The First Stop Had to Be Indonesia
We knew our journey needed to begin in Bali, Indonesia. We lived in Indonesia for 4 years (Jakarta) and consider it our "heart country" for many reasons, one of which is we have a daughter from there!
To transition from 40+ years of full-time employment to being retired and starting this new way of living, we felt it would be best to start in this beautiful place we love so we could rest, reflect, and dream. We are here for one month - the limit for a tourist visa - and it has already been oh-so satisfying. Our hearts are full.
We have had time to rest, to think, to read, to wander, and to wonder. We have connected with long-time friends who live here, and we have made many new friends. The Balinese people are kind, hospitable, and beautiful. Their island is going through many changes right now - some positive and some not so much. We're learning A LOT and are having tons of amazing experiences.
This area is a big farming region and, in particular, strawberries and vegetables are grown here. There is a household helper at our villa, and she brings us fresh strawberries and fresh green lettuce every day. YUMMMMMMMMMMM!
My Indonesian language skills have come back to about 95%, and I’m getting better at it each day. It's fun to be conversing in Indonesian again.
We've booked 7 different villas/hotels to stay in during this month so we can experience different parts of the island. We are currently in an area called Bedugal, which is up in the mountains and is much different than the coastal areas. It's actually quite chilly up here! We're staying in this gorgeous setting in a villa set on a hillside overlooking a valley below. You may have seen these photos already on my Facebook page, but we're posting them here as well, for continuity.
