I never knew I would achieve so many firsts here in Indonesia. Sometimes it's awesome to have no expectations going somewhere new as whatever happens will be a noteworthy and learning full experience regardless. It's very ironic to me because initially, Indonesia wasn't even planned on my itinerary in the beginning, but due to some change of plans in between and having to swap out a country for later, I can say that Indonesia was meant to be all along.

 After Ubud and moving accommodations five days straight later, I settled in Sanur. A quieter beach area than Kuta on the other side of Bali (ultra touristy and heard it's quite distasteful as it's a lot of bars, partying, tattoo parlous and you get the point). Sanur is much more tranquil and quiet, and pretty clean too from my observation (joked as the retiree beach). As it is a low season of travelling due to the extremely high temperatures, I love the feeling of having a place all to myself. I felt ultra stereotypical when I spent 4+ hours on a beach chair just reflecting, dreaming, and even sun tanning. I never do this last one on the list, so it was bizarre and a first, but also a first gone intriguingly wrong-I got my first sunburn ever! Yes in 22.75 years of living, I've never been sunburned before. Perhaps I just tan when I'm in the sun for long, or my regular habit of sunscreen works fabulously, but the rays must be super strong here that it was able to tan and burn me in addition to the fact that I didn't reapply sunscreen thinking that I would be okay as always. I didn't even know I got sun burnt until I was on the way back home as I realized my left thigh was itching. Then I looked down and I was lobster red! It took a moment to click in that I was actually sun burnt and that my skin had a warm and heated sensation upon touch. It was strange, but cool at the same time haha. When I finally got to look at myself in a mirror, I realize my whole upper left arm was burnt as well as my nose, AND I have the worse tan lines and mixes of brown ever. How in the world did this happen? I don't even recognize myself now.

 Another first and one that I had planned was learning to scuba dive. Since learning the basics of swimming leading up to this trip, I couldn't have been more excited and in full anticipation for it. The night before I was getting anxious and reassuring myself that everything will be okay. I thought I was crazy that I went from a would be drowner a few months ago to straight into scuba diving; I hadn't even tried snorkeling or an easier water activity to work up to this! Thankful for prayers, I met a girl and new friend who was in the same boat as me! And not only that, she just graduated in fashion related studies and was traveling SEA on her own like me (wow I think I've lost count of divine appointments by now)! I'm also so glad I had such a patient, kind, and funny instructor because I am not going to lie, I was a slow learner, a mess and a frightful being at first (even if I didn't show it).
My fabulous instructor & divinely appointed friend!
I signed up with Bali Diving (very organize, accommodating in arrangements and awesome!) and this was inclusive of two dives, lunch, and transportation to and from the dive site. I was suggested Tulamben, a small fishing village famous for diving due to a US Army Transport ship that was torpedoed and sunk by the Japanese submarine back in WWII.  You can't make out the ship anymore as it's now deteriorated and much plants and coral has grown over the remnants, but as a first time diver, the whole experience was surreal and made me in awe with my eyes since I was literally and figuratively speechless at the sight of swimming with fishes, learning the danger of fire coral, and doing something I thought would only be a dream for so long.

So onto the hardships of diving, my first half of my dive was terrible. It's so much easier to practice on land than in water due to the pressure, buoyancy factor, and fear you are caught up in once something goes wrong. The hardest part for my body to get use to was,

1. I am not drowning even if I don't move as I have an inflatable vest on (thus you don't need to know how to swim at all though it is very beneficial)

2. I am able to breathe in and out of my mouth while my nose is being plugged, and no I will not suffocate just because I feel water is in my mask (the mask covers and in a way plugs your nose from breathing because you should only be breathing out to get rid of water-never in)

3. I am able to relax, concentrate on what I need to be doing, and not rush to remember every hand signal or make sure to check everything on me is okay (or else you panic like I did).

4. I can breathe in and out and hold my breathe in between to swallow and 'equalize' the pressure (ear pops like on an airplane), and I won't die!

Out of the first dive, I came up 4 times with the last putting me on a "break" because I panicked when water was in my nose and I started swallowing and choking on too much salt water, then I couldn't understand and properly 'equalize' the pressure in my ear so it hurt immensely, then my mask was giving me problems and water kept going up my nose every time I tried blowing out, then the fourth I  don't even remember what went wrong. So for the ease of watching one of us at a time for safety measures (my new friend had got told off my two divers because she almost stepped on fire coral), I was put on a break. I really felt the desire to quit come up as I was very frustrated with myself, but I knew I wasn't letting that happen so while waiting on the coast I practiced breathing mouth only, equalizing pressure, all the while asking God for His strength and to help me be able to make this happen and see the beauty underwater.

When it was my turn to dive again, this time, miraculously of course, I was able to do everything slowly, but properly! I was diving! I was actually scuba diving! It was utterly amazing and everything I thought it would be. Once you get everything, then you do enjoy and embrace it so much more. My second dive together with my new friend was even better. We both had got the hang of it and towards the end, our instructor even let us freely swim on our own without holding us from the back like the first time. Wow I can finally say now that I've been on top of a volcano, and under the sea! woooot!

Lastly, I got the opportunity to ride on the back of a motorcycle. I thought this would eventually happen as taxis here are either cars or motorbikes, but I never had the guts to get taxied by the latter. With a last minute decision to head to the Panur Sindu Night Market farther along Sanur beach from where I'm staying, my lovely homestay family (the mom and toddler) took me there on the back of her motorbike! Weeeee! For some reason I always thought it would be easy to tip over or stay on, but it was such a smooth and fun ride and I can't wait to do it again! Also, the night market is small, but there's lots of local delights you can try for less than $1 and also some stalls selling local and knock off goods (I don't recommend spending on that stuff though, shopping is so much better in Ubud).