EP 109 Surf, solo travel and Bali tips from the pioneer of women-only surf retreats; the grey gap year & food etiquette in Japan

When Chelsea Ross launched the world’s first women-only surf retreat in Bali, it was purely because it was something she would have loved to do herself.

Twenty-two years later, she’s hosted more than 18,000 women seeking a transformational experience in Bali through Goddess Retreats.

She shares her experience, tips for the best ways to have a wellness experience in the popular Indonesian hotspot, and explains why you should give surfing a go – and how to get started!

Also, win a copy of Ultimate Dive Sites by last week's guest, Todd Thimios - see our instagram to enter, and the latest research on the 'grey gap year' showis as we age we’re increasingly likely to want to spend the kids’ inheritance on a big holiday. Read the full Grey Gap Year report here.

The Japan National Tourism Organisation gives the low-down on food etiquette in Japan – think you shouldn’t slurp your noodles? Think again!

And here's Kirstie's story about the luxury advisors turned digital nomads.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01: 0:02

Welcome to The World Away. Travel tales to inspire your wanderlust. Welcome back to The World Away. Hi, everyone. How are you? How's your week been, Kirsty?

SPEAKER_00: 0:14

Yeah, pretty good. I've been head down writing about my recent trip to Cambodia. Amazing experience that it was. Writing about some luxury advisors who turned digital nomads and I'll put a link in the show notes to that one because there's some really good tips in there actually for people who want to become nomads and work remotely. We've done a bit of that lately. We did an interview on that too for this podcast. Also talking about riverbikes and with so many new river ships coming to the Nile between now and early next year Viking and Abercrombie and Kent have some you know new ships and they're not just your standard when you say river ship I mean we're talking like jacuzzis and pools and amazing restaurants and that rival any on land and yeah so I'm desperate to do one though we talk about it a lot because you're really keen on river cruising too. Also I went along to Carry On's annual event which is now in its second year which is called Nisha's Nice so that was a held actually in three states but I went to the Melbourne event and it's a chance for travel advisors to network with some of the smaller suppliers so people like regional tourism boards like Interlaken and also small ship cruising and yeah it's another reason why going to a travel advisor when you're planning your holiday is such a good idea because they're going to events like this all the time obviously and they are getting all the new intel about what's happening in the industry

SPEAKER_01: 1:42

How about you Belle? Well, the week that Scones had its highs and lows, sick kid, power blackouts, that was fun. Delayed trains, they were the lows. The highs were hearing from Switzerland Tourism, who convinced me that I have to go to Dungfrau on the top of Europe for their magnificent scenery. Look, I have to say, it didn't take much convincing. The funny thing was that this Swiss tourism event, which was an Australian Society of Travel Writers lunch, I mentioned it to one of the guys, one of the Swiss representatives. I just don't think that they understand the impact that that book, Heidi, had on little girls who just wanted to travel away from the baking sun of rural Australia. Anyway, so yeah, that was pretty fantastic because I finally really passed through Switzerland. I haven't spent a lot of time there. I mean, have you? Have you been fantastic?

SPEAKER_00: 2:33

Yeah, no, we've sort of scooted around the edges too. And it is so high on my list, especially after, because the same people who were at that event were obviously also at this Nisha's Night and they had some videos they were playing some videos and oh my god watching those videos of those quintessential Swiss mountains with those little red farmhouses dwarfed by beautiful mountains oh my gosh and then they had people walking in the snow you know on these extremes and oh my god so I am manifesting to go next year hiking in Switzerland so watch this space

SPEAKER_01: 3:09

I thought it would be one of those little red roofed houses would be so cute to do a podcast from wouldn't you reckon.

