My name is Natalie and I am originally from San Juan Capistrano, in Southern California. I’ve always loved the outdoors and have a deep respect for this planet which is why I’ve chosen to study environmental science at Santa Barbara City College. I hope to find a career in protecting and healing this planet we call our home. I am currently a second-year student and I’ve chosen to partake in the Bali Study abroad program because I believe learning about diverse cultures and ecosystems can help me to understand the complex problems facing our planet.

It’s been three days and it feels like a week has passed; we’ve already done and seen so much and become so comfortable with each other.

Our first full day was nothing but fun. We first arrived to Villa Agung Khalia in groups. Our drivers picked us up from the airport and drove us what should have been an hour and a half (but turned out to be 2) in the pouring rain. Daywa wishnu– the God of water, as our driver explained– unleashed his power and the sky exploded with water... We had to inch our way through the narrow, busy streets because the vast amount of water created a river through the roads. Upon our arrival at the Villa, we were welcomed with drinks– chilled OJ with a slice of lime– and served a nice dinner. Exhausted from a long day of traveling, we all turned in early to our comfy new beds, excited to awake the next morning and see the landscape that surrounded us.

Ahhhh… the insane beauty! Here in Ubud, we are surrounded by rice paddies; bright hues of green, arranged in neat rows, bordered by perfect coconut palms and sheltered by Bali’s biggest mountain, Gunung Agung, off in the distance. It feels like we’re living in a postcard.

My alarm sounded at 5:50 and by 6 o’clock myself and 5 others were wearing our sneakers and a fat smile as we ventured out of the Villa and down the road for a refreshing run before the day’s heat set in. Our feet took us past the lush rice paddies and into the nearest town where we observed the locals as they started their day. We jogged past with wide eyes and open noses, taking in the sights and smells as they bartered for fresh ingredients, opened their shops, zipped around on mopeds, and most importantly set out their daily offerings.

After a delicious breakfast, the group meandered through the rice paddies and listened to Guru– one of our very sweet drivers– explain the process of rice farming; to be a farmer one must also pay to be a member of Subat which is the local water association– this is so they have access to water for irrigation. Rice in Bali holds very symbolic and spiritual importance; not only is it their main source of food but rice for a long time was the staple of their economy, and because of this it represents life. Guru lead us around the fields and back to the Villa where we boarded the vans and headed into town.

Because it was our first day, many of us took care of the essentials; exchanging money, setting up phones, and of course souvenir shopping! To top it off, a great handful of us found ourselves hiking up moss-covered stone steps, past a lively river and up to a beautiful view point to watch the sunset. The view was incredible and what better a way to spend the true first evening than to connect with our new family over an impressive horizon of lush green flora and heavy pink clouds.

The group we have here has meshed unbelievably well– only after a day we formed great friendships and laughter seems endless.

There’s not enough time nor space to write about all the things we’ve done so far, at least in enough detail to do them justice. On day two we got an early start and after breakfast headed to Goa Gajah, or Elephant Cave as its come to be known. This is a very sacred space where Hinduism and Buddhism have meshed harmoniously. With ancient temples, an impressive waterfall, and amazingly lush jungle, this holy place was quite the experience. Though we did not see any elephants, we each got blessed individually with rice stuck to our foreheads!

After the Elephant Cave we moved across town to the Monkey Forest, which is (almost) exactly what it sounds like. Though there are tons of monkeys swinging from vines and trees, the Monkey Forest is also a very holly spot with three temples inside; one for cleansing, one for praying and the third for the deceased. We had fun here watching the misleadingly cute creatures be mischievous– Graciela almost got her clothes stolen and I had one eat corn from my hand as he sat perched atop my head!

Day 3 was nothing short of exceptional as well. Starting early, we left the villa and headed to Ubud market to see where locals buy their fresh ingredients. The market was expansive, with sections for produce, fish, spices and of course souvenirs ranging from clothes to nik-naks.

After the market we headed to a local’s home where we were welcomed with refreshing lime shakes and some surprisingly dirty humor. Puspa, our hilarious and big-hearted cooking instructor, showed us all the ingredients and lead us through the process of making traditional Balinese dishes. We chopped with giant iron knives and tried our hands at the “Balinese Blender.” The meal was DELICIOUS and the entire experience was so cool. I’ve missed cooking since being abroad, so that day for me was very exciting!

As of now we’ve had 2 formal lectures and both have been held in our Villa’s “restaurant,” which is really an outdoor room with one long banquet table and a couple other smaller ones. Both lectures thus far have been timed perfectly with the afternoon showers; while we listened to our professors, tropical rain pounded down on the rice paddies surrounding our “classroom.” It’s insane that we are fortunate enough to study such interesting topics in a beautiful place, with amazing people.

I can’t speak for us all, but I’d say we’re off to a great start, and i’m incredibly excited for every second of this adventure.

More to come from Bali, Terima Kasih!

Don't forget to check back in for the next blog when Natalie and the group return from Bali. You can also follow along their journey on Instagram #sbccstudyabroad and #sbccbali2019

About the blogger:

My name is Natalie and I am originally from San Juan Capistrano, in Southern California. I’ve always loved the outdoors and have a deep respect for this planet which is why I’ve chosen to study environmental science at Santa Barbara City College. I hope to find a career in protecting and healing this planet we call our home. I am currently a second-year student and I’ve chosen to partake in the Bali Study abroad program because I believe learning about diverse cultures and ecosystems can help me to understand the complex problems facing our planet.