Bali sunsets & ATV jungle tours in Bali
This year is the second year that I have gone away with work for a week. Vietnam last year was a fun experience, and this year was too. The team has changed a lot this year, however getting to meet and hang out with new team members has been really great. We got to all meet one another in Bali and we have been staying at a hotel near Seminyak. This is a different environment from Ubud (where I was based earlier this year), because we are closer to the beach than we are to the mountains (and obviously it being a work trip is different than travelling with Josh).
My boss asked me to organise the itinerary for this trip, so I got to organise all the activities and tours we have taken this week, which is really fun. There were a few activities and tours that I did earlier this year and loved, so I wanted them to experience it all. And there have been a few activities and tours that I didn't get to do last time. This week has been an incredible time, and it has just reiterated how much I love the remote lifestyle. We all work from home obviously, so getting to come together and work in the same environment and bond has been really great.
I love travelling with Josh, of course. Even so, I also love getting to travel on my own too. This trip especially has been fantastic. We have spent a few days working and taking breaks for lunch to explore some places and restaurants, and then there have been other days where we spent the entire day (or a large part of the day) doing activities and going on tours. I think one of the best parts of these trips for me is knowing that my drive to build a remote career in a field I love has become a reality. My reality. It is still strange to say, but it is so true.
The start of the week was great. Because we all flew in from different places around the globe, we all got to the hotel at different times. My boss landed first and then I did, so we went to find some dinner and caught up. My room mate for the week landed late at night, and the last member of our team landed in the early morning the next day. We spent the first day getting to know one another, working together, and going out for great meals for both lunch and dinner. That first day of getting to know new team members in a remote company is always interesting, and it was so enjoyable!
That night, we headed to Potato Head Beach Club to take in a stunning sunset off the beach, and get to know one another better. We told personal stories, we laughed, we drank and we enjoyed some fantastic food. These work trips for us are all about us getting to know one another and reconnecting as a team. That first night reiterated all that for us. The next day, we did a private yoga class with a genuinely awesome yoga instructor. This was equal parts hilarious and rejuvenating. We wanted a beginner's class, but our mate could only find one called 'power yoga'...word to the wise, power yoga is not beginner's yoga. However, it is super entertaining and quite effective!
The next day (Wednesday), we embarked on our first full day tour. This was a tour where we got to snorkel the blue lagoon (where we got to snorkel with colourful fish, including some nemo fish!), visit Pura Lempuyang (a destination that gives you an extraordinary view of Mt Agung (the place where Josh and I stayed overnight back in April) and the water palace. We got our mate from London to try durian for the first time and we got the token tourist photos. This was a great day, and by the time we got back to the hotel after dinner that night, we were more than ready for a good night's sleep. My roomie and I got a little bit of work done and then went to sleep, gearing up for the next day.
On Thursday, we went on a jungle ATV tour. We decided to do doubles, and I think I speak for myself and my roomie when I say that we had a great time not worrying about navigating the terrain ourselves! ATVing through the Balinese jungle was incredible...we got to wind through dusty trails and then dipped down into cave channels. This was honestly one of my absolute highlights of the entire week. I had never done this before in Bali, and getting to wind through the jungle, under waterfalls, and through caves was so epic. On the way back from the ATV tour, we went to the monkey forest after our driver kindly agreed to stopping off for a little while so we could explore the crisp green forests with monkeys. A great day all around!
And yesterday it was a culture tour of Bali. From getting a personal tour through a genuine Balinese silver and wood working place, to exploring the bright green vistas of the Tegallalang rice terraces, getting to experience the humbling site of Tirta Empul temple (i.e. holy water spring temple) and seeing a traditional Balinese home, this was a great way for us to experience some of the more traditional aspects of Bali. Last night, we headed to Finns Beach Club to have a final team dinner (and drinking session). We watched the waves crash into the lit up shores of the club front, we had a delicious dinner and some great drinks, and we got to reminisce on what was a fantastic week.
This past week in Bali has been such a rewarding experience. I got to revisit some of my favourite experiences and places in Bali, and I got to experience some new avenues and aspects of the Indonesian island. I love Bali and it was so wonderful to be able to come back and revisit this stunning place on Earth. I already cannot wait to come back here, however I am excited to go home. I woke up this morning feeling simultaneously like I wished I could stay longer, and like I could not wait to get home to Josh and my family. Bali is a paradise.
"Life is spectacular."
Tim Tharp, The Spectacular Now
