Our time in Bali

Bali, what a truly amazing place. 

I honestly went there with a bit of a low expectation, having always heard of what a bogan infested, westernised and dirty island it was(and I'm sure the more mainstream places such as Kuta are definently like that.)

 For Aaron and I though, we we're lucky enough to experience Ubud: beautiful, alluring and filled with delicious food and wonderful friends. (Seriously, we're generally are both so introverted and socially awkward that friend making is a bit of a chore, but over there we made friends everyday!)

I don't really know what to write that doesn't sound incredibly cliche' but I'm so incredibly happy we went. It's not that we did much or even had a lot of money, it was just the fact that for once we really felt at home. We could picture our future there; working, living and helping.

While over there a few of the girls, Aaron and I (plus Lilly Bear) visited an orphan centre. These children (one as young as 3!) generally had families, but their families are often struggling to survive, let alone send their kids to school. It's sad to think that there are people in that situation, unable to care for those they loved the most, but it was also painfully common and all too easy to become numb to. I would see woman and children far too small for their age begging and animals starving in the streets, and as much as I love Bali and it's splendour, I can see the everyday struggle some of the locals went through. A balinesse friend spoke to us for hours, discussing life on the picturesque island, and the shock Aaron and I felt when he said their monthly income was $300. It really put perspective into our lives, and how truly lucky we are.

On a lighter note, Lilly really blossomed in Bali! She started uttering her first few words (the typical mumma and dadda <3) and even began crawling (more on that later...) She adored all the attention people showered on her and loved all the friends we made at the villa. She devoured the fruit and pancakes and became so independent, so quickly, I was often left wondering where my baby went. We never let having a little one stop us from doing anything, including climbing a volcano! She went to dinner, temples, through rice paddies and beautiful beaches just to name a few and I feel so lucky to have given her these memories.

The flight home was fairly uneventful, with Lilly sleeping the entire trip again like it was just her normal routine. Soon we were back on home soil, watching the Australian sunrise and as much as I miss Bali, I'm rather excited to start working on the bus again.

P.S. I'll be blogging an update on the bus in the next few weeks, big changes are about to occur! :D

P.P.S. You can see some of my photography from Bali HERE.