We asked several of our Balinese friends if they traveled much. Few of them had traveled outside of Bali, with the exception of one young woman who traveled to the US with a dance group many years ago. It seems that money for travel is not available, and when there is financial abundance, it is spent on family ceremonies and celebrations so that the entire community benefits and shares in the experience. It was a wonderful honor for us to spend time getting to understand this unique culture of people that live life with a very different value and belief system. We were struck by the feeling that life did not revolve around making money, that these people have great respect for their rituals and spiritual lives and a great deal of time, energy and love go into the making of beautiful art, caring for their environment, and the keeping of their ancient traditions alive. In a rapidly changing global community, we think it is quite extraordinary that one can travel to Bali and still feel a strong connection to the ancient traditions. Perhaps this connection to traditional values is why we never felt unsafe or threatened. What Bali gave to both of us (grander than any mask, wall hanging or memento) was the inspiration of creativity generated from true appreciation and gratitude.
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