SPEAKER_00: 3:15

Oh yeah, but we have to

SPEAKER_01: 3:16

do that. Let's do that. Totally. Look, my other high this week was a stay at Marnong Estate, which is on the very northern fringe of Melbourne. It's one of those old grazing lands that's now been converted into a vineyard. And when it opened in 2018, I went up and reviewed it because it had only the Bluestone Cottage that belonged to William Anglitz, who's the pastoralist who then came to create the William Anglitz Institute of Tape, which is where all of the hospo workers get trained. So the property is part of the very much overlooked sunbury wine region and is doing some fantastic Prosecco Rosé. Yay! But also, its Sangiovese absolutely shines. So if you're in the area, you can stay in the cabins, you can stay in the homestead. Gorgeous. Have a look at my Instagram for some of those interior shots. They're just beautiful. Or even just booking for dinner at its Italian restaurants. There's a family one and a fine dining one. And I'm covering Manon for the City Morning Herald and The Age. So I'll put a link to Manon in the show notes if you are up in that neck of the woods. And while you're in the show notes, don't forget, we still have two books from last week's guest, Todd Thinios, to give away. So if you would like to win a copy of Ultimate Dive Sites, jump onto our Instagram at theworldawaitspodcast to follow and like our competition post.

SPEAKER_00: 4:31

Yeah, and he talks about snorkeling and dive sites, right? And he has about 50, I think he said, didn't he, of dive sites in that book. So amazing. I love listening to him last week. He's fascinating. So we're chatting today about what I'm claiming as one of the best travel terms of the year, which is the grey gap year. Although I have to say, I was horrified to see that this refers to 50 plus year olds, which might be asked about. So new research by Australian seniors has found that nearly two in five Australian, I'm not seniors, I can't believe they're saying it's seniors when you're 50, embarked on a, this is the games group that they said, 50 plus, embarked on a big holiday in the past year, which is a significant jump from less than one in five in 2022. And importantly, these trips were funded by a willingness to spend the kids' inheritance.

SPEAKER_01: 5:30

Yeah, the old ski acronym. But so they're calling it the Great Gap Year. Like, what are they taking a gap year from? Like a gap year before you go into a retirement village? Seriously. But You know, I mean, look, with the ski thing, it's important to help your kids, right? But the question is, should you work your entire life to simply sit back in your retirement and do nothing? Just knit, you know? I'm sure there's some people that want to do that. But the fact that more people want to travel at an older age, and for the record, 50 is not. Like 50 is the new 30, right? I think that's just inspiring.

SPEAKER_00: 6:09

Don't you? Yeah, I do too. And a lot of that reference to gap year, a lot of that was was because people didn't take a gap year. So they're saying now, you know, you're taking it as a grey gap year because you're taking it when you're older. But yeah, me too, I find that really inspiring. And I don't know if this is why I love travel so much, but my mum actually, who's more in this senior age gap year grey thing than I am, I would... Yeah, I mean, so? She doesn't like travel. So it's a concept that's so foreign to me because I can't even get my head around how someone can't like travel. She genuinely isn't interested in traveling. Like she will say, she'll say, oh yeah, I'd love to come and see. I love coming to see you guys in Melbourne because she's in New Zealand, in Auckland. But she just doesn't, it just doesn't, it's not on, it's not something she wants to spend her money on. She would much rather spend her money on gardening or something. And I'm like, this is just so baffling. So maybe that's why I love travel so much. I mean, you know, I just live and breathe for it. So I get anxiety if I don't have a trip planned.

SPEAKER_01: 7:13

Ah, totally. I mean, I totally agree with you. And it's not just because my entire livelihood depends on it, but yeah, it is a passion. I have to say, I did not have a gap year. I think I had a gap decade. I just didn't come home for, you know, most of my, yeah, for nearly 10 years. But my mum was an absolute avid traveller and lived on the smell of an oily rag to fund her many, many trips. And they were just the most bizarre places she found herself. So while it The research found that 90% of Australians over 50 acknowledge the rising cost of holidays. Three in four seniors still have firm travel claims. Oh, that gives me hope.

SPEAKER_00: 7:54

Yeah, and to make them a reality, more than eight in 10 were prepared to cut back on other spending. So things like impulse shopping and dining out. Yeah, that's definitely me too. I'd much rather spend money. I think also cars are a waste of money. I would much rather spend, if you haven't spent 30 grand on a car, no way, I'm going to go to Europe. And so, yeah. Totally, but totally. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, I mean, look, I want to help the kids, but I'm going to be hiking and biking around the world until literally I literally cannot put one foot in front of the other. Like, I'll be one of those people holding those sticks, those walking, hiking, ski poles, and just, yeah, carrying on. Like, you know, probably scars all down my legs from operations and I'll still be going from where I've had them. replacements and there'll be me still trying to get up that bloody mountain.

