When was the last time you were truly bored?
I mean actually having nothing to do and nowhere to be.
Until I visited Bali.
Photographed by Craig McDean,Vogue, June 2018
I know, I know: A middle-aged white lady on a quest in Bali isnt exactly novel.
So thats how I found myself at a five-star jungle hideout, totally alone.
At first, I didnt realize what a golden opportunity I had.
While everyone was asleep halfway around the world, my phone was silent and my inbox was blissfully empty.
Ask any travel writer and theyll assure you that most reporting trips are far from relaxing.
Awake at dawn and up past midnight, zooming through sites and monuments while constantly meeting new people.
Its exhilarating and unfathomably rewarding, but it can be exhausting.
And yet, my first instinct was to do as much as possible.
But then I stopped to consider that this trip was different.
All alone at a hotel in the middle of the jungle, I could dowhatever I wanted.
And what I wanted to do was absolutely nothing.
I took multiple baths, I finished a crossword puzzle, I started a new book.
I hiked to a waterfall on the property and explored the rice terraces.
I fell in love with Balinese food.
But mostly I just stared at the scenery of one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited.
For once, boredom felt like the goal, a curative treatment to restore balance.
Instead of feeling a sense of ennui or anxiety about wasting time, I felt freedom.
I came back from Bali feeling 10 years younger.
I still love adventure travel and action-packed trips, but Ive earned a newfound respect for remote resorts.
And next time I cant find somebody to join me on a trip?
Ill be happy to head out on my own.
