Scattered

Jan 16, 2024

Hello friends,

I had an urge to write today and I don’t know why. At first, I thought it was egoic because it had been over a week and I’m reading Matthew McConaughey’s book that he wrote based on his journal entries. But then I sat with that and realized it wasn’t. Or maybe it is.

Honestly, who the fuck cares?

Today’s post is a collection of thoughts that don’t align to a theme. It is what it is.

Where I’ve been

Gili Trawangan, Bali, Indonesia (1/9-1/13)
Uluwatu, Bali, Indonesia (1/13-Current)

What I’ve loved

Scuba diving for the first time in two years and seeing two turtles! (I like turtles)
Doing 🍄 on the beach and watching a storm pass in the distance
Letting my hair down and doing a lil partying
The beginning chapters of Green Lights
An incredible yoga class yesterday

What I’ve loved less

Overpriced gyms
An overabundance of westernized restaurants
The smell of horse poop on Gili T (no cars, just bikes and horse buggies)
Getting a gnarly farmers tan from the boat ride to Gili T (when I wrote the last post)
Only having two bathing suits (first world problems)

What’s on my mind

Pace

I’ve found myself moving quickly in the last few weeks since starting hostel travel. I’ve had a great time, don’t get me wrong, but staying at places for 4 days at a clip and bouncing around has started to weigh on me. I’ve baked in a few “rest days” here and there, but still feel I’m a bit scattered. I believe this is due to meeting friends and getting comfortable.

Let me explain.

I’ve met a few cool peeps that I’ve been traveling with and we’ve ended up rooming together. While this is great for many reasons (fun, safety, trust, etc.), it reduces the ambiguity in each day. I wake up in a room with a couple of buddies and default to: what are we doing today? And then we collectively make plans.

There is no pause. No checking in with myself to see what I want to do… no checking in to see how I feel.

So what am I doing about it?

I’ve started to meditate upon waking. In a room with several people, this provides an immediate buffer between myself and the outside world, easing me into the day.

I’m also going to be spending more time in each destination to bake in quiet days. I’m not exactly sure what these days will look like yet, but maybe a tea and journaling at a cafe, or a yoga class, or both. I had a slow morning today and it was wonderful.

All this to say, nothing that I am doing is wrong. I am constantly reminding myself there is nothing to do and nowhere to go. All of this just is. And it’s fucking wild.

Yoga

I met a Canadian woman a few days ago who had just completed a 200hr Yoga Teacher Training in India. Her program sounded great, but I quickly dismissed it as I had no intention of becoming a teacher.

To my surprise, after voicing this, she told me she had no intention of becoming a teacher either. Instead she had done it to deepen her practice. That ignited a spark in the David Goggins part of my brain (yes, still alive in there) and it’s grown since. While I’m far from a decision, the idea of doing nothing but yoga and meditation for 3-4 weeks sounds pretty unreal. And so does a 10-day vipassana retreat.

To be fair (a British term I’ve picked up from traveling with Brits), the incredibly powerful yoga class I did yesterday is influencing these thoughts (exactly how the universe wants it to be).

Interestingly, there are a ton of trainings in Bali too, but they are expensive ($3,000+). The program in India was $700 for an entire month — including accommodation and food (!!!).

Living Untethered

I was gonna share some thoughts about Living Untethered because I really enjoyed it, but I can’t seem to remember why.

Stream of consciousness writing at its finest, ladies and gentlemen.

If you’ve read Untethered Soul, I strongly recommend Living Untethered. If you haven’t read Untethered Soul, WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR LIFE?

Just kidding. (Goggins is that you?)

I strongly recommend Untethered Soul for anyone interested in learning more about themselves. Read the preview if you feel so inclined.

I’m going to reference my Kindle highlights for Living Untethered now because my ego is upset.

Love you all,

Jacob