Eat, Pray, Love: My solo travel adventures in Asia part 3

Last Week! 

The schedule for our last week of yoga teacher training included teaching the whole class a yoga pose, teaching an entire sequence to a small group, a written final exam, and a group chakra presentation. I thoroughly enjoy teaching because it’s always been a passion of mine and my teachers shared with me that I was one of the strongest teachers that they have come across. * squeals * Which speaks volume to how my confidence developed from the first week to the last week. But, I was sweating like a sinner in church during the written exam. We learned SO much philosophy in such a short time and so many Sanskrit names, I kept thinking to myself “what if I came all the way to Bali and spent all this money and I fail my written exam?!” But then I told myself “remember, focus on what you can control” and I relaxed. However I did on the test, was going to be how it was meant it happen. And I ended up passing with flying colors!

For our graduation ceremony everyone wore red or white and we met at a beautiful restaurant that specialized in Mediterranean food. We ate, we drank (a LOT), and we danced the night away. As our teachers called our names to present our certificates, it got very emotional. Because each of us had transformed so much in three short weeks. We laughed, we cried, we learned, and we loved. We had become a family. It was crazy to think we went from strangers to such a huge part of each others lives. It was a moment where you just knew that no matter what happened, you were going to be forever changed.

The next morning we had our final sharing circle. I walked everyone through an exercise where we left a note for each classmate, our thoughts on how we experienced them and what we wished for them. Then our teachers had us pull a final tarot card. I got the enchantment card again! It felt like a sign that beauty and wonder were going to find me wherever I went next. 

It was emotional saying goodbye to these people that had become my friends. I even got to see one of my new friends get engaged! Like, we’re bonded for life at this point. (And I am very excited to attend my very first Big Fat Greek Wedding haha). My roommate and I stayed up all night talking and cherishing our last few hours together. In the morning we woke up and both let out a groan (a shared language that we’d do every morning at 6am to express our exhaustion lol) and then we laughed until we cried. I couldn’t believe this girl from Germany, who was my total opposite, had become like a sister to me…and now we’re going our separate ways. My roomie came with me to help me get settled at my new digs for the next 5 nights. Now, where we stayed for yoga teach training was beautiful…but it was no 5 star resort. The place I was staying was by far the nicest hotel I’ve ever stayed in…in my entire life. We were both looking around the room SHOCKED. 

The hotel I stayed at was called Kaamala Resort, a honeymoon destination. I was initially a little sad that I was staying in such a beautiful and romantic location and it was just me. But, my roomie reminded me of the importance of enjoying the moment and romanticizing my own life. Remember, I had pulled the “Enchantment” card twice. I didn’t need a man to complete my fairytale, I was creating my own happy ending! I decided to book myself a floating breakfast (it was like $5 american dollars) in my private pool at my villa. The next morning two lovely Balinese women arrived and set up my breakfast for me. The staff at the resort were fascinated that I was alone, so they were always engaging in conversations with me and making sure I felt welcomed. After my floating breakfast I met my friend Makenzie, American, at Cretya Ubud. Cretya is a luxury day club with multiple infinity pools and hottubs overlooking the jungle. Mackenzie and I chilled in a cabana and drank mocktails and dished about our experience in the training, talked about our hopes and dreams for what's next, and shared our worries and fears about returning back to the states. One of the things I loved most about the connections that I made in Bali was that they were all so deep. There were no surface level connections. It was like “Hey! Let's talk about our triggers and the desires of our heart!” And I loved that openness, it felt so freeing to be able to be 100% myself. 

After Cretya, I returned back to my resort and had dinner. I decided to continue treating myself and booked myself a flower bath in my room the next morning. Not only are flower baths great for your skin, but they say that soaking in the plants helps you absorb their healing energies and cleanse the body of unwanted toxins and energies. And “They” were right! Soaking in the flowers was a level of peace and tranquility that can’t be explained. I felt so calm and so grounded. I would take a flower bath daily if I could.

After my bath, I decided to link with Makenzie again so that we could visit the monkey forest. My resort was only minutes away from the forest, so I would frequently see monkeys running around the resort lol. I remember being shocked as I got closer to the forest and saw about 50 monkeys running down the street. I was like, how did the monkeys get out!? But apparently, they come and go to the forest as they please. The monkey forest was such a cool experience, I love animals so it was really sweet to spend time feeding the monkeys. I wish I had more time to spend there but, I had booked myself an intuitive reading and needed to get to my appointment so sis could tell me about my future haha. 

