As a kid, I was nearly never afraid of anything. I was once the terrorizing kid whom my parents had to constantly be worried about. But as I grow up, society and situations shaped me into a timid soul. I started having anxiety issues - something I never thought I would come to face with. My thoughts and feelings are often closed to the outside world. I became such a serious person, I wasn't having much fun in life as much as I was working, and knew that needed to change.

When Matt suggested a hiking trip, I was all up for it. It was a long time since I participated in my last marathon race and I really needed to challenge myself to 'Live life to the fullest'. And so, I kick-started my virgin hiking experience with Mount Batur - an active volcano in Bali. Flight tickets, checked. Accommodation, checked. I soon found myself packed for Bali, unsure of what this journey would bring to me. We stayed at Pradha Villa in Seminyak, where the beach is close by and most restaurants and cafes gather. Our 1 bedroom villa came with a private pool with jacuzzi, a spacious, open-air living and dining area. You can see my villa tour IG story here

We arrived at Bali in time for a late lunch before retreating back to our villa to slumber the day away, just because we needed all the rest we can get to prepare ourselves for the Mount Batur hike the next morning at 2AM. We settled for traditional Indonesian cuisine (mainly because I was craving for Nasi Campur, Matt's not much of a spice fan) at Warung Mina Seminyak, conveniently located outside our resort.

Just like how I really love Chai-peng (Economic vegetable rice), Nasi Campur is like the chai-peng of Indonesia. It comes with multiple small portions of side dishes to go with your rice. I mean, when one travels, what is the best way to learn about another’s culture other than starting from their food right? Matt had the Nasi Goreng Ayam; an order of fried rice that was served with a sunny side up, some chicken bits and crackers. We ended the meal with ice-cream from Gelato Secrets, just a couple stalls away. It was literally our savior for the scorching hot weather.

While the sky was still dark and the streets quiet, we were up getting ready for our transport to Mount Batur. Decked in sports gear and windbreaker, I was all excited for the unknown. Around an hour’s ride, we reached the foot of the mountain and was joined by another 3 hikers to form a group. Our hike guide was just a young, teenage village girl who wore an old pair of white Converse sneakers. We were handed a torchlight each and soon, began our steady pace forward.

Mount Batur was nothing near our MacRitchie Reservoir Park or Bukit Timah hill. Apart from that tiny warm light shining out from our torches, the path was hardly visible in the darkness. I was on full alert with my surrounding, exhausting my mind and senses even before the tough part arrives. Once the path got steep it was a constant struggle between physical and mental strength, plus my fear of tripping over wasn’t helping much. I was climbing up a high level of steps with tiny loose rocks beneath my feet, there was no turning back with the trail of hikers behind me. All I could do was to push on despite my muscle stiffening and refusing to go further.

In reality, our pool’s heater broke down. It was too cold to enjoy breakfast inside the pool, so I dragged the entire floating basket to the edge of the pool where we sat and eat. The breakfast choices were good enough and we had quite a spread that morning – American breakfast set, pizza, yogurt fruit bowl and some toast with jam. It was truly a relaxing moment being away from work and having completed the hike. I just immersed myself in the now and realised how much I have neglected loving myself in the midst of chasing after life.

Spent the last day doing really touristy activities like exploring the paddy fields, tasting Luwak coffee and experiencing the Bali swing. I would love to share a live video of me swinging across the beautiful paddy field scenery but I was so taken aback by the strong force of from the staff, which send me shrieking while flying across the field. Everyone there seems to have a good time, except me. Only until my last few pushes that I finally managed to get a grip of myself and focus on the view in front of me ha-ha!

The paddy field plantations, on the other hand, are really enjoyable. I highly recommend this activity if you love nature or have a great interest in photography. Probably because I had too much coffee on an empty stomach (or maybe it was just the Luwak coffee), I had a terrible night. And the day after wasn’t any better either. I was vomiting a lot, I puked out almost everything I ate. So very glad Matt was there to take care and accompany me all the way back. I was later diagnosed with food poisoning after a visit to the doctor back at home. It was truly an unfortunate way to end my trip but Bali will always have a place in my heart.