Life Beyond the Map

Hi! Tēnā koe! I'm Stace .. and I pushed the 'reset' button in 2023!

I have so much I am grateful for in my life. But I woke up one morning before Christmas 2022 and realised I was in a real rut.

My 7-year relationship had run its course. Both my boys were now grown and off on their own path. I was bored in my job, yet I continued to drive there every day in a car that was at the mechanics too often, to earn money to pay for a mortgage on a house that sat empty all day while I worked. I had spent so long raising my boys and giving so much of myself to my jobs and my life partners, that I had neglected my own physical and mental health. Menopause had been kicking my butt ever since I had a hysterectomy 2 years before. My weight had increased again, and I lacked energy and motivation. All normal life stuff really, but I was all of a sudden over it. A little change wasn't going to spark enough joy to make a difference.

Find yourself nodding along to any of this? well tune in for what I came up with... you just might be inspired...

But first, some numbers:

0 - Number of times I've TRULY put my own needs first

2 - Children raised to adulthood, with relative success

9867 - Approximate number of diets I've tried, without long-term success (until now)

51 - Trips around the sun so far..

So, this is what I decided to do...

All too often when the alarm goes off in the morning, we wish we didn't have to get up and go to work right? So many of us dream of the 'time freedom' that we don't get when we are tied to a 9 to 5 - trying to pay the mortgage and 'keep up with the Joneses', while making someone else wealthy, and often letting our health slide in the process.

So, what if I just turned off the alarm?

Newly single, with no kids or pets at home that needed me, I had nothing stopping me from packing it all in and getting on a plane. Oh, there are EXCUSES for sure... (I should keep working to pay off the mortgage, I need to save for my retirement, I shouldn't go on my own, it all sounds a bit radical, blah blah, blah) But did I have a valid REASON not to do it? The answer was 'no'

I lost my dad before his time, and I've lost friends and workmates WELL before theirs. The future is not promised for any of us, so why not grab life by the balls now - while I'm still young enough and fit enough to enjoy it?!

I sold my house, my car, all my furniture and belongings - aside from a few special things that I stored away - and whittled my life down to 23kg's of checked luggage, my hand luggage and my laptop. Look out world, here I come! I couldn't wait to meet some amazing people and have some epic experiences on the way.. If you've read this far - Welcome! Perhaps some of this is resonating with you? Maybe a little part of you wishes it was you? Or maybe you just think I'm crazy and want to follow along to see if it’s possible to leave everything behind and start again on your own after 50. Whatever the reason, you can expect a mish-mash of adventure stories, travel recommendations, and food pics. I've shared some personal stuff for perspective, my ongoing health journey and bits of what life look like now that I’ve settled ‘over the ditch’ (in Australia!)

I first travelled to Bali in October 2019 - just before the world was exposed to Covid 19. Prior to that, I had rejected any suggestion of visiting the country, as I had envisaged a dirty, overpopulated place, where your days were more likely to be filled fending off insistent hawkers and devious beggars, than sipping cocktails on pristine beaches, and that notion simply did not appeal. But after accepting an invitation by my best friends to join them on a holiday there, I found that the image of Bali I had conjured up, could not have been further from the truth. I discovered instead, that it is a lush, vibrant environment, filled with the most beautiful souls, who seem to be happiest when serving others. They are polite, helpful, GRATEFUL people, so eager to give what they can, despite having so little themselves. The way of life there is slower and simpler than the cities of other countries. The weather is warm, the beaches and surf are plentiful, and there is an abundance of shopping and nightlife on offer, should you crave more 'activity'. But I think more than anything, there's something very spiritual about Bali. It's a place of healing. For much-needed rest, or soul searching and contemplation. It has a special vibe that is difficult to put into words, but rather, should be experienced first-hand. It was the perfect choice for me - to start my "reset" journey. I can't wait to get back there...

