writing for self-discovery

It was a normal morning at work. I was re-arranging furniture, refreshing displays, doing my daily thing when a co-worker approached me with eyes big as poached eggs holding the phone at arm’s length. “Sherry, it’s for you…” her eyes got bigger…”It’s the INDONESIAN CONSULATE!”  I took the receiver and, sure enough, it was the Indonesian Consulate calling to tell me they had approved my request for a 60 day Visa. However…don’t you love it?! However, I had not included my passport in the paperwork. I didn’t mention that a request for my passport was not included on the website list of information they required. Instead, I assured them that I would UPS it to them immediately with the return envelope and postage included.

UPS is great. I can follow my passport online and see the dates and times of every transition it made on its journey to the Consulate. It is currently “In Transit” on its way back to me. Ahh, what peace of mind when that lovely document is in my possession granting my welcome to remain in Bali for two uninterrupted months. The butterflies are multiplying in my solar plexus and my face wears a perpetual grin.

I bought my tickets. For months I’ve been watching fares from Minneapolis to Bali. I knew I would buy tickets at some point but I went to great lengths to research fares, airlines, alternative airports, until I was convinced that I had the right combination at the right price. But the moment of truth came when I pulled out my credit card, entered the information and hit BUY. That single act moved me from dream-state to reality. It went a lot like this…

For many months I have been dreaming about having vast amounts of spacious time to work on my novel. In another corner of my brain are memory pictures of the terraced rice paddies adorning the mountainsides near Ubud. What would it be like to write in Bali? As soon as the thought formed I knew I wanted that more than just about anything else on earth. As the desire grew, I wrote daily about the possibility. Is there a way I could HAVE this? I researched online what it would require financially and I found accommodations in the area where I wanted to reside. I found a writer’s group in Ubud and began e-mailing several of the writers who attend that group. As pieces came together I could see myself very clearly living and writing in Bali for two months. At about the same time I realized that I could make this happen but it was still dreamlike. When I finally bought the tickets and put money toward my dream, it became real. The energy shift from dreaming the dream to OWNING the dream was huge, and it happened when I released money energy into the dream.

I will probably explore that fascinating concept more deeply over time. But for now, I have tickets to Bali and I own my dream!

What to do, what to do???

Option #1: I can do nothing and have a 30 day visa on arrival. Simple now, but in approximately 22 days I will need to hire a driver to take me to Denpasar, about 40 minutes away, locate the official’s office where I can renew my visa for another 30 days, give them my passport, go back to Ubud, repeat three days later and hopefully have a 30 day extension. And there is a cost which can vary depending upon any number if undisclosed possibilities!   

OR

Option #2: I can get 2 passport photos, a letter verifying employment in the USA, proof of financial capability to be in Bali, proof of place to stay in Bali, proof that I have already purchased my airfare to AND from Bali, and two copies of the application form. Did I forget anything? Then submit that to the Indonesian Consulate with my check for $45 and have a 60 day visa to accompany me when I go, that is IF they approve me for 60 days.

I’ve decided to try Option #2. It’s much more comfortable to assemble the required documents in the comfort of my own home with access to whatever I need if indeed I HAVE overlooked something essential. Very soon I will be with my distant relatives in the heart of Ubud…I miss them !