I really love…

“I really love the sound of the rice fields, Mamá”. Marcus taking it all in as we walk around our rural neighborhood on a peaceful Sunday morning.

I am starting to understand better the impact that life in a completely “foreign everything” is having on all of us. Now that we are feeling more settled in Bali I notice all these little signs of how our environment is positively and deeply affecting us. I feel like we have turned a corner somehow and all the stimulus around us that we have been taking in is starting to manifest itself from the inside out and rippling into many aspects of our lives.

The impact that the school is having on the kids (and all of us, really…) is a very good example. Green School is in the heart of the jungle in a very naturally rich and vibrant environment full of life and wide open boundaries: all kinds of plants, lots of living creatures, endless sounds, invigorating smells, ever changing natural light and tons of breathing space. The kids’ classrooms (and all the buildings on campus) are completely open and wall-less, allowing the kids (and adults) to be totally immersed, engaged and fully aware of the world that surrounds us.

Needless to say that being surrounded by people from all over the world is also playing a huge role in our growth. We are building relationships with kids and adults from many different cultures and countries around the globe, all converging in the amazing island of Bali, its people and its culture. The more we learn about Balinese culture the more we realize how, in essence, the principles of trustworthiness and humbleness (even with a very archaic caste system still in place) are the foundation of Bali’s psyche, which is also rubbing off on all of us. We are becoming more tolerant about the differences among us, more accepting of contrasting ways of life and more interested in celebrating these differences and making them part of our expanding horizons. Our “western” way (for lack of a better word) is no longer “the” way but rather one of many ways that can help us moving forward.

We are also aware of the deep gratitude we feel for the good friends, neighbors and family that we have (temporarily) left behind. We know with certainty that without all of you we would not have the solid foundation that has given us the strength to embark in this fantastic journey.

So many things about life in Bali- its culture, its people, the Balinese sensibility, the jungle, the rice fields, our school, the new friends that we have made and definitely seeing our kids going along, taking it in, “adopting” it and enjoying the ride- are so inspiring to us. Maybe we have drank the Kool Aid (too much of it?), or maybe we are having a midlife crisis (ha, ha, ha!), but either way we feel full of life, at peace, delighted about today and excited about tomorrow.

Oh and, by the way, we moved into our “permanent” home and we are loving it!

Selamat datang 🙂