After a pretty chaotic few weeks in Bali, I somehow thought things might calm down a little once we got to Canggu.

Spoiler: they didn’t.

This week was a strange mix of very lazy days, beach clubs, nights out, unexpected people from my past, a lot of overthinking and, of course, Henri somehow appearing absolutely everywhere.

I also started thinking a lot about going home, what it would feel like to see everyone again, and whether everything would still feel the same once I was back in Belgium.

So basically: another completely normal week in Bali.

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Monday: Shopping, Vodka & 39 Missed Calls

We actually had a whole schedule planned for today.

Did we follow it?

Absolutely not.

We started the day with a nice breakfast and then went straight shopping. The shops were actually quite expensive, and the girls took approximately 700 years to get through them, so eventually Jill and I gave up and went back to the villa.

We ordered some food, chilled for a while and decided not to do much else. The rest of the girls went to a temple, but honestly, I just wasn’t really feeling it.

Later, we went to the same warung we’d been to the day before and started drinking. Unfortunately, there was absolutely no potential at Hatch this time, so we just stayed with the girls and ended up talking to some guys from Hawaii.

They had a bottle of vodka.

We helped them with that.

By around 1 AM, things had completely died down, so we decided to head home.

Laura had ordered food earlier, but apparently the restaurant had called to say they were already closed. Somehow, they ended up making the order anyway.

The only problem?

Laura had fallen asleep.

She woke up on Tuesday to 39 missed calls from the delivery guy.

Poor guy.

Tuesday: Leaving Uluwatu for Canggu

Today we had to leave the villa in Uluwatu because we were heading to Canggu.

We had breakfast, packed everything up and started the journey.

And by journey, I mean sitting in Bali traffic for what felt like approximately seventeen years.

The traffic was absolutely insane.

By the time we finally found somewhere for lunch, it was already around 4 PM. We ate, rested for a bit and then took a Grab to the evening market.

Honestly, the market was quite expensive too, especially for a market, so we didn’t stay that long.

We went for food instead and then headed to Old Man’s for a drink and a little night out.

It wasn’t really my favourite night, so we decided to go home fairly early.

And, because Bali apparently enjoys playing games with me, Henri texted me while I was already on my way home saying that he was heading there too.

We literally just missed each other.

Of course.

Wednesday: Henri, An Old Fling & A Very Weird Night

We went for breakfast at Crate Bali this morning.

And guess who was there?

Henri.

And his friends.

At this point, I genuinely started wondering whether Bali was actually a very small island or whether Henri was just following us around.

We had breakfast and then went to the beach.

Later, we invited Henri and his friends to come for pre-drinks with us before going out together.

Before that, we went for burritos. I also had a little argument with Mara, although luckily it was over pretty quickly.

And then I cried because there was coriander in my burrito.

Yes.

I was having a very mature day.

The pre-drinks were actually really nice, but the night out itself was kind of a mess. Everyone kept disappearing, I kept losing people, and for some reason I was constantly trying to find Henri.

The funny thing was that I wasn’t even sure why.

I don’t even think I liked him that much.

Maybe I just wanted a boyfriend.

Honestly, I think that was probably more of it.

And then, while I was dancing, I suddenly saw someone I absolutely did not expect to see.

An old fling from when I was on Erasmus in Madrid.

In Canggu.

On the other side of the world.

How small is this world?!

We started talking and dancing, and at some point I realised Henri had disappeared.

So, obviously, I went looking for him.

He kept saying things like, “Do whatever you want, I don’t care.”

Which obviously meant that he cared.

A lot.

I told him he should just be honest about it, and eventually we ended up having a proper argument.

Until he finally admitted that he liked me.

But then, when we were leaving, he said:

“Or do you want to go with your other boyfriend?”

Excuse me?

At that point I was way too drunk for this conversation, so I decided to go home.

Goodbye, Henri.

Thursday: Beach Days & Overthinking Everything

I slept until 11:30 today, which was very much needed.

After breakfast, I went to the beach.

Henri had messaged me asking if I wanted to get coffee with him, but I didn’t really respond to that.

And then, obviously, I saw him at the beach.

Of course I did.

He told us he was going to invite us to their villa, so we talked a bit before going back to doing our own thing.

We also did some shopping and I found the most beautiful white dress.

I’m still thinking about buying it.

Later, I watched a movie with the girls and spent the evening chilling in bed.

And then my brain decided it was time to overthink absolutely everything.

I started thinking about going home.

About seeing everyone again.

Would everything still feel the same?

Would I be different?

Would they be different?

Would I still like everyone?

Would they still like me?

Would I even like being home?

And then there was the whole question of life and love and what happens after travelling.