SPEAKER_01: 8:49

Yeah, it'll be staggering along the Camino the entire three-month journey. Fantastic. Yeah, we'll do that one together. So Gabby Walters, an associate professor with a background in tourism marketing, says it's actually good news for the travel industry, clearly, and it may not be such bad news for children because recent research reveals that less than two in three seniors believe that their children and grandchildren expect to receive an inheritance. So I don't know, maybe that's just what they're saying, right? Maybe this is either story. Whether you are unconscious lying in a hospital bed and they think that there might be a chance of getting the money early, who knows?

SPEAKER_00: 9:28

Yeah, don't ask my kids. Oh my God, they fully would expect their inheritance. So where are people going, you might ask? Us 50-plus who are grey gap year people. And apparently this research shows that it was actually interstate in Australia, followed by the Pacific Islands, which included New Zealand, and then Southeast Asia.

SPEAKER_01: 9:50

So it seems that for over 50s, the key drivers are the cost of travel, so that explains interstate travel, followed by safety and security, climate and natural scenery, and of course visiting family and food are up there too, because you know, you can freeload on your family, can't you? That makes

SPEAKER_00: 10:07

it cheap. And when it comes to where we're all planning to go, Europe was stand out, followed by interstate again, New Zealand and Southeast Asia, so not much of a shift from where we've actually been.

SPEAKER_01: 10:20

And the motivators for these choices were a chance to relax, with about 60% saying that that's why they wanted to travel. Other key motivators were spending quality time with family, learning about the world, searching for new experiences as well, because, you know, new experiences and travel keeps your mind young. So we will put a link to the full report in the show notes.

SPEAKER_00: 10:57

week, I'm chatting to Goddess Retreats founder Chelsea Ross, who launched the first women-only surf and yoga retreats.

SPEAKER_01: 11:06

Oh, that sounds interesting because they are naturally symbiotic girls too. What piqued your interest in chatting with Chelsea, Kirsty?

SPEAKER_00: 11:15

Well, besides she was actually the pioneer of luxury women's only retreats, she's also got a really fascinating story. So she's half Australian, half Canadian, and she's lived all around the world and settled in Bali in her 20s, where she taught herself to surf. And she was saying that, you know, this, you'll hear in the interview that basically when she learned to surf, she realized the importance of how you have to be in the moment and how transformational it was to her. So she decided to dedicate her life to women's only retreats. And we also get some insider tips into how to have the best wellness experience in Bali. So take a listen. Welcome to the show, Chelsea. Well, thank you so much for having me. It's so nice to have you on The World Awaits. Let's start by telling us a bit about your background and how you came to be in the travel industry.

SPEAKER_02: 12:04

Well, my background was that I actually was studying communications and I sort of have more of a marketing background, but I worked in the service industry from the time I was in high school all the way through college. And I always loved hotels. I grew up actually as an expat traveling around the world and got to stay in many beautiful hotels. And I ended up getting my first job out of university was working for Amman Resorts. So I was really always was enamored by classical hotels like the Raffles and I spent a lot of time in Asia and so working at Arman was a great start for me and I think that left a lot of impression on me and then I was actually working more in doing sales training and life coaching. I've sort of always also been really interested in personal development and somehow in 2003 I got the opportunity to marry both of my passions which is which is hospitality and service and creating beautiful environments, and then also marrying that with personal development.

SPEAKER_00: 13:14

So how long have you been in Bali? When did you come to be in Bali? I

SPEAKER_02: 13:18

first arrived, well, I first arrived technically in Bali when I was about five years old. We lived in Jakarta and we would come down to Bali to holiday. That was my first introduction to Bali. But it was in 1997 when I first moved back here as an adult. I'd actually been living in Hong Kong in 1994. So I moved to Hong Kong when I first graduated from university. And I started revisiting all the places that we used to live when I was younger which was Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines. And I just fell in love with Bali. So in 1997, I had had enough of the big city life in Hong Kong and I was like, I want to go live on a tropical island. So I moved back to Bali then and I've been living here pretty much full time since then.

SPEAKER_00: 14:01

Amazing. And so when you first went there, what were you doing and how did you come to start up the world's first women-only surf and yoga retreat?

