“My favorite part was…”

“My favorite part was building the fort, and riding bikes while exploring the island, and walking on the rope, and falling in the hole, and jumping off the boat, and snorkeling with the fish, and selling shells at the beach, and…” Pia, Marcus and Clara talking about the days spent on Gili Air. By Marta Kaltreider

Ahhh Freedom… So much to be said about having mental and physical freedom… We have taken advantage of a short school break and ventured to a tiny island off the coast of Lombok, Bali’s neighboring island. Gili Air is that paradise of crystal-clear turquoise waters filled with colorful fish just outside your beach hut door, white sand beaches constantly caressed by the gentle rhythm of the waves’ dance, colorful sunsets that tint the scenery in all shades of bright pinks, pastel purples and saturated oranges, lush greenery and palm trees rocking back and forth to the kind breeze, and local fishermen casting their nets from rudimentary boats right by the quiet waters off the beach shore.

It is 6 am, the sun is rising behind Lombok’s statuesque volcano standing majestically across the channel in front of my eyes. The island is still asleep except for my friend Ashley (aka yoga guru extraordinaire, among other beautiful talents) and me. We are sitting on the sand, quietly acknowledging the blessings of this new day unfolding in front of us, mindfully appreciating such a moment of deep calm and stunning beauty, gratefully valuing the choices that we have made that have brought us where we are in our lives. A lonely fisherman rocking in his old boat is patiently working on his catch of the day and Ashley and I imagine the story of his life. Here are our words, sent off to the world through the morning breeze…

In a pristine islet somewhere there once lived a fisherman. His name was Ketut. He was the fourth child born to the quiet village’s fisherman and his long saga of ancestor fishermen. Day after day, Ketut grew up observing his father’s hard work casting nets and luring in fish from the old boat his father himself had built as a child. Hour after hour, Ketut sat on the shore studying his father’s every move, learning the accuracy of his father’s fishing mastery, hoping that some day, he too would become a skillful fisherman like him.

One day, Ketut built his own simple fishing boat and started his journey to become that skillful fisherman. But unlike his father and his ancestors, Ketut could see beyond the beauty of his pristine islet. Ketut wondered about the exotic land on the other side of the channel. During his endless hours fishing, he daydreamed while contemplating the mysterious beauty of that foreign land guarded by its powerful volcano. He fantasized about the lives of its native inhabitants, full of songs and laughter. He wondered about their colorful villages. He was mesmerized by the unspoiled nature that painted the landscape.

Often times, Ketut felt the urge to leave his pristine islet behind and cross the channel to explore the beauty of that foreign land. But the thought also scared him; what if the villagers where not kind souls? What if that exotic land was full of unknown dangers? What if he missed his pristine islet? What if longing and loneliness would settle in his heart? What if… what if… what if… So he would always hold back, he would always push the urge of adventure aside, he would always choose to continue to fantasize from the distance.

One day, while Ketut was peacefully casting his nets off the shore, an unexpected and forceful current took charge of his boat and pulled him all the way across the channel to that faraway land. Ketut felt scared yet exhilarated, fearful yet empowered, cautious yet eager, uncertain yet confident.

Ketut looked up, far into the distance and, for the first time, he was able to see his pristine islet cast with a different light. His pristine islet looked remote, at times even foreign. He realized that something had changed, that his pristine islet would never be the same. He realized He had changed. He had grown to be his own man. He had a choice to make. He could go back to his pristine islet or he could continue on his journey of discovery in this foreign land…