From my last blog, Lainie and I were leaving Brisbane for Bali. We crossed that border with our prepared visas - they were not allowing visa upon entry - and made it to our natural beauty of a hotel in Ubud. It was very lucky that we received our Indonesian visas before leaving the U.S.! We arrived at the hotel where we planned to stay for a few days before beginning our last volunteer opportunity: sea turtle conservation on the island of Nusa Penida. Little did we know, we would be forced to come home before we could even see the ocean. The hotel in Ubud was very open and full of greenery; the weather, hot and sticky! As soon as we dropped our bags in the room, Lainie and I went out to explore the hotel and the area.
After enjoying the complimentary afternoon tea, treats, and scenery under the dining pavilion, we wandered along the main roads of Ubud. The area around our hotel was pretty tourist-y and full of shops, but still a huge change from Australia. It felt almost lonely being the minority again - white, English speaking people.
The next morning, I awoke (earlier than usual) to Lainie on the phone with our mom back in Illinois. I could hear both of them frantically using their computers, as well as their worried tones. It turned out that at about 6 a.m. (our time), the U.S. requested that all citizens who were not prepared to be outside of the country, INDEFINITELY, make their way back. Well, that meant Lainie and I. Thus, when I was woken up by the sound of computers and choked-up voices, Lainie was booking our flights home for that evening.
All together, we had about 24 hours to see Bali, and that's exactly what we did. Lainie and I chose the couple attractions closest to our hotel to explore in the morning, including the monkey forest and one of the markets, and packed up our stuff in the early afternoon. Neither of us were ready to go home. We felt sick at the idea of missing out on the turtle conservation program, and I just felt sick in general. The combination of depression and febrility made for a day that will never be forgotten: the final day.
The flights home were miserable. Lainie only showed a stone exterior, but I knew that underneath she was fighting tears of sadness and anger. The first flight to Jakarta was short and didn't allow for much time to grasp what was happening. Our next flight to Tokyo was 7 hours of melancholy feelings. And, finally, our flight from Tokyo to Chicago was 11 hours of tears. Tears for missed memories; tears for feverish chills and headaches; and, tears for questionable futures in a world that wouldn't feel like the one that we left 2 months prior.
I wanted to write this update after spending a good amount of time at home with my thoughts. I've come to find that the sunny days here in Northbrook, Illinois are harder than the rainy gloomy days. The sun's warmth reminds me of the heat and humidity of the cities that we visited, and of the beaches that Lainie and I explored. The beautiful days remind me of what we missed out on.
Stay tuned for more thoughts!
-Lilly