SPEAKER_02: 14:12

Well, when I first moved here, I really didn't have a plan. I was just like, I just want to live in this place. I just loved it so much. And I happened to get a job actually working for an American clothes designer. There's a lot of clothes manufacturing that's done here. So, you know, the biggest industries in Bali are tourism, furniture manufacturing and clothing and accessories and stuff. So I worked with her for a few years. And at that time, too, that was when I first learned to surf. So I was 26. seven years old and I'm half Australian, half Canadian, and I'd always wanted to learn to surf. But back in the day in Australia, it wasn't so much in Canada, but back in the day in Australia, it wasn't really encouraged for women to surf. And if you didn't have a family member like a father or a brother or other friends and family who surfed, it was really an oral tradition. So you got passed on that way. So I made it here and I've always loved the ocean, spent a lot of time scuba diving and body surfing and boogie boarding and all the things, but I hadn't picked up a surfboard. So I picked it up when I first arrived and I fell in love with it. So I wasn't really planning on starting a surf and yoga retreat. When I first came here, I just was really about just enjoying the ocean. But about five years later in 2003, after learning to surf and also learning to do yoga, I I was hanging out with a couple of other women that I had learned to surf with. And one of them was a yoga instructor. And she's like, you know, we should do a yoga retreat and you can teach them to surf. And I was thinking, yeah, that would be great. And you know what? We should just do it for women because there really wasn't anything for women at the time. And so it really came out of... I think wanting to create a space for women to share something that I really loved. And I also really loved Bali. There was, you know, it's such a magical place and such a rich culture.

SPEAKER_00: 16:15

And so what was it about teaching women to surf that was important to you? And were you, I mean, you must be pretty good at surfing by that point.

SPEAKER_02: 16:28

Yeah, I was a pretty good surfer at that point. I mean, I'd been surfing for five years, pretty much full time. So I think what, yeah, so think one of the main reasons why I really wanted to share surfing and yoga with women is for me, I've always been really interested in personal development. You know, initially when I entered university, I wanted to study psychology and that kind of transitioned into more like communications and marketing. In 1999, I started to study to become a life coach. Again, just really wanting to figure out how to live optimally. And I'd also started to study yoga and I could really see how for somebody like me how surfing was such a great meditative experience you know I've always been one of those people who kind of lives a lot in the future my mind's always going and I really one of the things that I really found in the surf is that it has so many great spiritual lessons to teach as far as you know when you're out there in the surf you have to really be in the present moment you have to be concentrating on the wave you know paddling jumping jumping up. And I would just notice that when I was in the surf, when I would come out, I would feel fantastic. So all the anxieties that I might be having about life, I wasn't thinking about the future. I wasn't worrying about the past. And I think being physically in the ocean and the sun and the sea, it just, I left feeling just, you know, my mind had had a break. My body was feeling great. And I could just see that it was such a, there's all almost like this, you know, surfers often talk about it, this sort of pathway to like sort of more enlightened consciousness, just similar to yoga. And so, and then obviously on a physical level, they're both fantastic for, you know, for people as well. So I could just see that it was such a, I don't know, just such a positive activity to add into life, both mentally and physically. And there were, you know, there were yoga retreats at the time, but there really wasn't anything that combined surf and yoga plus in a in a kind of more luxurious experience so I was also just coming out of my 20s and again I think all of this sort of was a combination of just being able to offer something that wasn't already available in that I had been on yoga retreats and silent fasting retreats and things like that and And I just wanted to bring it into a place where women could enjoy it in comfort rather than having to rough it out.

SPEAKER_00: 19:13

And so how was that received by women, given that no one was offering it and it was something very new? How are you finding, and how has it changed over the years? And

SPEAKER_02: 19:27

it really attracts women who are interested in always progressing themselves, you know, emotionally, physically, just wanting to live, you know, their best lives. So it's been well received. And I mean, so I had been running for a number of years and I And then, of course, you know, I think it was around 2006 or 2007 that Eat, Pray, Love came out. And then at that time, I had a lot of women because there still wasn't anything much for women at the time, you know, running to me going, listen, you know, we want to come on this retreat because there was, you know, an element of life coaching and there still is. We want to experience it, but we don't want to learn to surf. So I then started the next kind of phase, which was Bali got us and we'd run both of them. And that's when the doors really opened up because there was such a calling for this space.

SPEAKER_00: 20:22

So what is it about Bali do you think that attracts so many people, particularly women, to wanting to have a wellness experience there?

