A Journey Begins: Bali, My Father, and a Chance Encounter
Today marks the beginning of an adventure I’ve been dreaming about for a long time — my trip to Bali. The kind of trip that lives in your mind long before your feet ever hit the ground. And as fate would have it, this beginning landed on a day close to my heart: my father’s birthday.
Travel days are often a blur of logistics, security lines, and airplane food — but this one felt different. Maybe it was the weight of the day, or maybe it was the lightness that came with it. Either way, I felt him. My dad!
He was the kind of man who never met a stranger. Whether he was standing in line for coffee or sitting on a long-haul flight, he’d strike up a conversation with just about anyone. He was curious — insatiably so — and he believed every person carried a story worth hearing. So today, when I found myself sitting next to a university professor who specialized in history and Canadian heritage, I smiled. I knew this was the kind of connection my father would have made with ease. And maybe, in a way, he did.
Our conversation started simply — polite nods, a shared laugh over Moncton’s small airport with lack of food option — but it quickly deepened. We talked about national identity, storytelling, how cultures remember their past and shape their future. We even touched on spirituality, travel, and how both are forms of learning if you’re open to it. It was one of those conversations that feels both expansive and grounding. Enlightening in the truest sense.
As I wished a safe flight to my new friend, I found my seat. And as the plane cut through clouds, I kept thinking: This is exactly what my dad would have done. He would’ve leaned in, asked questions, laughed in that way that disarmed people instantly. I felt him with me — in that seat, in that moment, in that curiosity.
Bali is just beginning for me. The retreat, the beaches, the temples, the smells of incense and adventure — all of that is still ahead. But already, something meaningful has unfolded. Today reminded me that travel isn’t just about where you go, but about what (and who) you carry with you.
Happy birthday, Dad. I felt you today — in the stories, in the stranger, in the sky.
Here’s to what comes next.
Love and Light, 💕🦋
Nat
