Wow it’s gone way too fast. It always does. You think 25 days is enough and then it’s over.
This popped up in my Facebook feed, us practicing for this amazing trip two years ago near my old job at Phosphor – I can remember feeling excited and nervous and not knowing at all what to expect. I look back now and know exactly what I was in for – the trip of a lifetime!

Look at us 2 years ago doing a travel practice run with all our bags on a super hot day in Auckland; so green
Look at us 2 years ago doing a travel practice run with all our bags on a super hot day in Auckland; so green

This is our kitchen at our Villa. A simple two burner camping stove fed by a gas bottle, a sink with water we could only drink when boiled (we were super careful and thus none of us got Bali Belly). And Guli’s dog Putih, the sweetest wisest dog I’ve ever met, she came to us the week before during a violent thunderstorm, she hid in our bathroom, and ever since she’s come by to visit.
Maybe she knows we’re leaving tomorrow?
Putih, Guli the manager's dog, became our special friend by the last day, I think she knew were were leaving
Putih, Guli the manager’s dog, became our special friend by the last day, I think she knew were were leaving

Ms. 11 and I share a love of origami. I love being able to make a working cup out of paper (it’s easy!) and leaving swans at restaurants. She made these cool butterflies and they are beautiful:
Ms. 11 made these super sweet origami butterflies!
Ms. 11 made these super sweet origami butterflies!

Our rice field, barely ankle high when we arrived, is now about waist high. Full of hungry snakes, I’m sure. 🙂
One last look at the rice field next to our Villa, see how it's grown
One last look at the rice field next to our Villa, see how it’s grown

The sign that for us has come to mean home. I can feel it now, our swimming pool and cool drinks are close by.
You come to love a sign when it means you're almost home when you see it
You come to love a sign when it means you’re almost home when you see it

Of course we were so busy the last week we didn’t have heaps of time to shop (getting to Ubud central would have been much easier with scooters, but we kept our walking legs anyway.)
The corner shop had some good things, not everything we needed, but enough. This is Bali to me.
We are going to the corner shop to buy some souvenirs for the trip to Australia then home
We are going to the corner shop to buy some souvenirs for the trip to Australia then home

Alice never got to go on the grand tour Guli gave us so the kids and I gave her the next best thing. My snake radar was on full alert, but Ms. 11 makes a good bit of noise so in this case it’s actually comforting. 🙂
Another view of our rice field
Another view of our rice field

So many beautiful flowers in Bali, they are everywhere. I loved this one because it’s delicate and a bit harder to spot.
Random photo of a flower, I liked the look of it
Random photo of a flower, I liked the look of it

On our way back from our walk in the fields we went back to the little park we didn’t stop at the first time. We breathe in deeply and get mentally ready for the next phase of our going home which is Australia. We’re excited to chill out at my sister-in-law’s house and hang out with Pete and Jacob and Opie the dog. 🙂
The end of this trip is fast approaching but we’re making the most of it.
Our hood is growing all the time, and this park space was set aside as a nice place to rest in the evening
Our hood is growing all the time, and this park space was set aside as a nice place to rest in the evening

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Nathaniel Flick