Operation Get Your Life Together has begun.
I did the thing.
The moment my crusty eyes opened, my brain went into overdrive. What time is it what plans did I have for today what are the problems that need immediate solving do I have time to lay around or did I have an early appointment this morning??
As my consciousness shifted abruptly back to 3D, I noticed a fluttering of excitement in my stomach. I hadn’t felt this in years…this childlike excitement…what was the occasion? I tried to remember.
Ahh…I smiled.
The ticket.
We bought the ticket.
I’m going on an adventure.
It’s happening, it’s really happening. I buried my face into my pillow and squealed.
Last night, on a full moon, two days after Valentine’s day, Kristina and I punched in the numbers of her credit card on Singapore Airlines checkout page and bought my one-way ticket from Denpasar to San Francisco. On March 25, 2022, I would be leaving Indonesia to start a new chapter, or Netflix season, of my life.
Kristina is going to take me under her wing and into her home in Sacramento while I find a job/husband and get back on my feet, and in return I will cat-sit, cook incredible vegan dinners, and basically be a really awesome hype-man.
I’d been talking about it for so long — how there was nothing left in Bali for me now that Yvonne was gone, how I wanted to rewrite my story, how I wanted to leave the sadness and drama behind and step into my powers. I wanted to step into a romantic comedy full of characters that only dealt with white people problems.
I deserve white people problems. I deserve to be happy. Life doesn’t have to be so hard anymore.
I had been planning to buy my ticket for a few months now, to solidify this genre-shifting plan. But I had been waiting to see if Singapore Airlines would really start flying in and out of Bali directly. The last thing I wanted to do was drag three suitcases between local/international terminals in Jakarta on the first leg of my journey while counting down the hours from a negative PCR test (must have negative Covid test results within 48hours of departing? Arriving? Fuck it I’ll figure it out when the time comes).
On February 16, 2022, in a historic and media frenzied moment, SQ938 arrived in Ngurah Rai Int. Airport with 156 passengers on board. The plane received a ceremonial hose-down, a sight which prompted Angie to ask if it was because they were getting disinfected…
So it was real, Bali airport was operational for international flights! Despite rising inflation, despite global crypto hysteria, despite the media’s desperate attempt to fear monger through Omicron — the world was opening back up again. Bali business owners were swatting Omicron government warnings away like they would pesky puking flies. (F off Omicron I’m trying to scheme my Deluxe Isolation Beachfront Hotel Package! Now, how much to charge these suckers for a 15 minute sunset walk…)
So anyways, the full moon, the arrival of Flight SQ938 — these were all good omens. These were blessings, signs of approval to proceed into Operation Get Your Life Together.
“It’s time Christina. Make your move.” The Universe put a reassuring hand on my back, then shoved me forward.
Why does this feel so good though? Why does it seem like, if I physically move out of Bali, my life will fall into place? Why does this intuitively feel like I’m moving forward in the right direction?
I have to ask myself these questions because the caveman-danger-avoiding part of my brain is shouting “THERE IS NO PROOF THIS WILL MAKE ANYTHING BETTER YOU HAVE NO ACTUAL REASON TO BELIEVE THIS WILL FIX ANY OF YOUR PROBLEMS AMERICA IS WAY MORE EXPENSIVE AND THE ECONOMY THERE IS ABOUT TO DECLINE INTO CHAOS WHAT ARE YOU DOING RUNNING AWAY WON’T MAGICALLY CHANGE YOUR LIFE!”
Hmm so glad you asked Caveman Brain, here are a few solid answers for you:
- Third Party Confirmation. If the people who love me and know me better than I know myself think it’s the right thing for me, then it probably is.
- Anita said, “there is nothing here for you in Bali, as much as it saddens me to lose you, I’m proud of you for making this decision to go.”
- Kristina said, “You’re an American citizen and a veteran. The VA can help you get all these things that you want. Therapy, hearing aids, vocational rehab to help you figure out your career — you deserve it Chris.”
- Laura said, “Dad would have wanted more for you. Your mom will be fine there, she’s going to live forever she’s a fighter. California’s going to be great, I support your decision.”
2. Bali has become my comfort zone, and nothing grows in a comfort zone
3. Red wine. Life is too short to drink bad overpriced wine. In Bali, the wine that they sell at American gas stations (the one you buy as an afterthought on the way to your friend’s husband’s birthday dinner) costs $35!!! Don’t you want to drink good wine again?
4. Kristina is your person, literally the Cristina to your Meredith. If you could take this chance to spend time with your person while you’re both single with no kids, why the heck wouldn’t you? In the famous words of Katie Helm, “it’s stupid not to”.
5. Lastly, you’ll have a way more active dating life in California. More men, more sex, and less Russian supermodels. Do you really want to risk getting the Canggu STD? No. If anything, get the traditional STD. There might never be a cure for any Canggu-related disease.
There are many more reasons to justify this drastic move across the world, but I believe these to be among the most important.
Also, I will come up with a better mission name for Operation Get Your Life Together. O GYLT seems a bit off.
Let the adventures of Christina & Kristina begin!