I was honestly scared of everything.

But I also knew there was no point trying to figure it all out right there in bed.

Whatever happens, happens.

I guess I’ll just have to take things as they come.

Friday: Floaties, Friend Drama & A German Footballer

Today we basically did absolutely nothing.

And by absolutely nothing, I mean spending most of the day lying on floaties at Finns Beach Club.

Honestly, it was a vibe.

We talked to different people throughout the day and just enjoyed being there.

There was also a bit of tension with Mara.

She told us that we needed to communicate better and that it was difficult for her when Jill and I sometimes just left or made plans without really communicating it.

It made me sad to hear that she had been feeling that way because it was never my intention to make her feel left out or upset.

Luckily, we talked about it and managed to clear things up a little.

Friendship drama in Bali: apparently unavoidable.

That evening, we obviously went out again.

We started with pre-drinks at a hostel where we’d arranged to meet some Germans we’d met at Finns earlier that day.

Jill and I got a lift to Old Man’s and went out there.

There was also a Dutch guy who turned out to be extremely annoying and just would not leave us alone.

Eventually, though, we actually had a really good night.

And then Ingrid decided to play matchmaker.

She introduced me to a cute German footballer who apparently thought I looked like Madison Beer.

I’ll take that compliment.

We talked, he added me on Instagram and said he’d message me.

He later unfollowed me.

So that was that.

Classic Bali.

Saturday: The Hangover Day

Today was basically a write-off.

I was hungover and spent most of the day in bed.

In the afternoon, Jill and I went for lunch, which was pretty much the only thing we did all day.

In the evening, we wanted to watch a movie, but of course it suddenly stopped working.

So much for our exciting Saturday night.

Sometimes travelling really is just lying in bed doing absolutely nothing.

Sunday: Tiny Markets & An Early Night

I woke up at 8:30 this morning because it was market day.

We went to two different markets, and honestly, they were probably the smallest markets I’ve ever seen.

Still, it was nice to walk around and have a look.

Around lunchtime, we went back to the villa and said hello to German Laura, who had only just arrived the day before.

After that, Jill and I went to the beach and got coffee together.

In the evening, we went back to the warung for dinner.

Unfortunately, the food did not agree with me at all.

I started feeling really sick, so I decided to go home early with Jill.

We put Netflix on, although Jill fell asleep approximately five minutes later.

So eventually, I just went to bed too.

And honestly?

Probably for the best.

Romance & People

If there was one person who somehow managed to appear throughout this entire week, it was Henri.

I kept saying I didn’t even like him that much, while simultaneously wondering where he was every time I couldn’t find him.

So clearly, I had some things to figure out.

I think the problem was partly that I wanted to feel wanted. I was travelling, surrounded by people, having all these experiences, and somewhere in the middle of it all I started thinking that maybe I just wanted someone to come home to.

Henri did like me, eventually admitting it after a pretty unnecessary argument.

But his insecurity and the way he handled things didn’t really feel like something I wanted.

Then there was the completely random appearance of an old Erasmus fling from Madrid, which was probably the last person I expected to bump into in Canggu.

And then, of course, the German footballer who complimented me, followed me and then unfollowed me again.

Romance in Bali was clearly keeping me entertained, even if none of it actually went anywhere.

Tips & Tricks

• Bali traffic takes time. Moving between Uluwatu and Canggu can take much longer than you expect, so don’t plan too much around exact arrival times.
• Don’t assume markets are cheap. Some of the markets we visited were surprisingly expensive, so it can be worth comparing prices before buying anything.
• Grab was our go-to for getting around. It was especially useful when we were moving around Canggu at night.
• Don’t underestimate lazy days. After weeks of travelling, sometimes spending an entire afternoon by the pool or on the beach is exactly what you need.
• And maybe don’t order food right before falling asleep. Laura and her 39 missed calls are proof.

Looking Back

This week felt a little different from the ones before it.

There was still plenty of chaos, nights out, random people and things that absolutely did not go according to plan.

But I also started thinking more seriously about going home.

After months of travelling, I could feel that chapter slowly getting closer to its end. And instead of being excited about going back, I was mostly scared.

Scared that I’d changed.

Scared that everyone else had changed.

Scared that I wouldn’t fit into my old life anymore.

Scared about love, friendships, work, home, basically everything.

But maybe that’s just part of travelling for so long.

You change while you’re away, and you don’t really know what that means until you go back.

For now, there was nothing left to do but enjoy the days I still had.

And see what happened next.

Wherever I am next, I’m learning that even chaos can feel like a beginning.

Next Story

Liked this story? Read Indonesia Part 4 →

Because trust me… the Bali chaos was only getting started.

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