As a Canadian woman in the dead of winter, what do I look forward to?
That first warm day in spring. The morning when you wake up and notice the air smells different than yesterday…. not like frozen snow, but like life is about to burst from the ground. Everything outside is dripping and melting, the sun comes out, the birds start chirping, and it’s time to fling open your windows, turn on some dance music, pour yourself a cup of coffee, (if you're brave, sit on your stoop with a blanket) and soak it all in.
One of my favourite things about Bali is the open air and the connection with nature. Most Balinese homes have open spaces to sit outside and Balinese tend to leave their windows and doors open during the day. Nature finds its way inside more easily because of this, but it also means that inside life can connect with outside. It’s such a relief to feel like I’m part of the great outdoors. It’s pretty impossible in Bali to forget about nature or feel disconnected from it, and being in nature all day long brings a deep level of peace.
For the last few years, I’ve been very lucky to be able to leave frozen Canada and arrive in the inviting, humid Balinese air, surrounded by the green richness of the forest. When I first arrive, It’s always a bit of a shock to wake up to incense, exotic birds, monkeys, and geckos when I’m used to breathing in frozen air and watching geese shuffle around on their platform of river ice. I feel very lucky indeed.