Wow.
Bali.
It doesn’t matter that it is so much more developed since the last time I was here because the essence of Bali is still very much the same as I remembered.
Everywhere I look I see intense beauty.
But the beauty of the surroundings is only surpassed by the inner beauty that radiates from the Balinese people.
It’s what I imagine people in heaven to be like.
Balinese people are happy. They may look serious but then I smile at them and they break into these enormous ear-to-ear smiles. To date I’ve never NOT had a Balinese person smile back at me.
The light from their pure souls radiates outward.
There is an ease, innocence, undefendedness, and safety amongst the people that I’m starting to feel rub off on me from being here a few days.
Slowly but surely my soul is unfurling.
Yesterday afternoon after swimming with Wayan I walked into town to buy some clothes and my feet started to hurt again. I’ve got these huge blisters on my feet that I’ve attached band-aids around in order to walk. So I’m hobbling around town.
But at least now it is a happy hobble.
Since my feet were hurting so much I decided to take a taxi ride back to my hotel after shopping.
I decided that the next person to say “Transport” would be the one that I would choose to drive me.
“You want transport, lady?”
So I hop in and my driver says, “I Made. (Pronounced ‘Ma-day’.) Where you from?”
I tell him.
“How is the economic in America?” he asks.
“Some people having a hard time, Made.”
“Not so good, here right now, too,” Made says. “No money makes people sad. Best to be not too happy or too sad.”
“Why not too happy?”
“In between best. Middle good. Too happy you waiting for bad, no? Too sad, you waiting for the happy. In the middle best. No waiting,” he says.
“Bali economic not so good right now. Tourist good. Bring money to Balinese. Balinese peoples give money for offering. Offering helps the world. Tourist helping the world because money from tourist goes to Balinese offering. Bali people no keep all money from tourist for themselves. You know what I mean, Kristeen? Tourist helping everyone. Not just Balinese people. In this way the tourist is good for the world.”
I’m speechless.
About Me: 
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Too much fun. Thanks for sharing so much! Beautiful. Glorious really. Loving you and your journey and your joy and your adventure and your happiness and your saying “yes.”
I feel right there with you, Kristen. It’s beautiful how Made describes tourism – about circulating, being in the flow, with money. Being abundant. How we all benefit – they need our money, and we need — them. Look forward to the next installment, and I have to say, Eat Pray Love has nothing on you! There’s so much more to say!