So, the thing I've decided to focus on first and foremost, as part of my 'reset' is my physical health. I need to drop some pounds. Being honest with myself, I have too many aches and pains for someone my age, and I'm just not comfortable at my current weight. I eat too much junk. I don't exercise enough, and I don't get enough sleep. So, I've been looking for inspo.. an epiphany if you will. This time has to be something radically different than anything I've tried before. A totally different approach. Dig deep time.

Enter 75 HARD .. the phenomenon doing the rounds on social media platforms, leaving a trail of participants in its' wake. No doubt there are a large number of people that make it through the 75-day grind to reveal an astonishingly altered reflection, but I'm willing to bet that the biggest group is made up of the people that dive in with the best of intentions, only to find it all too hard. Oops.. another failed attempt to achieve physical perfection. So while I do applaud the theory, the kicker is in the name... it's HARD!!!!

It goes something like this..

· No alcohol.

· Drink 3 litres of water every day.

· Follow a strict diet of some sort.

· Do TWO x 45-minute sessions of exercise per day - and one of those MUST be outside

· Read 10 pages of a self-help / entrepreneurial-type book

Sounds effective, but gruelling!. so I have another idea..

‘55 Bali'

I've tried and failed on enough diets in my lifetime, and I know I'm not alone in that. So while I agree with the basis of the 75 Hard regime, and don't doubt that those that stick with it achieve enviable results, I wondered about an altered version. One that was slightly more achievable, and therefore, less likely to be added to my list of failed weight-loss attempts. A version that included something for mental health, and maybe tackled the root cause of the problem, rather than just the symptoms. A version with an option to omit one of the exercise sessions, because let's face it.. TWO??. And for the icing on the cake - what if I could just smash it out in 55 days, and not 75?. This is starting to sound exponentially easier.. and also fits with the amount of time I can visit Bali on a standard visa.

I need this to be a new way of life. Something sustainable long-term - rather than a hard-core 75-day-only challenge. I reckon I can form some great new habits and live an overall healthier lifestyle, as a better version of myself. There'll be some soul-searching required along the way. Most often, the reason we 'hold on' to excess weight is psychological - yet we expect to achieve long-term results with bean sprouts and Pilates, without looking within.

So here's my idea..

· No alcohol. Yep, keeping this one. It's only 55 days - and it really is one of the biggest factors affecting our health - and there are so many benefits! Wake up every day with a clear head, clearer skin, better sleep, never pay for an Uber, and save money on the booze!

· Drink 3 litres of water every day - already one of my best habits. Once I got used to peeing so often not much beats the feeling of being properly hydrated.

· No super-strict diet! Just eat as clean as you can, as consistently as you can, without being so restrictive that you want to binge! Eat REAL FOOD - forget the shakes, the powders, the protein bars and pills to start with. Think fresh, colourful, raw, nourishing, unprocessed, wholefoods. I've almost completely stopped using the scales, and I don't count calories. Cut refined sugar but keep healthy carbs! This one is a total mindset shift. No more trying to 'lose weight', but instead try to focus on 'healthy eating' - nourishing the body!

· At least ONE x 45-minute exercise session per day. But push yourself! Work up a sweat. Inside or outside - just MOVE :) If you can do more, that's great! But fuel your body accordingly, and give yourself a tick for the day if you do at least one session.

· Write down 10 things every day that you are grateful for. I love this practice. On its' own, it has the ability to change your whole freakin' mindset and live a much happier life. This is the mental health finale to my version of this challenge, and the part that I think rounds it all off to make my version a more holistic-health approach.

** Side note.. this all doesn't actually have to take place in Bali!.. but I love the idea of committing to this in some place that is your "bliss". It could just as easily be at home, if that's your happy place. Either way, you have to agree that swapping "Hard" for "Bali" sounds more appealing??!

I'm ready to grab a journal, get ready for some daily soul-searching, and I'm excited to see how much better I feel at the end of my first 55 days ❤

"What would happen if you gave this 100%? For 55 days. Actually in Bali" .. that's the question I asked myself.. and I'm about to find out! As well as all the gorgeous food pics, and travel blogging, I'm going to document this, and put my theory to the test .. want to join me?