Sunrise Hikes, Scooters, and Waterfalls: Week Two of The Remote Experience- Bali, Indonesia
Have you ever thought that maybe the life you are currently living is simply a dream? Surely you have had a dream that you thought was real; you could feel the touch of another, the smell in the air, and hear every little noise in the background. In that moment before you wake up it might as well be your reality. What if that is just our lives currently-- nothing but an illusion in which one day you'll just wake up? If that IS in fact the case, then why not do the things that you want to be doing? This dream (or life) is merely a temporary disturbance in an otherwise never ending cosmic consciousness.
Let me re-phrase that- We are all SPIRITUAL beings, having a temporary HUMAN experience. We are the universe perceiving itself. We are no different than a wave is to an ocean. It is all the same thing. We are all divine beings, but for some reason we have gotten so distracted that we've started to pretend that we aren't. At least that is my understanding of Alan Watts' Dream of Life (which is the audio playing in this week's re-cap video, which can be found at the bottom of this post).
When I was younger I had this dream of seeing the world, experiencing everything it has to offer, and doing so with the love of my life.
This past week, I realized that I am currently living out my childhood dream. It is here. I spoke with my brother via FaceTime the other day and he said it best- "These ARE the good old days." Amen, brother. I am traveling through Southeast Asia, experiencing the culture, working on the road, squeezing in some play, and doing it all with my love, Lauren. If childhood me could see me now, he would be excited and proud.
My goal in sharing my life is never to brag about it- it is to inspire YOU to take the reigns in your life and do what it is that you want to be doing! Maybe your dream isn't to see the world. Maybe your dream is to be a powerful business person, or to create art, or to have a family--Whatever it is that you want to do is totally possible! If you truly want something, you will do anything and everything to see that it becomes your reality. It takes time. It takes patience. It takes sacrifice. There is no 'arriving.' You don't ever finally 'make it' one day. It is a constant process of making choices that align with your vision for yourself. That is what it is all about.
I read a quote somewhere about being strict with your goal but flexible about your methods of achieving that goal. There will always be hiccups and speed bumps and unplanned obstacles, but that is what keeps this whole 'life' thing interesting :).
So this week was full of obstacles, just like any other week, but Lauren and I kept putting one foot in front of the other. We showed up every day and put in the work. I have to admit, it is pretty nice to be able to work here in paradise. My work breaks consist of
dipping my feet in the pool and getting upside down with some yoga.
After work we usually share a meal with some of the other friends in our group (The Remote Experience) and maybe a bintang (the local Balinese beer). I can tell already that Lauren and I have made some life long friends on this trip. We actually care about each other! Who woulda thunk it? Just last night we all celebrated the birthday of our new friend, Jeff! But I will save that story for next week's re-cap.
When the weekend rolled around the bulk of the group took a surfing lesson (which I still would love to do), while I had the privilege of taking a yoga workshop on hands on assists and adjustments! This is something that I have been wanting to add to my teaching toolbox for quite some time. I spent about 4 hours learning and practicing how to safely adjust students. When I first went through my teacher training, I learned that less is more when it comes to physically assisting and adjusting students. Especially as a male yoga instructor, I have to be very careful and intentional about my adjustments. So naturally I was scared to touch anybody out of fear of a lawsuit. Going through this workshop gave me the confidence that I needed in order to safely and appropriately assist my students. So a big thanks goes out to Wanda Badwal and The Practice Bali for putting on the workshop! If you are ever in Bali and have the chance to do some yoga in Canggu, do check them out!
The absolute highlight of the week came on Sunday. We all woke up at 1 AM, traveled to Mt. Batur (an active volcano), and set off to climb it in the dark. I was very excited to do this, because seeing the sunrise from the top of a mountain has been on my bucket list, but I didn't know what to expect. Our guides led us up a winding, rocky, sandy trail that would have been a challenge for even the experienced hiker. So there we were, taking it one step at a time in the DARK. Although we had flashlights, the darkness still presented a challenge. But we pushed on! After a few hours of climbing, with the help of our guides, we arrived at the peak only minutes before the sky started to lighten. From there we shared cups of tea and coffee, took some photos, and ate breakfast. Get this- we ate eggs that were cooked OVER the steam coming from one of the vents on the volcano! Volcano eggs, baby.
As the sun began its ascent the group's chatter slowed while we all took in the incredible sight. There we were- sitting on an active volcano that over looked a lake and another volcano as the sun started to peek out. I've seen my fair share of sunrises, but this one was something else. It moved me rather deeply. It woke something up inside of me. I can't quite put a finger on it yet, but watching the earth wake up from that spot caused some sort of shift within me.
Believe it or not, I get cranky sometimes! I didn't have the best attitude as we climbed in the dark--I hadn't gotten my beauty sleep, my stomach was rumbling, and I was just being a grouch. Everyone else seemed to be enjoying themselves, but I was stuck in my own head being grumpy. To put it simply, I had a bad attitude and I needed it adjusted. Mama Gaia did just that with the sunrise. All of a sudden, I realized how small me and my problems were. My pettiness was replaced with a gratitude for life. Just to exist in that moment and witness all of the beauty around me was something so very special to me that I will never be able to forget. I wouldn't want to forget it.
By the time we began our descent the sun was blaring on us. The way down seemed to be even harder than the way up on the steep and loose dirt and rocks. By the time we made it to the half-way point everyone was ready for a rest. We were greeted by a whole bunch of long-tailed monkeys.
They were clearly used to people, as they wasted no time climbing up on us and accepting food. One even got a tad aggressive while he (or she) was on Lauren, taking her water bottle out of her bag and starting to drink from it! I'd never been that up close to any sort of monkey, so being around such friendly and unafraid little dudes was a very eye-opening experience! I mean, it was like looking into the past at our ancestors. There is no doubt that we evolved from them- their hands were so human-like. They had finger nails and their eyes had some sort of familiarity when you looked into them. And holy shit are they smart!
By the time we made it to the bottom of the volcano we were all beat. But since we are all overachievers over here, we didn't stop there! After a quick stop for lunch to refuel, we found ourselves at the base of Tegenungan Falls. I must say that after the hike all I wanted to do was go home, shit, shower, and sleep. BUT I am very pleased that we stopped and experienced the falls! We took a nice refreshing dip in the water at the base of it and then we were on our way. All of this before 3 o'clock in the afternoon!
And that was a wrap for that week! Check out our weekly re-cap video below and let me know what you think!
Again, my goal for all of my posts, whether its on Instagram, Facebook, or here on my blog, is to inspire you to fall in love with the life that you are living. And if you don't love the life you are living, know that nothing is set in stone- you can always change something about it!
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns do not hesitate to reach out to me! I am more than happy to talk to you about life, your happiness, your health, or if you just need to vent to somebody, my ears work very well and my door is always open!
Thank you and I love you. Yes, you!
Much Love,
Zach Cuaresma