Most of my classmates had readings done during the yoga training, but I wanted to make sure that I found a reader that I felt a connection to. I’ve never had a reading done before, and growing up Christian I was a bit weary of allowing someone the power to speak over my future. But, that’s not what a reading is! Not in Bali anyway, which is why I felt like if I was going to do it anywhere, it should be there. You can feel the spiritual energy in the air in Bali, it radiates all around you. The reader I found was named Dawn, a local Balinese woman and I felt connected to her the moment I laid eyes on her. We met at an empty coffee shop and she gave me a palm reading, numerology reading, and allowed me to ask questions to the tarot cards. It was crazy how she knew things about me that I didn’t tell her, but it was also so affirming to hear her tell me things that I feel like my intuition was leading me towards. She shared that I have strong intuition, based on my palm line, and that I should trust it. 

After my reading I went to a final dinner with Makenzie at a vegan restaurant called Zest. Mackenzie came back to my hotel pool and we chilled in a net overlooking the jungle and poured our hearts out under the stars. Mackenzie was off to a different part of Bali in the morning and the next day was the first day that I was going to be truly alone. I told her I was nervous about continuing on to Singapore and Thailand on my own. She reassured me that I was braver than I realized and if I could come all the way to Bali on my own, I could do anything. And she was right. 

The next day I woke up early and went to yoga at the resort chapel. And by “going to yoga” I mean I went to the roof and did my own yoga sequence solo. I sat up there and meditated as I listened to the sounds of the river and jungle nearby.

After my morning meditation I went to breakfast at the resort restaurant. I knew I wanted to spend the day pampering myself so I booked myself a massage and body scrub at a local 5 star spa. As soon as I pressed “book” the manager of the hotel came up to me. He asked me how I was enjoying my stay, told me he thought I was very beautiful, and asked if I would be open to being in a Tik Tok for their marketing. I said, sure, because remember my goal in Bali was to say yes to everything! The manager said that they would comp me free food, drinks, and spa services for my participation. I was so excited! I did not realize though, that they wanted to begin filming immediately and it was a bit more professional than just Tik Tok. A professional photographer and videographer immediately came to the table, I didn’t even have time to get cute! They filmed me eating fresh fish prepared by the chef and getting a massage and flower bath in the spa. Lol Long story short, I’m in a professional commercial for “Experience Bali” haha. (They even sent me the footage after). 

The next morning it was time for me to go to Singapore! I was excited because one of my classmates lives in Singapore and wanted to meet up and show me around the little island. One thing that I did not expect was that the men in Singapore LOVE Black women. I will definitely be returning haha. I stayed in another luxury hotel with stunning skyline views! I had less than 48 hours in Singapore and wasn’t sure what I should do. I decided to visit the Singapore Museum of Ice Cream. I had always wanted to visit the location in the states, but I never lived in a state that had a museum. Because I visited during the middle of the week, it was just me and another family touring the museum. I brought my tripod to take my own pictures, but I didn’t really need it because the family and staff took photos and videos for me. They were incredibly kind. I feel like everyone I met in Asia was just SO nice! 

It was fun adventuring through the museum and tasting ice cream from all over the world. My favorite part was jumping in the giant pool of Sprinkles! (Fun Fact: I briefly had a jewelry line called Sprinkles, so this was very much on brand for me!) After the museum my classmate and friend Muriel met me outside for our tour! She led me to the train station ( which was so much cleaner than any train in America) and we headed to Gardens by the Bay. We toured the gardens and then went to the famous Marina Bay Sands hotel to grab lunch on the roof. I felt like I was living out my Crazy Rich Asians dreams haha. After lunch we walked all over downtown singapore and Muriel pointed out where she use to work and gave me some of the history of the island. By the time the sun began to set, we decided we should grab dinner and Muriel took me to a night market! I had THE BEST food ever and it was so incredibly cheap, which was nice because Singapore is very expensive! I hopped from stall to stall trying local dishes including Singapore’s most famous dish: Chicken Rice. My stomach is actually growling now thinking about how good that food was. 

After dinner I went back to my room to fill out my mid-year review (because although my amazing job gave me the freedom to head to Bali for a month, I still needed to get some work done). But, I’m seriously grateful for such a supportive team, this is truly my dream job. I can’t imagine having this level of support and freedom with any other company. The next morning, I said goodbye to beautiful Singapore and headed to Phuket, Thailand. I booked my room that morning, so I was really living life on the edge. But, this was really good for me because I’m a notorious over planner and overthinker. I wanted to try Selina Hostel- an upscale coworking space. But, I just couldn’t get with the shared room/dorm experience, although it was WAY cheaper. Selina only had apartments left, so I ended up with a huge apartment overlooking the ocean. It was so beautiful and modern! After taking a nap, I headed down to the bar. Selina hosts events to help you meet other people. I was so nervous like “what if I don’t meet anyone and I’m alone this whole trip. Or what if they don’t like me.” My friends say I’m very likeable though, so it was time to put this theory to work. 

