Notice your shoulders… relax them down away from your ears. Ahhh. . .
I’m home from Bali and mostly over the jet lag. One thing that struck me over there was how lovely the Balinese people are. Sweet and friendly always. Personal safety isn’t a concern at all there. Upon coming home, I was struck by how we treat each other here – from LAX to DIA.
Overall, I would say that we are inconsiderate to each other. We place our orders without looking at the person we’re talking to. (Much less making eye contact and smiling) We walk without awareness of the people around us. We just do our own thing, in our own world, without consideration of others. Meanwhile we’re craving connection…
Driving in Bali is nuts. Teeny streets packed with motor scooters weaving in and out between cars. Lanes? What lanes. And it all works fine because everyone is aware, attentive and considerate. Even the aggressive drivers are considerate. It was weird for me to watch.
I know I have been in my own world, dealing with my own stuff and not paying attention to those around me. I know I have gone through the checkout while on my phone, and paid no attention to the cashier. I didn’t do it in Bali. Travel Christina isn’t distracted and inconsiderate. Travel Christina talks to people. I talked to everyone. EVERYONE! Servers, waitstaff, other travelers and people at the table next to mine. It was so much fun. I have new friends from Bali, London, Jacksonville, Udaipur, and Bucharest.
Connection is available all around us if we just are present for it. Now that I’m home, I’m going to be better. Considerate. Connect-able. Join me?
Plans Aren’t Really Plans