A little Slice of Heaven 🌞

What an interesting few days 🪷

As I walked around Gili Air on my last days, I reminisced over the sacred weeks we shared 💜

My first taste of the wonderful underwater world of weird peacock shrimps, colours, coral and sharks 🐟🩷🐠💚🐡💛 In fact I thought I'd have racked up more than 559 minutes diving but my Rescue Course will just have to wait... 

Locals shouting out "Hey Steph" as I walk by, giving me the "cool" handshake which I never quite get right... 

The sand beneath my bare feet, the sound of the waves gently touching the shore, the faint noises of the horses passing by 🐎

Naughty breakfast option

I will not miss the proximity of my Home Stay to the local Mosque, however, I do somewhat miss the iconic sounds that float through the island... 

The people I met 💖 some of whose paths will cross with mine again some day... And those who will not 💔 

Sober St Paddy's 🍀

All I know is that on Gili Air, I began a highly anticipated journey towards becoming a goddess. I say it with a little g, so as not to disrespect any of my Dear Readers and to not liken myself to a deity in any sense... 

Rather what it means is that in a glittery corner in paradise, I drifted throughout all the corners of my mind, where my skin shined as bright as the stars and I created a dance that I will continue for the rest of my life ✨ cryptic but I'll let you guess...

A little line to remember Lombok (I feel like the night in Gili T is not worth much space, other than the epic breakfast at Hello Capitano) but Lombok. Sweet Lombok with your surprising vibes and Kind Strangers...

The unforgettable moments in Bukit Merece

In Gili Air, I uncovered the shadows of a Stranger, felt the warmth of inner peace and connected with the universe. So if you ever think about going there... Stop thinking and book the tickets. 

Shout out to The Elf for showing me how to build a Temple 💜🦋

Shout out to Kati for showing me how to be vulnerable 💚

Shout out to Dila for showing me I will always have good people around me if I choose it. And for giving me cool braids 🪷

Contact me directly for accommodation tips... 😅

Here are my recommendations for Gili Air:

⭐ Eat a Happy Mango smoothie bowl at Aura Bowls 🧡 and Papaya juice here is delicious

⭐ Also eat the Strawberry French Toast at Gili Coffee Roasters and sit in their lovely garden 🍓

Pandan iced tea is a good pairing

⭐ For dinner, go to ZZZ and have Burbur (insert chicken/tempeh depending on your level of carnivorous energy) and enjoy the gentle guitar music by a man with the most infectious smile in the world 🎸

⭐ Once you have done that for a few days, go to Waring Sunny, and eat anything but just get a HOT Jamu - it will fill you with love ❤️

Last Supper 

⭐ Get your PADI certification with Blue Marlin Dive and ask for Katon 🙌

⭐ Get your advanced PADI (just two extra days, c'mon)

⭐ Go to one of Kati's classes at Flowers & Fire Yoga because she is the epitome of positive female energy (also still go if you're a dude, yoga is for all)

⭐ Talk to the locals. Smile at them. Greet them. Sing with them and bathe in the beautiful vibes they resonate

⭐ Workout at Holiday Fit and remember to take a cool towel from their fridge- you'll need it

⭐ Pamper yourself at Frangipani Spa on rest day

⭐ Follow the White Rabbit 🤍💜✨ 

Thank for making it through Dear Reader... More to come soon as I update on Ubuddy-budding...

And thank you to Gili Air for the magic 🪄✨🖤🦋

Frangipani 💜

Frangipani: the most beautiful flower in the world 💜

Frangipani: symbolises strength love, immortality and spirituality 🌟

Frangipani: the tattoo on my right rib cage 🌺

Frangipani: my favourite spa in Gili Air 🪷

Frangipani, also known as Plumeria and Aurelia...

Outside my room in Five Time Homestay

Okay so I sound a little obsessed... And any of you who spend a few hours with me in this part of the world know that my obsession with this velvety wonder is REAL

This last week, I have taken time to notice every single one. Each spectacular blossom on pretty much every tree I could find. 

Those taller than me reached high above to delicately place them in my hair and bring a smile to my face...

Those smaller than me, showed me the face of true beauty and innocence, reminding me that every soul on this island is of pure gold.

Aurelia: Latin origin: "golden"

A little girl, with the most wonderful smile, ran after me and offered the most exquisite frangipani flower I have ever seen, after her baby brother had squished the one I gave him...

I have tears in my eyes writing this. 

Once again, I am overwhelmed by the magical splendour in this part of the world and the hearts of the local people. 

My time on this island is approaching its end.

Chapter 1 is drawing to a close. 

But this island has many more chapters in my life. Of that, I am sure. 

Everything I didn't even know I wanted has come to me here. Gift after gift. Trust in the universe ✨

Shadows & Strangers 🖤

Wherever you are, Dear Reader, find the place that gives you this feeling and keep it safe in your heart.