I sat at the bar drinking the best Mai Thai ever, when I noticed another girl close to my age drinking the same drink. Somehow we began to make small talk and she scooted over and a friendship began. I found out her name was Leonie and she was on holiday from Germany. I shared with her that I had a German roomie while I was in Bali! We exchanged travel stories and decided to grab dinner together. After dinner, I didn’t think I was going to see her again because we both had our own plans for the next few days. The next day I booked a Grab to take me to see the Big Buddha, a very famous landmark in Phuket! When I arrived at Big Buddha, it was very crowded. I didn’t really see many other Black people while I was in Asia, but I noticed another Black girl setting up her tripod and taking pictures of herself. I figured she was traveling solo as well, but I didn’t want to interrupt her pictures so I continued up the stairs to the temple. When I reached the top of the temple, I set up my own tripod and began taking pictures. The Black girl that I saw downstairs joined my pics and we introduced ourselves. Her name was Ruth and she was from Australia. We exchanged numbers and decided to meet up for dinner one night. When I got back to my hotel for dinner, I ran into Leonie and we had dinner together again. 

I retired to bed early because the next morning I booked an island hopping tour through airbnb experiences, which was phenomenal. They picked me up at the hotel and drove me to the ferry port. We took a speed boat to Phi Phi Island Krabi, where I met my driver. I thought there would be other people on my tour, but it was just me, him, and our long boat. He brought fresh fruit and fried rice for me to eat. We visited several islands and my driver asked me if I wanted to go snorkeling. I had never snorkeled before, so he gave me a tutorial and got in the water and snorkeled with me, which was really sweet. When we reached the Phi Phi Islands, I had an hour to explore on my own. I was taking pictures with my tripod when another Black girl came up to me and asked if she could take my photos for me. She was also traveling solo through Thailand and planned on heading to Bangkok the next day. After we left Phi Phi, we visited Monkey Island and I got to feed more monkeys, and then we visited Shark Point where I snorkeled with sharks (small ones lol) like a crazy person! But it felt so good to just say “YES” to new experiences. I felt like, if I can snorkel with sharks, what can’t I do?! I definitely felt like “That Girl”. And I loved the bold and courageous person I was becoming overseas. 

When I got back to my hotel I relaxed in a cabana overlooking the ocean and journaled. I sat out there thanking God over and over for allowing me to experience such an incredible experience. The hotel had live entertainment that evening and I listened to this guy sing covers and play his guitar as I stared up at the stars. I walked over to the restaurant and ran into my friend Leonie, again! The musician began singing “Just the Two of Us” and we found it to be hilarious because every night in Thailand, it was just the two of us. It was Leonie’s last night at the resort though, so we enjoyed our final dinner together. The next day was my final day in Thailand, so I booked another airbnb experience to visit the Elephant Sanctuary. When I arrived at the sanctuary I was the only person in my group solo, but there were two Black girls in my group from Austria that offered to take my pictures if I wanted. (I just love us). I loved being around the elephants, getting to feed them, watching them bathe, even hugging them. They’re such magical and gentle creatures.

After I left the elephant Sanctuary my friend Ruth, the girl I met at the Big Buddha and I decided to link for dinner and a night on the town. We went to a rooftop place overlooking the ocean for authentic Thai food (although, I kind of prefer American Thai. Sorry, not sorry.) and then we took a Tuk Tuk to Bangla Road. Bangla Road is by far the most wild place I’ve ever been lol. It’s like if New Orleans was on Crack and a bunch of other drugs too. There were lights and music everywhere, live performances, and the entertainment was very adult lol. Someone asked if I wanted to see a Ping Pong show, I thought it was going to be like Beer Pong or something. Ruth hit me with “Oh my sweet summer child”. That was NOT what they were doing with the ping pong balls lol. *covers face*. We found a club that was playing american hip hop and had the time of our lives! Seriously, so much fun. We stayed out until about 3am (because I had a flight to catch) and when we left, the party was still in full swing. The people in Phuket definitely know how to party! 

My best friend Facetimed me as I was getting ready to head to the airport. She asked me if I was excited to be coming home. And we were both surprised by my answer, “no.” I loved being abroad.

I loved the growth I experienced.

I loved learning about other cultures.

I loved trying new things.

I loved being present in the moment.

I loved the confidence and boldness that came from being on my own.

I loved how I began to trust myself and trust the timing of my life.

I loved how I let go of worry and found joy in surrender. I loved learning to control my thoughts.

I loved living a life of simplicity.

I loved living in a walkable environment with low crime.

I loved not worrying about gun violence.

I loved all of the delicious and healthy food.

I loved finding balance. '

And most of all, I loved finding the courage to believe in love again. I learned to truly love myself. To trust others. And to be open to being loved by others, because I am easy to love.

And I am love.  

I set out on a truth seeking journey. I don’t know exactly what I hoped to find. I think I was hoping to find peace. Hoping to find surrender. Setting out on this solo travel adventure allowed me to surrender all of the things and thought that no longer served me. And when I cleared space in my brain and in my heart, it allowed love to rush in. It allowed God to rush in.

On this journey, I found love. I found peace. And I found myself. <3