SPEAKER_02: 20:31

Well, I think... There's a few different ideas about that. I mean, Bali is really a magical place. It's a unique culture that's not really found anywhere else in the world, you know, not even in Indonesia. So I think culturally it's just, and it's a beautifully artistic culture. And also spirituality is woven into their daily life in such a beautiful way through, you know, the flower offerings that they offer every day, beautifully carved temples, music, dance. It's so rich. And I think, I mean, I feel like that, that is super appealing, especially, you know, coming from the West where sometimes a lot of our culture has sort of been just homogenized, whereas, you know, in Bali, it is, it is there. It's really decorative. It's, it's woven into life. And I think also too, because of their, their type of spirituality, those sorts of lessons and it, Being alive in life is wonderful to see on a retreat. And some of the cool things about Bali is that it's very communal. It's very loving. It talks about patience and slowing down and gratitude. And those are all the things, those sorts of qualities that we are nurturing on the retreat. And the Balinese people themselves are so warm-hearted. you know, open hearted. And it's one of those places too, where they invite you into their culture. So a lot of the really popular things that women love to do on the retreats is, you know, going along to like the holy, holy spring temples and having a cleansing ceremony and then having, you know, a blessing ceremony with the priests with, you know, flowers and incense. And it's a wonderful, you know, these are rituals that we don't get to experience in our day to day life, but they really help us to reflect and kind of set intentions. And a lot of women come on retreats. In retreats, generally, people are usually coming when they're in a life transition period. So they might be, you know, celebrating a milestone birthday. They might be changing careers. They might be changing relationships. There's a, you know, a lot of, usually that sort of, there are that stage. So, In life, and again, in usual day-to-day life, we don't have too many rituals these days. So it's really nice to have that time where you can come away, and most of our guests, like 80% of them are solo travelers. So it's a really unique time where you can come away by yourself, still be with a group, and it's a beautiful community, and we really facilitate a space where there's a lot of very open sharing. But you can also use that time to be quite interested And then, you know, layer in the different activities that you want to do. You know, like for surfing, one of the things that I really loved about it and why I wanted to share it with women because I found it very empowering. In fact, I think the whole retreat experience is very empowering, traveling on your own. So, and it's something that you do that's experiential. So it's not just theory. You know, when you, you know, travel halfway across the world on your own and you, you know, go out on the surf and you learn a new activity surfing, You empower yourself because you think, oh, if I can do this, then what else can I do?

SPEAKER_00: 24:12

And is that solo women, that increase in solo women that you're seeing traveling, is that something sort of, you know, that's just come in recent years? And what's the reasons that all of a sudden it's growing?

SPEAKER_02: 24:26

No, it was from day one, it was always solo women travel. I just think that for me, I... I think I was just in a unique place and time of really creating what I was looking for for myself. And I, like I said, I was 29, so I had gotten too old to sort of backpack. But there really wasn't anything other than, you know, standard hotels or group travel. And at that age, you know, a lot of friends and, you know, family are all, you know, either working or raising families and that. And it was really hard to find other people to travel with. So I originally I started it for solo women travelers. Um, and it's always, it's always been the case 80%. I think just the travel industry just took a little bit of time to figure out that there was this huge solo travel market, which it is now today, you know, it's well recognized, but, but back then it wasn't, but I, I always, I don't know. I always just kind of knew that, that people would want to get away and, you know, you can't, and you can't always find travel partners. And at the same time you want to be you know in a place where you you can travel alone without feeling alone yeah i think that was yeah

SPEAKER_00: 25:45

and bali's often seen i mean obviously a lot of australians go to bali they have they get a bit of a bad rap um for their behavior there and um yeah and and uh and and you know and then obviously there's that luxury end of the market so what what about um you know what are sort of some of the places that maybe some some solo female travelers what are some of the specific places that are the best places you think to go to have a solo travel wellness experience in Bali?

SPEAKER_02: 26:13

Obviously, there's the coast if you're a beach person. But I think one of the places that really people love to go and it's the center of culture is around Ubud and north of Ubud. There's so many different temples there. There's waterfalls. And of course, anywhere in Bali, there's lots of spa. I mean, wellness is I think baked into the culture here. But around, but I have to say around Ubud, you know, there are some of the most beautiful temples and, you know, you can always research out and see if you can find different healers. That's one of the things that we do is obviously create relationships with, with these, local healers, local guides who can take people off the beaten track a little bit these days in Bali because over the years, Bali has become a very, very popular tourist place. So it is about really finding those untouched spaces to go to.

