corina.gruber

I started this blog long before becoming a parent because I wanted an outlet for my traveling experiences and because I wanted a place to write. After I had my daughter, I promised myself that I would not turn it into a parenting blog. I wrote according to my previous interests, such as traveling, literature, music, and food. I care for my daughter dearly and I have her best interest at heart, but I consider my experiences with her to be private, so I never wanted to write about them. This post will be an exception. When I became pregnant, I was repeatedly told that my "traveling habits" will have to change, aka that I won't be able to do it anymore. It hurt me deeply, mostly because it came from other parents who had not taken their kids outside the borders of the country. It hurt me because I believed them and I thought that my traveling days were over. When my daughter was 9 months old, we decided to take her to the seaside, without leaving the country. There is a...

I've been practicing Vipassana meditation for five years. I started it to escape my horrific anxiety and panic attacks. In 3 guided sessions, it worked like a charm. I got rid of my panic attacks and learned to control my anxiety. And more. I learned to know myself. I also tried yoga. But this post is not about my experience with meditation and yoga. It is about peace. I have no community for my practice and I do not feel the need for one, as I am a loner. Few people are aware that I have these preoccupations. I live in a European country, one that is deeply committed to its own beliefs and rituals. And these meditative rituals are alien, no matter how much they have helped me. So when I decided to travel to Bali, I kind of knew what I was in for. I read about the culture, the unique mix of Hindu and Buddhist spirituality. I read about the daily offerings and how one was supposed to be careful with them. I looked at pictures of the Hindu statues of gods, beings so complex ...