Even the cats workout here... 

The Rain

Dear Reader, 

I write this as I shelter from the rain, yet again, this time nursing a glorious Aura bowl. 

It is monsoon season here but I have to say that I still get surprised by the enormity of the powerful droplets...

I once wrote a poem about the rain. It was an alternate look at the dark clouds and an invitation to appreciate it. Love a good metaphor. 

But I have to say that this is a running theme for my time in Indonesia these past few weeks. 

The rain has brought me immense kindness from strangers, allowed me to cleanse and tap into emotions that I didn't even realise I had. 

I would say it's almost impossible to be in this part of the world without contemplating life just a little bit. To think about purpose, meaning and spirituality. This is why there is so much yoga here, so many expats and so many vibes 🪷

You can believe in luck and convenient coincidences, random connections and be loving and grateful for every one of them 🩵

I however, am currently on a different path. It feels to me that everything and everyone I have encountered recently has been very much a special gift from the powers that be. 

That's not to say that every connection is fully positive nor that the people I meet always fulfil my initial expectations, but there is a strong sense of things falling right into place for me to step slowly and carefully along my path 👣

Maybe none of this resonates with you, but I encourage you to try something.

Sometime, when it feels right, maybe even when it's raining... 

... find a place in the world, whether it's a comfy corner of your living room, under the shade of a big tree, or in Gili Air, where magic happens 🪄

Take this time to think about the rain in your life. How does it make you feel? How do you choose to feel about it? How will you make the rain fall around you?  

✨...When next you hear of forthcoming rainfall,

Smile at the sprinkles like never before...✨

Kindness of a Stranger

 Dear Reader, 

Double drop. 

Just because I am happy to be alive. Also lucky. Okay basta. 

{Me gawking at a metallic ladybird}

I dived again with Katon and it was great. In fact we ended up in the same boat as Kamal, my Shadow friend who knew me as Kundalini girl. Not a bad title 🤍

A women's circle by Katy at Flowers and Fire, which was calling to me during the week, enforced an idea of openness that has slowly been emerging from the numb dust cloud where my heart used to be. WIP. 

After deliberating for too long over a decision I knew I would always take, I ended up heading to Lombok to renew my visa... Feels like a very long 4 day trip to Gili Air...

The Port's reputation was not exaggerated and despite being prepared, we were screwed over. But there are two ways to approach things like this: to allow it to define your entire experience or to not. 

Aside from this, most encounters were smooth... in fact I was brought to tears by the kindness of the locals. 

We sought refuge from the rain on 3 separate occasions and 2 of those times we were actually invited in to these people's homes. We were fed, warmed and graced with the beautiful hearts of these Indonesians, who looked for nothing in return. Zacharia, Indiacandy, Paris Al Shakil, Anna... and Arki, who guided us from a muddy field to where we were actually supposed to be.

Yes. 

I am feeling that kindness attracts kindness ✨

...And a spiritual connection can bring about sensations unbeknownst to the human body 🪷

So if you allow yourself to feel everything you feel and just sit with it, breathe and accept... you may just end up manifesting all your hearts desires. 

Like a droplet of rain carried far to the ocean... 

Die Hard

 

Dear Reader, 

This entry is written after 2 weeks of extravagant events. 

First, I should mention that a very sweet girl named Nikol reminded me just how special a shared smile can be.

Now, I left you in anticipation... did I dive again? 

The advanced course was great... plunging down 30 metres is really special... seeing the weird and wonderful things that exist so far away from where we are on the surface 🐡

I really felt that this was becoming a hobby for me. And on my second day, when I was electing my last dive, I thought that a night time experience sounded really cool... an opportunity to see the same reef but in a completely different way! ♥️

Well, Dear Reader. It did not disappoint. At one point, my instructor, Katon, turned off his torch and all around me was darkness... all I could do was exist in the vast expanse of colourful marine life within the black silk carpet of the ocean. 

The creatures that far down are really something extra. 

A very small number of people know what transpired shortly after, back at the surface. I am happy to say that everyone was fine. 

I spent that night at the dive centre, with the warmth of the Blue Marlin team accepting me into their family, but sleep wouldn't come, mainly due to a feeling close to loneliness, seeping into my bones for the first time since arriving on Air. 

The next day, I was reminded of balance and that nothing in this world is without meaning ✨

A familiar soul which first crossed mine under the rain in Ubud. One that allowed me to experience my first ever ecstatic dance... or rather "Shadow Dance", which basically involved me and 50 strangers contorting our bodies and gyrating to intense trance rhythms in a yoga shala.

Following this reunion, a sense of belonging, meaning and gratitude proceeded to fill my heart that night. 

The waves which were so ready to take me only a short time before, in fact cleansed me of the darkness which has haunted me for so long.