some are born lucky

when i was little, i had a shirt that said “some girls are born lucky” in big purple letters. looking back, i realise how true that was: i was so so lucky, to have all that i had. i was literally raised on the island of gods with the beach as my neighbour and a childhood generally filled with happiness and magic. i do miss waking up in our little bungalows, at times hotel rooms, putting on my bathing suit and toddling off to the beach, all in the span of about 15 minutes. at first, we lived in pemuteran, the north of bali, for about a year. pemuteran was a relatively untouched place, and not overrun with tourists, we had a blissful life there. pemuteran had the most amazing coral reefs, and is actually home to the largest artificial biorock reef project in the world. i was homeschooled there, and in the mornings i would do the exercises my mum set for me (not always, but most of the time) and when she was done with whatever she was busy with, we were off to the beach. we would go snorkelling almost everyday, and i remember having this obsession with pretending to be a mermaid. i would put my feet together, and my flippers would look like the most magnificent fishtail in my eyes. i would swim underwater and for the few seconds i could without breathing, i would stare at the fish and pretend they were talking to me, their fish queen. it was pure bliss, and really the most wonderful place to grow up. life in pemuteran was peaceful, and interesting, with each day promising a new and exciting adventure. life was good.

ever since i moved back to europe, i have not only come to miss bali terribly, but actually recognise how privileged i was. many of us don’t realise, especially as kids, how lucky we actually are. we all have our problems, sure, but bali and my mum taught me how bad some people actually have it out there. one of the main reasons i went to indonesia with my mum was for her photography projects. one of those projects was called “i have a dream.” it involved going to a bunch of local schools in the area and interviewing the kids, asking what they saw in their future. i sometimes tagged along, and i can guarantee one thing: every time my mum left one of those schools, she left behind an excited mass of children who believed they could fulfil their wildest dreams. my mum also made a number of generous donations that made a huge difference, and made me extremely proud of her. this, along with other experiences showed me how lucky i was and obviously still am. i am lucky to not have been born into extreme poverty, having to work at a ridiculously young age to help my ever-growing family. i’m lucky to not have to sort through stinking piles of rubbish to salvage bits and pieces to sell. i’m lucky to not have to go on a busy highway and beg for money through the glass of car windows. i am lucky. 

and while bali will always have a special table reserved in Pepa’s Heart, it seems that in the last few years it has been destroyed, what with the influence of a considerable amount of tourists each year. and i have to admit, i might not have magnificent beaches at my doorstep right now, but i’m doing pretty well over here. In fact, i’m just fine and dandy. but now and then, i’ll admit i’ve caught a quick plane to bali in my dreams, back to when i was 7 years old and running down the beach in pemuteran, collecting corals, and living my best life.