SPEAKER_00: 27:15

Yeah, and what are some of those? I mean, just because of the fact that obviously we are facing a bit of over-tourism now. So what are some of those lesser-known places that people could maybe go to if they were coming– You know, specifically, because obviously, you know, entwined in that sort of wellness experience is not being in an environment where it's over-touristed. If

SPEAKER_02: 27:40

people are looking for maybe areas that aren't as well-known in Bali and they like to get off the beaten track, I think that North Bali is quite unexplored. And it's because it's a little bit further away. It's about a four-hour drive from South Bali. But up there, you've got places like Phumudaran, which is a national marine park. And it's really popular for scuba diving and snorkeling. And there's also some great wrecks up the north there. And other places that I know that are getting quite popular is Ahmed. So all around that northern area, as I say, it's not as busy as South Bali. And there's lots of, again, lots of temples. There's waterfall up there and lots of opportunity to enjoy the ocean, although there isn't any surf up there. So I think that that's an area of Bali worth exploring.

SPEAKER_00: 28:40

Yeah, absolutely. And can you just jump in, what's the best way to get up there?

SPEAKER_02: 28:44

Well, in Bali, one of the great things is it's really set up for catering to tourism. So you can organize private drivers. That would probably be the easiest one. and you know and usually there are you know there's a few uh hotels up there and they'll you know they can even help organize people with transport so i'd say that's the easiest one and there's also a great system here similar to uber in australia but it's called gojek or um and you can you know get on the app and organize a car and they'll they'll they'll take you up up there

SPEAKER_00: 29:20

and as far as like why how do you think the industry is going to evolve like how's wellness do you think going to change or people's, what they're looking for in regards to particularly in Bali.

SPEAKER_02: 29:35

Well, I mean, wellness is so popular in Bali. And I think one of the things that I've seen it really evolve over the years, and one thing I didn't predict, which I find is fascinating, is that, you know, gyms and Pilates studios and all this type of like active wellness has really, really, you know, blossomed here. So it's places, you know, people come here to like, you know, some of the best gyms in the world. And one of the biggest crazes that started here is paddle, which is a bit like pickleball, but it's a racket sport. And if it hasn't already exploded in Australia, I can tell you it's going to be one of the biggest sports trends coming. So, you know, I think that's definitely a direction where Bali is taking off. And I know that some of the bigger gyms here, like Body Factory, that also offer accommodation, you know, they're building in Canggu. They're going to be opening up in Uluwatu. They're going all the way across the island. There's paddle all the way across the island. So I think one of the main things that I see that's the future of wellness is there's going to be a continuation definitely of all different types of wellness treatments. But I can really see that people now really equate holidays and vacations with not just going to visit a place, but also to go and take time for their health and wellness. And that might mean, you know, going to the gym and playing a game of paddle or going for a surf. It's really a time of rejuvenation as far as like having that free time to, you know, do all these different activities. So I think that's a really positive thing. And I think that's been kind of the basis of what I kind of want, started with the retreats in the way of like reframing the idea of a holiday as you know when I was younger it was all about you know lying by the pool having a few cocktails etc and going out and and there's definitely still a huge place for that but also too like you know you know once a year maybe taking yourself off and going on a you know a wellness holiday

SPEAKER_00: 31:54

yeah you're

SPEAKER_02: 31:55

doing different

SPEAKER_00: 31:56

activities absolutely so and what would be some tips you would say to someone who wants to start like a um A woman in particular who wants to start surfing, give me three tips of how to get started into surfing.

SPEAKER_02: 32:12

Well, definitely the best way to start surfing is to take lessons. So whether you're doing that at home or you want to do it at a destination like Bali is to find a great surf school or a surf camp or a surf retreat. And there are so many of them out there that teaches lessons because it's a super fun sport. And if you you're just taught the right way, you can progress really quickly. But if you don't have lessons, it can take a while. And I think the other main tip that I would say would be to, you know, just remember to have fun. Because you know, especially if you're learning it a little bit later in life, you know, there's no pathway to becoming a professional. So it's just all about enjoying it. And sometimes, you know, when we're learning new things, it can be frustrating. But just to remember that it's, you know, it's about getting out there and having fun and just even attempting it is half the journey done, really.

