How I Eat, Prayed, and Loved My way through Bali and Pai

Let me start off by saying, I am teaching grade 1 virtually this year and gosh, am I ever busy. This has been the first time i can sit back and write something other than lesson plans. Im happy that this comes easy to me. Hopefully all of my posts have been helpful thus far, i have so much more coming for you! Anyways, here we go:

I never thought i was ever going to go Julia Roberts and eat/pray/ love my way through a place. However, the moment I got to Pai, Thailand i just KNEW this is what was going to happen. Pai is a town in the Mae Hong Soon Province of northern Thailand. It sits in a valley on the banks of the Pai River. It’s known for its nearby gorges, hot springs like the Tha Pai Hot Spring and waterfalls like Mo Paeng Waterfall.

Here it Is… How I Eat, Prayed, Loved.

I never thought it would of come to a Julia Roberts vibe however, one thing is clear I had everything I needed at the time and I relatively still do. I wasn’t leaving a toxic relationship or having a career change. Nothing like that, it’s just the moment I got to Pai, something happened. I had a realization… that I was so focused on ‘Whats Next’ in life I never appreciated how I got the moment of my life I was in. Anyways, it started like..

I Ate…

I ate so many different foods, i explored the culture and I even explore American cuisine with a twist. But, I also took a cooking class (I wasn’t trying to loose the skill haha). I also ate foods that made me happy. While at home, i tend to eat on the 80/20 rule and that has worked tremendously. however, on this trip I wasn’t being so health conscious, i wanted to let myself be free and learn to love food whole- heartedly.

French Toast with Toasted Banana’s in Bali

I drank Poo Coffee (YES Luwak Coffee is POO )

I Prayed..

I prayed.. I prayed a whole lot. Not for specific answers- more so for direction or a little sign about myself. I wanted to know if i was heading in the right direction and if I wasn’t i was heading at least somewhere that would bring me comfort. Every so often, i received these signs of hope and they were little things such as, a dove, or a colour that reminded me about a time in my life. Praying on my trip opened the doors for #mindfulness and #gratitude and really finding solace in my own company. Being alone for me was never lonely because I was always with my thoughts and I often caught myself putting to rest some demons that were constantly in my mind.

PRE-COVID (WOW): I took a Spiritual Holy Water Bath

Coffee In Love in Pai
(Praying in Random Places with great views)

I Loved..

THIS right here, is where it was at. I LOVED.. I learned to love myself for who I am and my independent thoughts. I even learned to love the parts of me that require deep growth. Backpacking for my is like therapy, it’s an experience that typically involves a lot of self-reflection and consciousness because you’re alone with none but yourself. But, the greatest thing of all of it, is that you learn how amazing you can be without the materialism items or the partner or the career.

I learned to love my friends a little deeper, life a little stronger, and learn to love moments for what they are. See below some of the moments where I Loved..