitation to give them a key and tell them to make themselves @ home. So great were they, that some never left and became flatmates!
As it works on a feedback system, if you do disrespect someones home then u will get a bad feedback and that will be then end of your offers to be hosted, so it is in peoples best interests to treat any place they stay as if it was their own. I can't wait to get out there and stay with locals in the places I visit, and as it is free accommodation, it really can save you so much money and allows you to get an inside perspective on a place that you just wouldn't get from hanging with other travellers and staying in a hostel. I think it's the best thing since sliced bread!
OK, so its about time to consider finding out which gate my flight departs from. Stay tuned for photos, videos and more random rantings.
Much love,
Dharma
- comments
Scott Crowley Enjoy it Dharma! Looking forward to hearing about the travels and where the new venture takes you. Stop breaking your alcohol bottles, there are dry counties in the US that you may need them in!
Caroma Beautiful start...
Seth You go boy!
Lois Hi D. Great that you're off and away ... I have the feeling you'll have GREAT adventures. I thought about joining couchsurfing awhile ago but didn't get around to it, but now that you've reminded me, will give it a go. Friends of mine did it in Laos and found it fantastic, and as I have a spare room it'd work at my end too. Anyway have fun in Bali. Try the night fish markets in Jimbarin Bay for a gresat place to eat.