SPEAKER_00: 33:13

Yeah, absolutely. It's definitely, I think, there's a lot to be said for People who don't know how to surf to maybe just give it a go and have a bit of fun with it and not put too much pressure on yourself.

SPEAKER_02: 33:27

Absolutely. Because a lot of times, you know, when I teach a group to surf, they're like, oh, I'm just so bad at this. And I'm like, it's your second lesson. You are a beginner. You know, nobody got on a surfboard and was great at it. Maybe, you know, maybe fifth, five result. But, you know, so just relax. And half the fun is falling off, you know. And that's one of the things. too about surfing, I must say, is that what I loved about it and learning is that sense of play. As adults, there's not too many opportunities where we can just be goofy and play and have fun, especially in nature. And because it's not a team sport or a pair sport, you really are just playing with yourself. You're just experiencing it yourself. You're not trying to hit the ball back to So it's like really just embrace that and have fun, you know.

SPEAKER_00: 34:24

So unfortunately, we are running out of time. So I'm going to ask you the question we ask all our interviewees, which is what's the most bizarre thing that's ever happened to you on your travels?

SPEAKER_02: 34:35

Well, yeah, I don't think I have a story that's, you know, like I lost my passport or anything like that, but definitely one trip was really significant for me. And that was after a couple of years after I'd been living in Bali, a friend of mine invited me to go to Biarritz to surf with her in France. And she was one of the girls I learned to surf with and she was selling this beautiful mermaid inspired jewelry. And I ended up meeting her there and we got invited to the Quicksilver head office and, um, I got to meet you know my my uh surfing idol Mickey Dora you know I was just introduced to him and he's you know I was in awe because I loved him because he was such a great stylish surfer and he was also a bit of a surf rebel and at the time I was you know doing the French thing I was wearing sort of you know my black capri pants and a black jacket and actually a little I didn't really realize it at the time but a black top with the word goddess on it and I remember him saying you know, I like your style. And I was like, oh, my gosh, you know, you know, and looking back, the seeds of surf goddess were, you know, being planted there. I really feel like it was a bit of a universe winking at me. And then later on in that trip, I hadn't learned yoga yet, but I ended up in Barcelona traveling solo. And I really was feeling really lost and uncomfortable. And I was at a backpackers and I was like, I'm too old for this. And I had been reading this book called The Alchemist, which was all about sort of, you know, following the signs of the universe to discover your destiny. And I had just finished that book and I had put it on the shelf at the hostel and I had, you know, was looking for another book and there wasn't too many in English. So I picked up another book called The Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda because I was feeling lost and I just really wanted to figure out, you know, what to do with my life and where I was going and, you know, next. And I called my mom on the phone because it was, you know, before mobiles then. And I was like, mom, I really don't know what to do. You know, I don't really... not really enjoying this backpacking thing anymore i'm thinking i'm aging out of it and uh i don't know where to go next what to do and she's like oh well you know i'm here in california actually right now and um i just got back and uh i was learning yoga at this this place you know that's associated with paramahansa yogananda and i was like what because i literally had the book in my hand i was like did he write this book and she's like yeah and i was like oh my god i had this book in my hand you know realizing this is a site and she's like oh you know that they have an ashram in assisi in italy And I was like, no. And she's like, yeah, you should go there. So, you know, I got off that phone call and thought, oh, this is a sign. So I jumped on a train and made it to Italy. And I spent a month, you know, learning meditation, getting up at 4.30 in the morning and doing my first yoga asana practices, you know. And that trip alone, now I look at it and it was like really the universe was like, look, you know, these are the things that you want to your life and kind of were the seeds of, you know, creating my whole life story, I guess, in a way. Wow.

SPEAKER_00: 37:44

All through meeting your hero and listening to your mom.

SPEAKER_02: 37:48

Yeah, you know, and just following the signs. So, you know, I think journeys, traveling is wonderful. Not only do you get to see beautiful places and learn new cultures, but you also get to have an internal journey and just, and it's such a profound way of, you know, shaping a life with all the different influences as we learn when we travel.

