The Simple Life

I swear right now I’m in my own little piece of heaven on Earth. It’s weird, I’ve left behind all the comforts of modern day living, but I’ve never been happier. I can’t remember a time when I woke up in the morning and wanted to get out of bed and see what the day had to hold. That’s never happened really, except for when I’ve been on holiday. And even though I’m working out here, I just can’t stop smiling. This morning, I was actually so happy that everyone noticed it. I have no Netflix, no computer games, no comics, no cheese, no tea or coffee, no alcohol; I don’t even have hot water.  But every single day I’ve been here I’ve felt amazing. I think there really is something to be said for simple living. The people who live here have very little. But they have exactly what they need; no more and no less. And they are so positive all of the time. They genuinely believe that Sri Lanka is the most amazing place and has everything. And I’m almost starting to agree with them. Don’t get me wrong, it sucks being away from friends and family and my cats. But that’s only temporary. And the complete peace I feel out here is something I so desperately want to bring home with me.

This past year I have struggled so much with my mental health. It’s been really rough and at times I really didn’t think I’d get through it. And then I come here and it’s like I’m suddenly excited to live again. The things that use to give me panic attacks back home, don’t seem to here. Last minute changes, new places, new people, ridiculously crowded buses; all of these are just challenges to overcome and so far I’m managing pretty well. This past year, I thought I was never in my life going to get to feel even a moment of actual happiness again. I’ve had some good times, but never this complete calm. It’s incredibly surreal, like I’m in a dream.

I mean, I have no idea how long this happiness will last. But I’m going to enjoy every last second of it. My days are long and the weather is horribly humid, changing from sun to storm in minutes. I am constantly sweating. I am very restricted in what I’m allowed to wear due to the conservative nature of the country. I have to have my tattoos covered and piercings out at all times. But I really don’t care. Everybody is so chilled out here that it’s seriously rubbing off on me…   

I saw a chipmunk for the first time today. I got so excited about it. They are so fricking adorable, with their cheeky little faces! I’m surrounded by animals here as I’m living in a small fairly rural village. There are cows and cats and dogs everywhere. Chipmunks and monkeys appear a lot too, though I’ve yet to see a monkey. And the fireflies at night are still beautiful.

This weekend I’m off into the Jungle for an adventure weekend with the team; white water rafting, cliff jumping, hiking etc. We’re allowed to drink in the jungle and I can wear shorts etc. around camp which I’m looking forward to. But mostly I’m looking forward to getting to spend more time with the awesome people I’ve already met, making memories to last a lifetime.