Don't let the Fear Win!!!

From Dante Alighieri:

Halfway through my journey, I got lost in the darkest forest.  I was alone and scared.  I don't know how it happened.  All of a sudden, I was off the path.  Walking down a hill and through a valley, I was dejected, deeply regretful.  Looking up, I saw the brightest sun on the best of roads, and so I rested before beginning to climb a mountain.  As I started up the road, a lion blocked my way.  Then a wolf appeared, baring her teeth, followed by a leopard.  These hungry beasts terrified me, and I went back down, abandoning all hope of climbing up.

Suddenly I saw someone or something approaching me.  It was the great poet Virgil who sang of Troy.  He came to help me, saying: You're afraid.  Fear is a burden and a distraction.  If you let it, it can stop you from accepting the challenges of adversity.  Don't you want to climb the Mountain of Joy?  Then don't fear mere shadows.  Follow me.  You must take a different path.

Later, Beatrice, my guide, her eyes as sparkling as stars, challenged me in her angelic voice: "Why do you fear what can't hurt you?  Why be scared?  Why let risk upset you?"

These words finally set me free.  Even though I was still exhausted and worried, I took the energy I had left, and with it tried to imitate the smallest, most unnoticed flowers that stand up straight when the sun shines down on them, leaving the chilly darkness of night behind, rising up and opening in the life-giving light.  With my newfound courage, I took my first step along the strangest, most profound path, which ultimately led to paradise.

I read this today and thought....that's speaking to me directly! it's my resolution for season 2! 

DON'T LET THE FEAR WIN!!!

The Part that hit home the most was:

"Why do you fear what can't hurt you?  Why be scared?  Why let risk upset you?"

I am such a scaredy cat sometimes, and I'm really trying hard to be better about it, but I still let fear win sometimes...

For example, I was having a massage on Thursday, and for the last half an hour I had to go to the bathroom... I was in so much pain, I couldn't enjoy the end of the massage. What's the point of spending money on a massage if I'm going to lay there in pain for the last 30 minutes?! That defeats the entire purpose of the massage!! All relaxation was null and void because I was too "afraid" to say, "excuse me one second please, I'll be right back..."

HOW LAME, JOANNA!!!!

And it's always stupid stuff like that that gets to me! 

I can travel to a foreign country alone. 

Move to the other side of the world alone. 

Get up on a stage and sing alone (although that took YEARS to accomplish!). 

But I can't say,"excuse me one second please, I'll be right back..." 

Why?

because I'm too scared to be impolite?!?! 

complete SILLINESS!! 

the masseuse was not going to hurt me if I asked to use the restroom! 

so why was I scared?!

I have the most irrational fears sometimes!

That is why DON'T LET THE FEAR WIN is my mantra this year...

I may falter and let it win occasionally, but I really am getting better

I just have to keep reminding myself...

DON'T LET THE FEAR WIN!!!

and now after reading this excerpt I know to ask myself, 

"Why do you fear what can't hurt you?  Why be scared?  Why let risk upset you?"

Bali revisited

The Fact that Bali is only an hour and a half flight away, makes weekend trips and fast get aways easy! I haven't gone as much as I would like to, but every time I do go, it motivates me to go more often!

Bali was on my Bucket List (written circa 2006) as a far off exotic island that I wanted to see but thought would be a once in a lifetime trip. Since I moved to Jakarta, I have gone to Bali 4 times!! A meager amount compared to some of my colleges, but a crazy amount compared to what I once thought was possible!! Bali is an amazing place with beautiful cultural events and activities, as well as breathtaking beaches and sunsets....and let us not forget the big beautiful villas we can stay in!

For someone like me, who LOVES the beach, Bali is a sweet escape from the realities of Jakarta. Blue skies and clear days are rare in Jakarta, so to go to a beautiful pristine beach and relax for the weekend is just good for the soul!

Not to Mention how fun it is to run into someone you know unexpectedly!!! It always makes a trip, that much better!!

One of my favorite spots is Potato Head! I just love the pool over looking the beach and the sunsets there are some of the most memorable I've had with good friends...Plus, how can you go wrong with thier drink menu!! So many delicious choices! My favs are the bloody mary with soy sauce and wasabi or the prohibition tea!! YUM! Wish I had one right now! How can you not enjoy this sunset while sipping on one of those!!

And to top it all off the beautiful rice paddies! Traveling through Ubud on a bike tour and seeing some eye opening sights is always a cultural experience. And being a music and dance fan I can never go wrong with seeing a show at the Ubud Palace!

Adding a little extra culture by doing the indonesian squat in the middle of a rice paddy! :)

Bali is an Amazing Place, and I cannot encourage all my friends and family enough, TO COME AND VISIT ME!!! :) Lets Make a plan...set a goal...

Hope to see you on this side of the world sometime in the future!!!!

The sooner the better! Who knows when I'll leave Indonesia!!

Birthdays ROCK!!

I didn't think I could love celebrating Birthdays any more then I already do, but now Birthdays can be bigger and better then ever!!

Y'all know I LOVE birthdays, but since I've gone overseas celebrating has taken on a whole new meaning!!

To celebrate their Birthdays, friends choose beautiful locations to visit, amazing adventures to take, or just a crazy city to go wild in!! Some of the "birthday parties" I've been to this year have been amazing!!

First of all, for My Birthday I went and spent the entire week in Hong Kong with one of my best friends!! I had a blast celebrating and making new friends along the way! Never did Imagine I would be celebrating in such an extravagant way a couple years ago!!

Hong Kong Skyline

                                                                     

POP!!! There goes another bottle!!! LOTS of Champagne was consumed over the week! and it was fun popping the cork every time! Nikki, Joe, and Lisa Made my Birthday week very special, and I will always remember the great nights on Lan Kwai Fung!!

And in Typical Joanna Style my birthday did not stop there! Then I celebrated for another week after my return with all my friends in Jakarta :) 


Next up, and an incredibly hard birthday adventure to top, was Becca's Birthday Boat Trip to BORNEO! We spent 4 days living aboard a boat and going to visit small Kalimantan towns and searching for Orangutans! It was an amazing trip with beautiful sunsets, orangutan sightings and relaxing with friends!!

they were just the cutest things ever!!!

I  loved this trip for many reasons...but the fact that 10 fabulous women all gathered to celebrate Becca and Alli's birthday by going on an adventure together, made it that much more magical :)







And Lastly, Friends that will "go the distance" to celebrate another friends birthday....this weekend I flew to Bangkok to celebrate a friends birthday, and another friend flew into Bangkok from Hong Kong! Now in the States, people had a hard time coming from the next town over (a 30 minute drive) to celebrate another friends birthday....but here, we are flying from other countries for a celebratory weekend! To me this says a lot about the type of friendships and deep lasting relationships I am creating as I move from place to place around the world!

Birthdays are my favorite! and they are my favorite because I am celebrating a friend that I care about and value... Looking forward to more fun Birthdays ahead!!