Hey ya’ll! So, I am currently in “quarantine” in Guam. It’s not actual quarantine, but I am still on Restriction of Movement (ROM) for the first 14 days of my being here. I can’t be around any groups of people and have to maintain social distancing if I’m outside of my room, but I can go workout outside. But don’t fret, I took a COVID test before getting on the plane and I tested negative. Anywho, I just came off the longest leave that I’ve taken while being in the military. I was home for almost 30 days….I will never do that again. It wasn’t all bad, I just don’t need to take that much of a break at home anymore. 12 days max from here on out.
I was able to spend time with some family and friends, however, I didn’t even see everyone whom I thought I would have. This last trip home was very eye-opening for me. I was able to see who really care about me and who doesn’t. I won’t go into much detail about that, but I definitely learned a lot. The older you get, the more you realize that it doesn’t matter if people are family or not, the people that rock with you, will rock with you no matter what. I’ve always been the type that likes to keep people connected, but I don’t know if that’s the direction that I want to go moving forward. I’m really only going to deal with the people that deal with me.
Any who, I am TOTALLY excited to be in Guam. I am scheduled to be stationed here for three years. I say “scheduled”, because that may change after I drop my package to commission and get picked up to become a commissioned officer, I’m speaking that into existence right now. Becoming an officer has always been my goal. I’ve been in the Air Force for 11 years now, and I’m finally ready to make that jump.
In a nutshell, I am excited to be able to settle down here. The first month of 2021 was great. I had family time and a lot of time to reflect on my plans for the year. I’m excited to move and find my next home. I feel like this place will be really good for me in this time of my life and I can’t wait to take you all on the journey!
Here are a few pics from my trip home:
S/O to Tipsy2Go for bartending at my party!
I was cute with the vape!
Smiling from ear to ear!
I’m thankful for those who that showed up for me!
We showed up and showed out!
Botanical Garden in ATL
Coco-Cola Factory
My baby Tevin in the back!
My cousin Shatara and I. She always has my back and I got her front!
OMG, where do I start?! So, Bali has been one of my dream vacations for a couple of years now. Once I found out that I was going to Korea, Bali was definitely a must-see place for me. I visited Bali right after my trip to Thailand. When planning this trip, I put Bali as the second half because it’s the place that I wanted to visit more out of the two locations.
So, why is Bali so amazing? I’m glad that you asked. The energy that was in Bali was different than that of Thailand. The smell of incense and the view of the jungle and rice fields that you pass by just gives you a really zen feeling. While in Bali I stayed in Ubud the entire time. We stayed about 20 mins from the city center in a one-bedroom villa with a pool that was near a rice field. The name of the resort was Kubu Bali Baik Villa & Resort and I booked it through http://www.agoda.com. They had breakfast included as well, but it was not a good as the breakfast as the hotel in Phuket.
While getting around Bali, it is a must that you either get a scooter or hire a driver. We had a driver for the entire time we were there and used a scooter taxi once for the experience. The first night we got in pretty late, so we didn’t do anything. The second day we went to the Garuda Winsu Kencana (GWK) Cultural Park in Uluwatu. It has one of the biggest statues in the world. It was amazing to see. There is a history behind many of the statues and figures at the park, and the landscape was beautiful. Later that day we went watched a Kecak Fire Dance at the Uluwatu Temple which was very interesting and entertaining to watch. Watching that dance gave more insight on their culture in Bali. After the fire dance show, our driver took it upon himself to take us to this amazing seafood restaurant that was on the beach in Jimbaran. We had no idea that place existed, but I’m happy he took us there. The scenery was something that you see on tv.