SPEAKER_00: 38:07

Oh, amazing. It's been so great to talk to you and we will put a link to all of your retreats and to your business in the show notes so people can look into it if they want an exceptional wellness experience in Bali.

SPEAKER_02: 38:25

Well, thank you so much, Kirsty. It's been lovely talking with you.

SPEAKER_01: 38:29

I love hearing how she broke into what was such a male-dominated area and really opened the door for women to learn how to surf. And, I mean, doing it in such a spiritual place, as she says. So if you want to learn more about Chelsea's retreats, go to goddessretreats.com and we will put that link in the show notes.

UNKNOWN: 38:50

Music

SPEAKER_00: 38:59

This week, our tip is about food etiquette in Japan. And I have to say, I mean, not that everyone knows this, but regardless if you've been to Japan or not, but the food is pretty incredible. Definitely a highlight when I was there on Shikoku Island in Naoshima. And that region where I was is famous for its udon noodles, which are just, oh my God, mouth-watering delicious. But all over Japan, there are dishes specific to each region and food's so intrinsic to the cultural and importance across the country that it's also been added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

SPEAKER_01: 39:33

And along with the importance of food, there's also certain things you should and shouldn't do when you are eating in Japan. So the Japanese National Tourism Organization has given us some top tips so you don't come across as a total slob or embarrass everybody else at the table. So with so many of us traveling to Japan right now or planning to travel to Japan, it is a reminder of how to eat in Japan so you're respectful of the culture.

SPEAKER_00: 39:58

Yeah, so for First up, and this might surprise some people, you do slurp your noodles. And I experienced that in a noodle bar in Shikoku. I was shocked, actually, at how many people, when we walked in, were honestly doing this. They were literally slurping their noodles. But, yeah, it's absolutely seen as the norm, which is the opposite of what we're taught when we're kids.

SPEAKER_01: 40:20

Do you know that thing about kids always learn about travel, you know, apparently belching after a meal in some Germanic countries? I think it's a kind of– It's an appreciation thing. It's like yum, yum, slurp, slurp. So that's, I mean, yeah, I think kids all love that. That makes it just such a great place to travel with. Yeah,

SPEAKER_00: 40:36

but sorry, but I don't know if I'm like a perimenopausal meme, but when my husband slurps next to me, I'm about to punch him in the face.

SPEAKER_01: 40:43

Ah. All right. So go to Japan where you get arrested for punching your husband with slurping his noodles, right? So also the Japanese table, unlike other cuisines, isn't laden with ginormous plates of food that go to waste. I am looking at you. Arabian table. In Japan, everything is considered, including the portion size. And you should only ever bring a manageable piece to your mouth so you're not tearing hunks of food from your mouth. I mean, I find that so disgusting anyway. And that's my slap in the face to the eating husband. They also say to bring the serving dish to your mouth, not vice versa. So you're not hunched over the table with your face in your bowl just you know, chowing on down.

SPEAKER_00: 41:31

Yeah, although I have to say those sleepers were doing that when I was in Shikoku. But yeah, another table manner is actually the same as what we're taught, which is don't put your elbows on the table and don't eat directly from the communal platter. So you should always put, you know, some onto a smaller plate. So don't be a guts, basically.

SPEAKER_01: 41:53

I kind of don't understand the elbows on the table thing, except that it doesn't look very nice. But also it does ruin the beauty. of the table. And that is a big component. You eat with your eyes first. And I think the Japanese table really expresses that. This is all making me very, very hungry. So I think I'm going to have to head off. I'm craving Japanese. I'm certainly craving Japanese at the moment. So I'm going to go and practice what we preach, Kirsty. Next week, we are talking to the glow bright human that is comedian, radio and TV presenter, Sarah Marie Cameron. You might know her as the co-host of House of Wellness on the Nine Network, which includes three AWS you in 2GB. She is an absolute powerhouse and we are talking about being a neurodivergent travel writer. So tune in for that one next week.

SPEAKER_00: 42:40

Cannot wait. Sarah Marie is incredible. I love listening to her. I cannot wait for that one. And we'd love it if you followed us on socials. You can find us at the World Awaits podcast on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to drop us a line at hello at theworldawaits.au or if you're enjoying this episode, please give us a rating and review.

SPEAKER_01: 42:58

That's a Thanks for listening. See you next week.