From Bali, With Love

There is no way I can really describe stepping out of the airplane and into the Balinese sun. A blast of warm air hit me in the face like I was opening an oven door and a thousand different sights and smells flooded my senses. The onrush of brown faced men and women smiling and wordlessly trying to carry my bag. A cacophonous melody of languages blending into one vibrant buzz of excitement. Twenty five American dollars later and I am granted my Indonesian visa, a temporary thread in this quilt of culture. From the airport at Denpasar we took a van to Seminyak, our driver flawlessly navigating the haphazard motorbike drivers by the dozen. The streets are littered with trash and stray dogs, with two lone cows set to pasture among them. The Kembali villas seem like a different world compared to the squalor of the streets. Stepping stones set above water lead the way into the open air kitchen and living room. A plush red lounge faces the green-blue glow of the pool. White curtains sway in the breeze covering glass doors to the bedrooms. An outdoor shower and toilet invite you to take your normally private business into the open. From my bed, I see skinny palm trees eerily lit from below, while the frangipani tree deposits small white blossoms about the yard. I take a sip from an ice cold Bintang beer and press the bottle against my neck, letting its condensation drip and settle onto the gentle curve of my collarbone. Cleverly placed candles cast an ethereal glow over the still surface of the water. Heat lightning pops and cracks in the distance like the flashbulb of a camera. The scent of incense and mosquito coils burns and fills my nostrils as I breathe the night air fully. The villa is noiseless and still, save for the sound of running water trickling down the entryway. I welcome the quiet and the solitude after a long day spent baking under the sun. Here, I feel more content than I have in some time. I am happy to be by myself, not seeking meaningless distraction to combat the loneliness. On the contrary, I quite enjoy it. I've come to learn something after my first month here--I would much rather be alone than in the company of someone I don't thoroughly enjoy. I don't need a space filler; I need a champion. But as long as I'm surrounded by the hot Bali air for another week, I don't need a damn thing...well, maybe another beer.