Bar and I have always loved to travel and knew that our life would always be full of new places to discover.  After we got pregnant we knew that as soon as Kiaan was born we would be back to our old traveling selves.  Little did we know, cancer would have other plans.  Because of my Chemotherapy treatments all our weekends off together were not available to us and all our travel plans had to be postponed.    Since Chemotherapy started we both started counting down until we would have our weekends back.  We kept telling ourselves 4 more months until we can plan a trip again.  Once Chemotherapy ended and my surgery date was set, we decided the best time to travel would be post-surgery (as long as my surgeon cleared it, of course) 😉 and before I started radiation.  After we spoke to my surgeon we were told I would need 3 weeks off of work since my job is so hands on.  My body would need time to heal and 10 days post surgery I would be cleared for travel!  My research savvy husband then got to planning.  I gave him 3 destinations I wanted to go to: South Africa/Fiji, New Zealand/Australia and Bali.  With his drive for research he gave me the pros and cons for all the destinations and we both then decided on Bali.  I am so glad we did.  Bali is one of the most serene, kind, positive energy  filled places we had ever been.   We were also so lucky to have my mom agree to watch Kiaan while we were away.  It was nice to know that he was more than well taken care of and all we needed to do was focus on relaxing.  We spent 8 days in Bali.  2 days in Kuta, 2 days in Gili Meno (a secluded island off the coast of Lombok) and 4 days in Ubud.  It was magical to say the least.  Each person we met in Bali emitted a positive energy that made you feel relaxed and just happy.  We landed and stayed at the Kuta Sheraton for 2 nights.  The views were beautiful overlooking greenery.  Kuta is more of a city so we got to eat a lot of delicious food and see how the locals lived.  The pose I do in a lot of photos is the ‘tree of life’ pose from yoga.  It signifies inner peace.  Which is what I want my post-chemo/surgery life to represent.

Our next stop was Gili Meno which is a secluded island off the coast of lombook.  It took us a 1  hour plane ride a 2 hour car ride and 45 minute boat ride from Kuta to get here.  Well worth the trip since once we got there it lived up to its standards.  It was so beautiful and reminded us a lot of the Maldives because of how clear the water was.

This island is known for being the “couples” island which is exactly what we needed to reconnect.  With having Kiaan and then getting diagnosed with Cancer it takes such an emotional toll on your relationship.  We have been trying to stay strong for Kiaan and for each other so this time away along with the beautiful scenery is what we needed to remind us how our love journey began and what marriage is all about.  Getting diagnosed with Cancer has tested us in so many ways and throwing parenting in to the mix has not been easy.  After overcoming these obstacles together has made us realize we can literally handle anything life throws at us.

Our last stop on our Bali trip was Ubud.  Ubud is known for its rice fields, culture, yoga and temples galore!  We stayed at the Kayon resort which is about 2 hours away from the airport and it was one of the most relaxing hotels I have ever stayed in.  They only have 23 rooms and know each of the guests by name.  They had yoga classes 2 times per day, tea time every day, an infinity pool, a waterfall and all while located in the mindst of a jungle.  It was so serene.  While in Ubud we went to visit two temples.  One that is popular for his natural spring.  We got to get blessed by this sacred spring which is exactly what we needed during this trip.  We took a cooking class in Ubud as well and it was so interesting to see how many different flavors are included in Balinese dishes.  The best part about traveling for us is meeting other travelers from around the world. In the cooking class we met people from China, Canada, Austrialia, India and Latvia.  It was so beautiful to be immersed in this culture and it was the best way to re-start our love for travel.

After we came back from our amazing trip, we knew my Cancer journey wasn’t over yet, as I was scheduled to start radiation on March 15th.  But if I learned anything from life and the Balinese culture is to take life a day and at a time and take nothing for granted.