Blog Swap------- > Summer Loving

Hi Friends,

I am excited today to introduce a very lovely girl I met through 20 something bloggers, she is so sweet, and friendly and really just amazing for someone I barely even know. She blogs over at *Extreme & Fabulous*  {please do check it out} and her blog is exactly that. Her about me section had me in giggles, mainly because she sounds exactly like me. I think we have a thing going :)

Any way today we are participating in a blog swap, you can catch me over at her site, and she will be taking hostage of you guys for a little while. Show her some love, you can either leave a comment here, or on her site if you please. 

Without further ado I present to you Simran from Indonesia... :) I hope you enjoy the post as much as I did.

Hello summer lovers ;)!

So, the theme for this blog swap is SUMMER.. :) Well, I come from a country that has summer all year round and on certain months rainy weather. Yes, I come from Jakarta, Indonesia  and for those of you who have 4 seasons don’t get too jealous *wink*.  I am supposed to talk about my summer, honestly, I really have nothing much to talk about but yes it is not my favorite season but I kinda have no choice :).  

The past few as you shall call it SUMMER months have been quite normal but the highlight of my Summer so far would definitely have to be my trip to Bali. For those who have been to Bali, you will know that it is one place that is a must visit :). We in Indonesian call Bali Island “Pulau Dewata” which means Land of the Gods, which according to me no better saying can describe the place.

I had an extremely fruitful trip. I didn't do the fun outdoor activities that you would normally do when going to a beach but I gained a lot in this trip. It is not my first trip, I’ve been to Bali numerous times and love it every time I go there. Thus, I shall share with you what I gained from this trip.

Subsequently,  the past few months has been quite hectic for me and somehow, I started feeling lost in the sense, I complained a lot, became whinny, always mostly negative, never satisfied with what was going on in my life for some reason. I knew within myself this wasn't the person I was. Then out of the blues my parents told me we were going to Bali, I was normal about it didn't want to spoil it by getting overexcited. I have come to a point in life where I don't plan my days, I prefer not to, and when going on a trip I’d just go and see how it goes from there. Upon reaching Bali, that’s it I just felt so at home, so peaceful. That is exactly how my 4(four) days in Bali went by. I stayed at a hotel which had a beach front view from the breakfast&dining area. I enjoyed watching the waves every morning. I promised myself though, that this trip I will not think of literally ANYTHING and be completely relaxed. I kept that promise and literally thought of nothing, I had my cellphone with me but was mostly oblivious of its existence thus I only had a lot to gain and nothing to lose.

I admired nature,  enjoyed views of the beach, sounds of the waves, the stillness of the atmosphere,read a book in silence, watched Traditional Balinese dances, took pictures and the highlight of my trip was having the privilege to witness two of the most beautiful sunsets two days in a row. How awesome is that! :). That indeed was just the highlight of my trip and I didn't have to go to a special place or wait for a specific time as it was just outside the dining area of my hotel by the beach. I have no words to describe how utterly indescribable the feeling was, and  how wondrous the Lord’s creation is that’s what it made me recognize. It’s like it make you feel you are one step closer to the Creator! Best part, I captured the moments, yay! Have attached the pictures below and added two quotes which somewhat describes how I felt:

      

Sunset scenes for two days 

"When I admire the sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul

expands in worship of the creator" 

Mahatma Ghandi

Sunset of two days – Bali

“To watch a sunset is to connect with the Divine.” – Gina De Gorna

At the end of my trip I felt at peace with myself, completely relaxed and realised so many issues I had and resolved them to, with myself that is. In entirety, I felt like a whole improvised version of me and felt like I actually went on a holiday :). 

Glimpse of Balinese Traditional Dance

For that reason, I recommend this to you too.Yes, if you haven’t visited Bali you totally SHOULD! And, if you go on a holiday, make sure you actually go on a HOLIDAY. Don’t plan, just decide where to go and go. Flow with it and abstain from technology, spend time with your family/friends, enjoy nature and be amazed! Trust me it works wonders cause I’ve tried it *wink*.

That, fellow readers was my Summer. And it is still going on ;). But, it was a journey for me of lessons I learnt by myself and a journey of self-discovery. Everyday, we are striving to become a better version of our self and sometimes even a short trip can make us realize things we probably would not think of amidst the hecticness of the city life. A trip gives us a span of time to stop and think and feel. I hope you all will gain something to from your trips or maybe your everyday life. Hope the summer brought you such moments too. Take time despite your busyness to stop and spend time with yourself, without cellphones, without noise and listen to yourself. This helps a lot in answering all your questions and also makes you worry less about what should and is about happen. You will learn to appreciate your moments more.

Cheers to a better and brighter YOU... Expect the Unexpected!

P.S : To readers who are from Indonesia, I’d like to say to my fellow Indonesians Happy 66th Independence Day! MERDEKA! :) 

What is your definition of SUMMER?

Simran