First stop... Bali

Arrived in Ubud for my month long stay..

Updated 02.02.26

It's now 2026, a year on - I've just done a full rotation of the sun after embarking on what I am calling 'a year of awakening' which started more accurately back in September 2024.. On a retreat in Bali with one of my BFF's, facilitated by Tracy Hill of Innerspace and with a group of women I didn't know, nor did I know what I was in for.. It was my first 'retreat' and I only  found myself there because my BFF had announced in January of 2024 when we caught up, that she'd signed up - to my surprise, as she wasn't the 'woo woo' type.. All be it she'd started to explore, as I had some 2-3years prior, what might be out there in terms of what I now call 'spirit' and might more commonly be referred to as spirituality.. The unseen in the universe, consciousness, my BEing..

I've never been religious, my birth certificate has me as agnostic - which I had to get out a dictionary (back then) to find out what it meant, and it resonated.. as a belief in god but not religion.. As a child I did Sunday school, as I recall it being referred to then, where I was given some tutelage about heaven and hell, that I said to myself even then - there is no heaven or hell, except on this plane.. As I saw it, as I believed then and now, the existence of heaven and hell isn't at death, it was all around me, on the news, in the abusive family down the road, in the beauty of nature, in my head..

This year of awakening was a conscious choice to live life unencumbered by the societal norms and in deference to belief systems I had installed.. I wanted and chose to put aside some of the monies I had left from the sale of my principle place of residence.. What was left after I fought the bank (and won, albeit I still had to pay them - WTF?!?) and became houseless, a van which I call BJ, now my home on wheels.. That was a shake-up enough for most people but something in me clearly saw that as merely the stepping stone to the next adventure, and so on the 2nd of Feb 2025 I departed on a one way flight, first stop Bali..

You might snigger at the thought of Bali being an adventure, most Aussies, particularly West Aussies would given it's practically our backyard but for me, it was the first place on this year long journey for the reason that its where the idea was born.. That retreat cracked me open, having experienced different healing modalities, a level of internal reflection and honest communion with other women, cultural immersion and a connection to spirit that at the time (even now) I still find hard to put words to..

Day 1 - Ubud, I'd booked myself a month stay at Ina InnRead more