Hi Gram,
I did my morning stretches and began my routine this morning, then called my friend Monica to catch up and talk about life. Speaking with her – whether in person, on the phone, or via text – always makes my heart sing and leaves me in a better mood for the rest of the day. Our conversations always seem to just flow without effort, a rare kinship for me to find in someone. After our call, I headed downstairs for breakfast, where I found Ashley in the kitchen having just woken up. Her jet lag seems to be wearing off, which was great to hear. I quickly gathered a change of clothes to head out the door. I mounted the scooter and headed to Tito Batu, a fitness facility south of town.

I’ve been wanting to take a class or two there for a few days, and there’s no time like the present. After dancing through traffic, I parked my ride and headed inside to sign up and change into my stretchier workout clothes. Lisa introduced herself as my instructor, then we did the small talk dance of where we’re each from, how long I’ve been in Bali, and what I want out of the class. Nobody else arrived, providing me with a private lesson on core strength and flexibility. We started with some simpler stretches to warm up then gradually progressed to deeper and more challenging pretzel twists. Each time that I thought I couldn’t go any deeper, Lisa would come over and help me reach a little farther or bend a little more. The stretches were interspersed with some very simple but challenging moves that challenged my core and lit my muscles on a slow burn fire. We finished with some moves to stretch my pelvis and hips, one of my tightest regions and most challenging to stretch since the accident. I was dripping with sweat and enjoying the burn in my muscles when we found our final pose, laying on my back with legs and arms outstretched.

I thanked her for the wonderful class, then changed into my street clothes and headed downstairs to try out their cafe. The food there was delicious and the view of all the beautiful people lounging around the pool framed by trees and glass walled classrooms rounded out the experience. Ashley sent a message letting me know that Chant’l had arrived, so I headed home to drop off the scooter and walked over to meet them at the Lotus Cafe. David had gotten back from his silent retreat, so it was great to see him and hear about his experiences. Chant’l told us about her travel day while we felt a gentle breeze carrying in some of the sunshine.

We followed lunch up by introducing Chant’l to daily Bali massages at one of the local spas. I just got a neck and back massage, and my guy nailed it. He dug deep into my muscles with a rhythm and speed that invited the muscles to relax, and I swear he was pushing harder than his small stature should have made possible. I stumbled home in a haze, a little drool dripping from the corner of my mouth. After a shower and some time zoned out on the couch, the three of us headed to dinner at The Legend. We were able to get a seat in the garden again. It was a little more crowded than the other night, but still felt personal and elegant. The xylophone players were there again and our meals delighted us to no end. After dinner, we got back to the house and chatted about movies and tv shows in the living room for a bit as I faded quickly. After a short time, I excused myself and gave in to the call of my dreams.