I didn't expect to find: The endearing and selfless, yet careless parts of me. “Where have you been hiding all of this time? And why?!” I disturbed the peace by screaming this into the all-kinds-of-greenery swaying in the dancing but delicate breeze as their tropical-ness surrounded my Air BnB for my last two peaceful nights. With the singing song birds waking me up each morning to their whistling melodies and harmonious tune, I embraced each part of the tranquil vibrations which stroked my soul in ways indescribable as they filled up my cup with gratitude-juice. I’d only read great things about Bali and all that it gives. And though Bali had more to offer than the beginning of inner-peace, ending the trip on that note was only right. When my inner-traveller, ‘Bethella – the Gemini’, finally cracked out of her comfortable, cubby shell of ‘approval’ and faced me head on to remind me that there was more to life than the average social media approach when travelling - the ‘Instagram-worthy’ travel shots where you look like you’re living your best life but as soon as you click ‘upload’ you return back to your average Buddha bowl while lounging on a sun bed scrolling through peoples boring lives at home - I chose to dive head first into the ‘solo-travel-fear’ that I’d usually paddle in, and take on any and every opportunity that I could within my little two weeks. This epiphany struck me on my flight to Bali from Thailand where I had just finished exploring, too. I felt excitement bonded with curiosity because of everything to come. I felt anxious having coming to terms that I was now a solo, solo traveller. But I also felt relaxed knowing everything was going to be OK because god was with me and he knew I had so much more to give in this lifetime. This meant he wouldn’t let me die, get kidnapped into sex-trafficking, or lose my passport, so I was good. So after some praying, sleeping, reading, and more praying, I was greeted by the warm-hearted people, incense-filled air, the Dewa Ruci statue and the fluorescent evening lights that was, Bali. Kuta - a four-star hotel to unwind and mentally recuperate. I was mesmerized by the glamourous, white-sand and picturesque ocean-blue beaches where I had my fitness intensely tested during surfing, and where I avoided paying for a lounge chair from the elderly beach ladies at all costs. I indulged in mouth-watering cookies’n’cream ice-cream; made friends with the locals (shout out to Alex all seven of his family members); bought a ton of incense, and rounded it all off with some home-made pizza. Seminyak – my first (and last) party hostel, yay! The thrill was high and the adrenaline rush was intense as I lusted for a moment over the thought of the reckless and free-spirit shenanigans I was about to implode into. I pep-talked myself into Bethella mode before moonwalking out of my comfort zone, firmly planting my bum on a wet pool chair surrounded by the other solo-travellers and said, “Hey everyone! I’m Beth.” Just like that, I met amazing new people, shared very relatable guy drama experiences, and had amazing nights of partying with people who loved house music just as much as me. It was a great time. Ubud – a luxury hostel which provided free breakfast, massages and yoga every day. Oooh, bouji. At this stage I was ready to throw in the party towel and smell the essential oils of the spiritual and cultural ones. Ubud stole my heart like a thief in the night, though there wasn’t much crime there. But this is where I found most peace, most purpose, and most opportunity to just be. Centre myself, and just be. I visited a local school where I danced, played and gibbered with the children; I swung meters in the air on the Bali swing; I visited a coffee plantation where I tasted cat-poo-coffee worth $500! (I mean, Yuk, but cha-ching!); I got amazing, accidental shots by the Tenganan waterfall; I made friends with a few monkeys from sacred monkey forest who were overly photogenic; and most importantly, most crazily…I hiked 5,633 feet in the air at 3:00am to watch a sunrise from the top of Mount Batur! Update: it tested my fitness way more than surfing; I left with calves of steel and my bum as firm as steel. Bali was an experience - a learning tool; a place of reflection; a get-out-of-your-comfort-zone-and-suck-it-up, bully; a veganism trial; an open-my-pores-and-cleanse-my-skin skincare routine that’s impossible to find on YouTube; an adventure! But most importantly, Bali was love.