I’ve heard the term “Wherever you go, there you are,” before and I don’t think I quite got its meaning until last year. I went on a trip to Bali with some friends. Whilst there I took time out to reflect on a few things.
My first entry into my journal regarding the trip went something like this: “It feels surreal. My first overseas trip! As I write this I’m in Bali, Indonesia, on a trip that for many reasons nearly didn’t happen. Thank God it did though because I’m at the Park Regis Kuta hotel, after a delicious meal at the same hotel (which cost me less than 100 000 INDR, about US$7 including a non-alcoholic beverage.) Did I mention the staff have been amazing?”
A few days in, a different entry said this: “Waited so long for the trip but I find myself happier just sitting at the hotel by the pool reading a good book that I enjoy. Turns out I prefer just chilling and talking (heart to heart, not frivolous things) compared to doing activities. When I look back to last year’s weekend away experience, I loved that. (We had spent a weekend away at Monchique, a guest house in Muldersdrift, outside of Johannesburg.) This Bali experience pales in comparison. Its so activity filled that I’m over stimulated. I just want to be by myself for a bit. Now that I’ve decided to spend the day at the hotel, I can’t wait to experience tomorrow. Something to look forward to.”
What is fun? Is it a universal term?
I think it’s important to have your own definition of fun. Figure out what constitutes fun for you and make sure you do it often. I thought traveling with friends for this trip would be “oh so much fun” but the reality was a completely different story. The last time we had gotten together was for the chilled weekend away I mentioned earlier, the year before. We had spent the time hanging out at the guest house we were staying at, catching up, having heart to hearts and making plans for and dreaming about our futures. We even wrote and shared vision letters. I loved that. It was more of a retreat than an adventure filled excursion. It was such a treat for me and I went back home rejuvenated. I think a part of me naively expected the same at our Bali trip. I forgot it was Bali, a tourist hub with tonnes of fun activities. It was good for everyone else but for me who thrives on personal time, catching up, discussing dreams and the future, it was not as much “fun” as I thought it would be.
Part of another journal entry: “I was trying to define “fun” using the accepted standard or using other people’s standard of what constitutes fun. Yes it’s cool that I’m in Bali with my friends doing stuff but I’d really rather we were just chilling, catching up and having heart to hearts. I can’t believe it took me being in Bali with friends enjoying numerous activities and after a while wishing we were back at the hotel hanging out and talking, or by myself hanging by the pool reading a book. It turns out I am an introvert after all. Looks like that solo writing vacation I wanted to take may just be the thing for me.”
That’s why when I travel next it will be alone and I’ll spend more time in a place so I can just hang out, meet and talk to people, take long walks and do activities that I feel like doing and other times just hang out where I’ll be staying and read a book. Yeah I know, I’m that boring friend lol.
