Neglected
Omg. I have a blog. A neglected little blog. Having a little melt down over here about how I came to Bali to really focus on ME and what I want to shoot and do, and I made a specific goal to myself to write more on my blog and I haven't even done that! Jesus Christ! It's like that niggling thing in the back of my mind that I keep putting off. I don't even know why, I mean I love writing and sharing my stories with people! I could have the excuse that the internet at our Villa is seriously below par, or that I haven't had time, or that, well, maybe I just simply am avoiding to make time for myself! Who knows, I guess the important thing is I'm here now, sitting in a little cafe overlooking beautiful rice fields, and finally, word vomiting...
So, where the hell do I even start (my last post was when I got to Bali, oh boy). I'll try summarise it all up for you. Bali is freakin' awesome. It's not just the weather, or the cheap food, it's the people, the locals, the creative buzz of motivated people, the energy over here is insane. I had a really busy few months from April to June with lot's of visitors from home. We were sharing our villa with good pals from home Josh Brown (@thesnakehole) and his wife Sar. Having never lived out of home until now, it was sooooo much fun. The house was a constant buzz of energy and creativity, everyone was either working or taking photos or painting, it was such a great vibe to be apart of. I had my brother come and visit for 2 weeks, whose a creative genius when it comes to art, and my dad and friends Lachy and Kate were here too. They arrived at the perfect time as I was pretty much going insane because of work commitments, so their little trip here really reminded me the importance of switching off and taking the time out to relax and ENJOY THIS BEAUTIFUL PLACE!!! It's really funny though when people come to visit for 1-2 weeks from home, they freak out at how amazing Bali is and why we haven't gone and done all these things, but I think they just forget that we're here for the year and that this is reality for us now! Bali really feels like home now. I feel settled, and often catch myself by surprise at how comfortable I feel here. I feel a little guilty though as Hayden and I have been super busy with work that we've hardly had the time to explore the island! August is big for us both so we're hoping in September we'll be able to take some time off for ourselves and go exploring.
Work wise it's been incredible over here. The opportunities that come out of this island are never ending. I've met some really interesting people, and worked with some inspiring brands! Since being here, I've done shoots for brands like Twig Skin + Body, Salt Gypsy, Rue Stiic, Arrow Divine, Friend in Fashion, Fitrya Yusef, Bahgsu Jewels, June Swimwear, Aila Blue, Saya Skincare, Lovers + Drifters Club, Assembly Label, Sheeka Swimwear, Midnight Swimwear, O'Neill Womens, Skye + Staghorn, Summersite, Paradise Valley Jewellery and there's a pretty big one coming up next week that you'll get to see soon.
A typical day for me at the moment will be getting up around 6-7am, doing a Yoga class or going for a walk or surf, grabbing a coffee up the road and then getting stuck into emails by 10am. I'll then usually edit, or work on my website, book sales and then try and get everything done by early evening. Sunset is so magical here. I find it fascinating that people flock to the ocean to see another day disappear. It's cleansing to watch. We usually head down to Berawa beach for a coconut or a cheeky bintang and then head to dinner!
God it feels really good to be spilling all this out on a page right now. Like seriously, I urge you to try it. I've compiled a bunch of photos from different shoots to show below to show. There's a few things I've learnt along this journey of living in a different country. The art of patience is something that I'm getting better at, as it's something you NEED in Bali. Compassion for the hard work of others, and appreciation for the little things in life. I'm also learning to look after myself. I never used to take the time out to even treat myself or work on my health, and Bali is teaching me that, especially if I want the best out of my work.
Next time, I really hope it's not as long in between blogs. But hey who knows, I'm eliminating the guilt and just going to write whenever I feel like it..
Cait x
