Canggu Day 2, Yoga and Self Care, a Day in the Life of a Wishful Local

July 20th, my second full day in Canggu, I knew that it was time I needed to schedule a surf lesson. But, the night before I didn’t see any hostel staff to reserve a spot, so I put it off another day, and because I was also really nervous to surf for the first time. I wanted to be in the right mental headspace for this lesson and I wanted another day to muster the courage and suppress the fear. So, I made it my goal to do it the following day for sure (that was my last full day in Canggu) and I took today as a productive day for myself.

Margot left early in the morning so I was all alone for the day. I truly didn’t mind because I spent so much time with her yesterday that my social battery was charged to the max and I wanted some alone time anyways to regroup. I went to the same spot Margot and I had lunch at yesterday because I saw a sign for coffee and vegan pastry for only $3, and I was craving a vegan pain au chocolat. I had a beautiful view of a rice paddy and was alone at this restaurant. I called some friends and family and stayed there for a few hours. By the end of it, I ordered an early lunch to tie myself over for the afternoon. I got the avocado toast with tofu scramble on top. Margot got that yesterday and it looked really good so I thought it would be a yummy and healthy option to balance out the pastry and sugary coffee I just had.

I booked a yoga class at the same place I went to yesterday, by chance this class happened to be free which was why I selected it. It was a community class, they occur once a week on Fridays around noon (I wanted to sleep in so it worked out beautifully with my schedule) and taught by instructors in training to give them more practice and to also pull in new members by allowing them to experience a class for free. I had a great yoga instructor and there were only two other women that attended this class with me. I was so surprised it wasn’t packed to the brim. 

Charlotte was my instructor and it was only her 8th class. She did so great though, I almost liked it more than yesterdays class, mainly because this one was lower intensity, but we did do a lot of vinyasas (its when you start in plank position and slowly lower yourself to the floor and then move into a cobra position to then push back into a downward dog). I have some decent arm strength as a goal of mine this past spring semester was to train my arms to the point I could do 20+ pushups in a row with ease (give it a try, it’s a lot harder than you think, and guys make it look so easy it's unfair). So, I was unfazed by all the pushups, and it was good strength training to do them again and again. The focus was on discipline and breathing, two things I wanted to hone in on as I sought to feel refreshed from this class. We did three long form flows and all were so helpful for flexibility, balance, and mobility. I really enjoyed the class, I felt a good burn but I was also not too tired and gassed, making it a great experience. 

I wanted to get to know the instructor a bit more so I went up to her after class, thanked her for the lovely session, and asked her about her yoga instructor training, (questioning if it is something I might want to do one day) and how she found herself in Bali. We ended up connecting and chatting some more about yoga along with the island of Bali. She has lived here since covid, moving from Europe to Bali to live here with her sister during lockdown and then never left. She gave me some good food/cafe recommendations and I hope to hit them all. 

I headed for the juice bar she recommended to me, I had my laptop with me and wanted to get some work done at a cafe and chill out again. I got a hydration juice and it was absolutely delicious. It was for sure a local vibe in there which was great to be a part of, it made me really want to be one of those other customers that uprooted their lives at home to live abroad in a paradise such as this place. I could tell that they were all remote workers or had their own business as each of them were diligently working on their tech to get done what they needed to. So much of me hopes that I can start a business and run it from a picture perfect place. Readers, hold me to it.

I also ended up getting a vegan protein bar but it tasted more like a dessert, kind of like a special K bar. I have no idea how much protein was in there compared to sugar, but it felt a bit more uneven than I hoped (too much sugar and not enough protein, plus I have a bit of an intolerance to chocolate and by the end of the bar I felt its effects over me, so maybe not my best pick for a late afternoon snack). I headed back to the hostel, booked my surf lesson for the next day, and I was also informed that the hostel had a sunset walk happening in 1 hour. I got ready for it and joined the 10 others who stayed at my hostel and had not yet met. Some grabbed drinks beforehand, I just hung out with them and made small talk before making our way to the beach.

One of the girls I got to talk to was actually American! She was from San Fran and actually worked for hostel part time in exchange for a free stay. She helped run the sunset walk, but I didn’t even know that at first because she was my age and was staying in one of the hostel rooms. She told me that she plans to move to Bali and start hosting group retreats here. She is in the very early process of planning this new business venture, but she told me about her interest in travel and photography, and we made plans to get some photos by the beach the following night. 

When we got to the sunset spot she left to go help out with some hostel stuff, and I sat next to this girl that had no drink in her hand and I started chatting with her. She was French and reminded me exactly of my cousin Megan. I loved talking to her because she was really sweet and bubbly and smiled a ton. We had a lot in common: she was super chill, didn’t drink, was here to learn how to surf, and was on a post graduation year long travel journey. Props to her though because as I was on a college graduation trip, hers was a high school one and she has plans to visit Australia and South America in addition to more of Asia. We connected instantly because I had so many questions for her and we continued the conversation at dinner!

I invited her to a vegan restaurant I was planning on going to, a rec I got from Charlotte my yoga instructor, and I am so happy I went because my meal was delicious. We went to the Secret Spot and I ordered a shawarma wrap and it was beyond delicious. We talked more about school, she mentioned to me that she wants to do a student exchange from her university in Paris to Harvard and she asked me if I thought it would be worth it. I said of course, and I hope to see her one day walking the streets of Cambridge thriving. That would be so wild if she made it in, I would for sure be tempted to go out and visit her. She also brought up the fact her family has a second home in the Dolomites, keeping that in the back of my head if I ever plan a trip there and could ask for a potential stay!

I loved our evening together, the perfect timing to make a new friend, and meeting a person so kind and genuine. Her name is Lisa and we got each others numbers to keep in contact to hang again while in Bali! Another great day, feeling refreshed and my soul so happy here on the island of my dreams.