Bali gave me what I needed, not what I wanted

Typhoon Curveball

My original route was Phoenix to LA to Hong Kong to Bali. Except Hong Kong had a typhoon. Of course. Flights canceled. Thankfully the airline rerouted me through Taipei. The plan was to meet Anna there, then fly together to Bali. Not bad, right?

I even scored a flat-bed seat for the long flight to Taiwan. Things were looking good.

The Flight Fiasco

I had lunch with my friend Sarah in LA around 3 pm (hey hey Erewhon!) By the time I boarded my midnight flight, I was not hungry. My brilliant plan: skip eating, hydrate, take minerals, and fast. Add magnesium, CBD oil, and melatonin into the mix for sleep and things went downhill.

About seven hours in, I woke up with a pounding headache. I stood up, dizzy, sweating, nauseous, and sudden tunnel vision darkness. Everything went dark. I could not see my seat. I wandered the aisles like a confused toddler at Disneyland. Panic set in. 😳

A flight attendant had to walk me back to my seat. They brought me apple juice and I chugged three cartons like it was the elixir of life. Within about an hour, I started to feel somewhat normal.

Later, I got on the plane Wi-Fi and texted my doctor-friend group thread. I casually typed, “Something weird just happened. I went blind and almost fainted.” Their replies? “Blood clot?” “Stroke?” Thank goodness Dr. Anna did not text me that in real-time or I would have lost it. Instead, she explained it was likely a vasovagal episode from low blood sugar, low blood pressure, altitude, and my supplement cocktail sprinkled on top. Basically my body saying, “Girl, eat something.” Lesson learned. 😝

A Hello Kitty Surprise

I landed in Taipei, found the lounge, met Anna, and all was right with the world again. Until our next flight. Surprise: the entire airplane was Hello Kitty themed. I am talking cartoon cats on the seats, cups, and napkins. At that point, I just laughed. Bali clearly had more tricks up its sleeve.

On that flight, I sat next to a woman about my mom’s age who had lived in Bali for 25 years and was moving back to Florida. Tears filled her eyes as we landed, knowing it was her last trip. It made me think of all the bittersweet moments of closing chapters in life.

Bali Arrival = Not Paradise

After 36 hours of travel, we finally landed. Customs was chaotic. Machines were not working. Lines everywhere. We got through, only to wait outside in sticky heat for over an hour for our driver. Then came the three-hour ride to the resort.

Let me tell you, these roads are wild. Think one-and-a-half lanes with buses, cars, mopeds carrying entire families, stray dogs, cats, chickens, and cars that look like they survived ten fender-benders. I have no idea how we did not crash. And it was not scenic. I have traveled to Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Mexico, and more. This looked far more underdeveloped than anything I had ever seen. Honestly, it was sad and not what I pictured.

By the time we got to the resort, it was dark. We were tired, smelly, hungry, and cranky. The room was beautiful, but I could not appreciate it. I showered, collapsed, and slept.

The next morning, I opened the curtains and wow. Lush greenery, flowers, birds, and the kind of view that makes you exhale. It hit me. Sometimes you have to crawl through discomfort to get to the beauty.

Lessons in Discomfort

The adventures did not stop there. Day one included another bumpy ride to a water purification ceremony. The waterfalls were stunning, but my friend Gin Amber and I decided not to do the actual purification ritual. We had our own reasons, and instead just enjoyed catching up while the group participated.

Between the pig ear-looking meal offering on the flight and some weird desert (pretty sure it was jellyfish lol) and all the unexpected hurdles, my entire trip so far has been one big invitation to get uncomfortable.

And that is exactly the lesson. Bali has shown me that while I wanted beaches and umbrellas in my drinks, what I needed was to learn how to sit in discomfort, laugh through chaos, and practice gratitude for what I already have.

What You Might Have Missed This Week…

🎙️ On the Podcast & YouTube

I sat down with Dr. Aimie Apigian to talk about trauma and healing. Ever wonder why some midlife women seem to collect health issues while others sail through unaffected? You do not want to miss this one! Listen on Apple here, Spotify here, or click below to watch on YouTube! 👇

And if you missed the one before that on how Type A personalities are more prone to chronic pain, how your brain actually gets BETTER at creating pain the more you experience it, and why doing everything “right” for your body might not be enough if your nervous system is stuck in survival mode, you can catch up HERE.

If you ever wondered what “Bali gives you what you need” means, picture me wandering a plane blind, pounding apple juice, then riding through chaos surrounded by mopeds, chickens, and stray dogs. Not glamorous. But it has cracked me open to gratitude, resilience, and the reminder that beauty often waits on the other side of discomfort.

💖 Natalie Jill