The third day was one of the best days of my life, hands down! Everything we did was something I wanted to do, so you know it was a good time. First off we got up early and headed off to Aloha Ubud which is one place where they have Bali swings and rice fields. You can also do a taste testing for their local coffee and tea. The swings were so much fun! It was one of my favorite parts of the trip. The tea and coffee were delicious as well. One of the coffees came from an animal called the Luwak that poops out the coffee beans whole and the way it digests it causes a fermentation process. It was pretty cool. After that, we went over to the Mason Elephant Lodge and I got to ride an elephant named Boris. Boris was huge and so nice. He let me feed him afterward too. There was also a five-month-old baby elephant at the lodge. He was super cute. After the elephant lodge, we rode ATVs at a newer company and it was so dope! They fed us lunch before we went on the ATVs, which was cool. I was the better driver, even though it was my first time riding ATVs. After the thrill ride, we went back to the hotel to shower and head to downtown Ubud. We ate at a restaurant called Famous, then started to walk towards one of our favorite bars that we stumbled across the day before. On the walk towards the bar, I spotted out a hookah bar called Shisha Lounge that had the best hookah I have ever tasted! I felt like I was in the clouds after two puffs. We stopped at another bar on the way to the initial bar we were trying to go too and by the time we got there, it was closed.
The fourth day was very peaceful. We started the day by going to a temple where you could get inside the pool of water and cleanse yourself. We weren’t dressed for the occasion, so we passed on that and walked around the temple instead of sightseeing. After leaving the temple we went to a waterfall that you could get some really good shots at. Other than that, I wasn’t amused. I was honestly ready to go and didn’t even want to take pictures, but I got some good shots. After that, we ate at a little restaurant outside of the waterfall and went back to the hotel since we opted out of riding the two hours to the gates of heaven.
The last day we walked around Ubud center for a little bit before our spa day. We ended up running into a cute little brunch spot which I loved. We took a taxi scooter to the Kaveri Spa and experienced the Royal Couples Massage. The massage and green tea body scrub was amazing and the milk bath afterward had my skin feeling nice and smooth. Later that day we went to the Campuhan Ridge Walk and saw some breathtaking views. I wanted to go to the hookah lounge again after that, but we headed to the hotel to pack and chill instead.
Overall, Bali was amazing. The people were nice and had a good sense of humor. Getting around wasn’t hard at all, and there was plenty to do, so we never got bored. I would definitely visit again. This two-week vacay made me realize a lot of tips that you should know before traveling internationally that I will share in another post. I hope you guys enjoyed this post!
I’m so cool, that they had to go through extra measures to make me scream on the swing lol.
Last month my 93 year old great uncle passed away. He was my grandmother’s big brother whom she loved dearly. His funeral service was awesome. There were many people there to celebrate his life. I have a habit of thinking of my mother’s funeral, and wondering how mine will be every time I attend a funeral. I know that is kind of a dark thought, but some day it’s going to happen. (Hopefully, I’m 93 when it does.) I wonder who will show up, what people will say about me, but I mostly think about what my legacy will be. What will I be remembered for?
We all know of someone that passed away who was not that great of a person when they were alive, and everyone acts like they like them once they’re dead. Let’s be real people, everyone doesn’t go to “heaven”, not everyone is resting in peace either, just to let you know. There is much debate on whether there is a heaven or a hell, and I won’t get into that. I just want to start the thought process of creating your legacy, and not letting life pass you by.
One reason why I live my life to the fullest is because my mother wasn’t able to do so. She died way too early, and before that her life drastically changed and she wasn’t able to take care of herself by the age of 43, if I remember correctly. I was in 10th grade when she first got sick, and I got to see everything first hand that she was going through. It’s tough to see your mother in such a vulnerable situation. At one point it’s like she became my child because I had to take care of her. I know there was so much that she still wanted to see and do in her life, and that was cut short.
The truth is, none of us know the day nor the hour. You only live once, so you might as well enjoy the hell out of it. Love often, laugh much, and go see different places! Go after whatever goal you have been scared to go after. Talk to that guy or girl that you think is out of your league. Buy that pair of shoes that you’ve been eyeing. Just live! I think there definitely has to be a balance between living life, and being responsible. Yes, you should save money, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun while you’re saving. I bet there is a cheaper way to do whatever you want to do anyway, you just haven’t figured it out yet. Long story short, go live your best life! My daily goal is to live my best life, and that is different for everyone. Figure out what that is for you, and go do it. If you are already doing that, then good on you.
Queen Juliette 