Theme: Integration, Gratitude, and the Gentle Art of Becoming

The Experience

Ubud began the way most sacred things do, quietly. The sunset was burnt orange, the kind that makes you believe this ending is a disguise for new beginnings. I brewed my tea, barefoot as always, and stepped out onto the terrace to watch the rice fields glisten under the changing sky.

Everything felt slower now: my breath, my thoughts, even the way I lifted the cup to my lips. It wasn’t laziness; it was meditation. The kind that comes when you stop treating your life like a checklist and start treating it like an adventure.

Now please, don’t get me wrong, I like a little woo energy too, however, I am very much a fiery woman. I have undiagnosed ADHD and I like being on the go, as well. But there is something about being surrounded by people and places that help you slow down and enjoy the checklists we make that makes this experience so wonderfully fulfilling.

I thought about the past few weeks: the cleansing at Parina Spa, the chaos of the Monkey Forest, the sound healing that cracked something open in me. Each moment had its own frequency, its own lesson, and together, they formed the mind, body, and spirit practices that we all need.

This is not just the beginning of the journey, no, as I have been here many times. It is merely the beginning of sharing my journey with you. This is a journey of choosing my own adventure. This is a journey or divinity over dollars. But mostly, this is a journey to happiness, through kindness in community, growth through discomfort, and purpose through planning and peace.

I am a teacher, but I am also a student.

Ubud wasn’t just a place. It was a mirror.

The Lifestyle

I spent the morning packing slowly, folding clothes that somehow smelled faintly of incense and rain. My purpose planner filled with pictures and journal entries, digital pages filled like a memory book.

Before leaving, I took one last walk through my village. The shopkeepers and residents waved and smiled while the smell of offerings filled the air. The community dogs walking beside me saying their goodbyes.

I stopped by a café called Ivy for lunch and the sign I saw sent chills of joy up and down my spine. Across from my table, on a white wall, in the rain was a quote that said,

When given the choice to be right or kind, choose kind.

Quote from a restaurant called Ivy in Ubud

It was confirmation that I made the right choice. The whole reason I started this journey, three years ago, was because I was being bullied and I felt very much alone. I chose the high road, which made my journey even more lonely as others wanted me to fight. I choose to fight with light, even though I knew I was right. That’s a tough road to choose, but after seeing the sign, I knew.

“Peace doesn’t arrive when everything calms down. It arrives when you do.”

The Intuitive Insight

Ubud taught me that transformation doesn’t have to be dramatic. It can happen quietly, in between sips of coffee and raindrops on banana leaves.

Healing, I realized, isn’t about becoming someone new; it’s about remembering who you’ve always been beneath the noise.

The intuitive message of the week settled over me like warm light:

“Stillness is not the absence of movement; it’s the presence of awareness.”

As I zipped my suitcase and looked back one last time, I felt it; the familiar ache of endings mixed with gratitude for beginnings. The kind that tells you you’re right where you’re meant to be.

The Travel Notes

Where to Stay: Anywhere that allows you to hear the rain at night. You’ll love it.
What to Expect: Ubud will give you what you didn’t know you were asking for: peace, presence, and a few playful monkeys along the way.
Tip: Before you leave, learn to say thank you (Terima Kasih in Indonesian) to as a form of respect. You are visiting their land, and yet, the expectation is for them to know your language, if you speak English, and not the other way around. Reciprocity brings more joy in your journey.

Choose Your Next Adventure

You’ve grounded, healed, played, and listened. The journey continues. Where will your next chapter begin?

The Reflection: Lessons from the Land