Time Traveling
Mollie Hand
Published January 06, 2026
6 Minute Read
ADVENT SEASON
As I write this from Bali on January 7 (the day after the twelfth day of Christmas), I'm thinking back on the Advent season. Especially as a child, the excitement of the coming Christmas Day was almost always just as joyful as the the day itself. In the same way, I'd been eager, nervous, excited, and hopeful for this coming trip. To help my son count the 18 days I'd be away, I created an Advent calendar for him. In the image that marks this blog, my two dogs are watching me as the advent calendar is positioned on the carpet at their feet. Behind is my luggage. They know something is up, and their behavior in the days before I left made it clear that I would be missed. My son wasn't as worried. He didn't even want to come to the airport to drop me and his big sister off. I think my dogs might be more emotionally intelligent (or needy?).
Back to the future. As I already mentioned, it's the 7th of January now. I'm sitting in Pak Made's beautiful estate listening to the sounds of roosters crowing and birds chirping. In Laramie, it's afternoon, and Peter has just finished school. What I found strange about leaving California on January 4th at night and arriving in Bali on January 6th - skipping 14 hours of a day -- was not knowing when to take my daily medication. (I also missed my streak in Duo Lingo, but I know I logged in within 24 hours!)
Travel FrazzLE
I did not sleep well at all on our 17-hour flight. I imagine in total, I got four hours with sessions of sleep lasting only up to 45 minutes at the longest. Not being able to move around much and get comfortable was really no fun. I did find a very good show to watch that kept me occupied: Dark Matter on Apple TV. It kept my attention. I got through eight of the nine-episode series. I also finished a book and a half, one paper and the half on audio. Needless to say, the lack of sleep led to some other errors. For one, Addie left her water bottle on the plane. For another, I purchased a pair of pants in Singapore after the flight, and somehow lost the bag along with my water bottle in the Bali airport.
The other consequence of my sleepless travel was when I filled out the visa document using my running-on-battery-fumes cell phone, I entered my day of birth incorrectly. I had already paid the fees, but I had to go back to many different counters and pay a second fee for my lack of proper attention to detail. It was frustrating to say the least. Around this time is when I noticed my bag and bottle were also missing. (Later today, I'll try to call the airport and hope they were turned in.)
FROM HUSTLE to BEAUTY
Standing outside of the airport with a sign "Mollie Hand" was Er and Nur, nephews of Pak Made, waiting to drive us to his compound. Their smiling faces put both Addie and I at ease despite the numerous other venders offering us esims, taxi rides, and currency exchanges. Once we were in their hands, the world felt safe and peaceful. That is until we started driving.
In Bali, motor bikes speed past cars and buses on either side of the vehicle - so close that if you open the window, you could smell their breath. We witnessed four passengers sharing a ride at such a speed, that I was sure they'd crash into us. Another scooter balanced so much on the saddle of his bike that I was afraid if he leaned a bit one way or the other, he'd fall over along with his giant bags of flour and other goods.
Our driver and guide did not wear their safety belts, and Addie and I could not even locate our own. There were times during the drive that I grabbed her hand tight, worrying that this may be how we meet our maker in Balinese traffic!
musical climax
After a delicious meal of sweet tempeh, chicken and spicy vegetables, we joined the local Gamelan in playing a piece Pak Made wrote, Belimbing Wulu. Addie and I had already learned parts of it for a concert we performed in 2024, so we were happy to join in and learn the rest with the group of friendly, warm-hearted hosts of this beautiful country.
