Chapter 108: Travel Within

A short and sweet post for you, dear readers. This post comes from a stunning private villa in Indonesia. As I wake up this morning to the sounds of birds chirping, fountains splashing, and sun shining, I find myself in awe of the beauty available to us all.

Here in Bali, my mind finds peace in both the uncertainty of a foreign world and the certainty of the things that unite us all- breath, nature, and the realization that we are endlessly lucky for each new step on this earth.

My last step in Southeast Asia was in 2020. After many steps with brain cancer since that time, I now step lightly and humbly as I see the fragility and impermanence of the inexplicable gifts that are our lives.

It is overwhelming to find myself well enough to travel nearly three years later. My last adventure to Asia did not go as planned, and this one did not either. After a cancelled flight and nearly 48 hours of traveling, I started to have the suspicion that the universe was warning me against this journey. I was wrong. If anything, it was simply reminding me once again that the only thing certain is uncertainty. I’ve come to find comfort in this.

This week, I hiked a trail through the lush forests of Ubud. My physical body was nervous, tired, and unsure if it could handle such a trek. But, my mind was quite sure it could and so, it did. I know this will not always be the case. Someday, with a tumor recurrence, I may be confined to a wheelchair or bed, but even then, the lessons I learn through travel show me that my mind can be free.

Through traveling, we free our physical bodies from the comforts of normalcy so that we may free our minds to find comfort within. This comfort cannot be taken away from us.

Fondly,

Courtney