One of the things I pride myself on is practicing what I preach. I am not just a dreamer but a doer, when I set a goal there’s little that can get in the way of achieving it. This is both professionally and personally speaking.
When I decided that I wanted to work for myself, I dug my heels in, worked hard, and started Prestige Beauty Bar Inc. Not only are medical aesthetics and skincare my job, but I also follow a regular skincare routine and focus on enhancing my natural features with treatments that support my beauty goals.
Life is Beautiful
An important part of life, for me, is experiencing its beauty. I love to travel all over the world, learning its history, sightseeing, and immersing myself in new cultures. Bali was a place I had wanted to visit for years, I was set to go the year Covid hit, and, well, all of our lives and plans got put on hold.
This year I asked myself, “Why not now?” With no reason to not go, I booked a two-and-a-half-week trip figuring that now was as good a time as any. In all honesty, I felt the need to detach and restore myself, to venture out on my own and check another box off on my bucket list.
The first few days I spent in Ubud, where I had to spend some time adjusting to the 12-hour time difference. A huge upside to my jet lag was waking up before sunrise and just being there, by myself, it felt peaceful. I didn’t go on Instagram or any other social media, I disconnected and journaled. I just was.
This trip was all about living in the moment and, although I knew there were certain touristy things I wanted to do, I was also up for whatever might come my way. I am a social person so it was easy meeting other travelers and finding new adventures to experience. A girl I had met told me about a Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, it didn’t much interest me but several other people I spoke with told me it was worth going.
Against my better judgment I agreed and off we went. Upon arrival I admired its beauty, the trees like canopies, the sculptures, and of course the cute little monkeys; but my gut was still telling me this was not the place for me. Boy was I proven right. When the time came to get a selfie with a monkey I resisted at first. Then figured ok, I’m here. I went to sit down and was immediately reprimanded by the monkey as I sat on its tail and it bit me!
Off to the hospital to get disinfectant and a rabies shot, I knew I should’ve avoided those monkeys.
Honestly, though, it’s a memory I can laugh at now, especially with all of the other amazing experiences I had. Going to Nusa Penida, seeing different temples, going to the rice terrace fields, and going through a purification ritual at the Holy Springs of Tirta Empul.
Beach Club Vibes
Something that Bali is known for are their amazing beach clubs, all of which have a different vibe and purpose. Some were relaxing, others were more for partying, I loved them all because they each gave me a different experience. However, arguably my best memory from the trip was going by myself to see Calvin Harris at Savaya, one of the best beach clubs in Bali. I’ll never forget when in the middle of his djing I realized that I was seeing him in Bali of all places, it was just an unreal moment.
Relaxation and Skin Hydration
Although I made sure to step away from work it’s hard, especially as an entrepreneur to completely shut down my work brain while I was in such a beautiful place. Beauty is my business and Bali did not disappoint. Aside from several massages, which were standard in comparison to North American ones, I also experienced a coconut body scrub to eliminate dead skin and toxins. For relaxation and to replenish hydration in my skin I went for a flower bath.
Tattoos are a way to express yourself, I currently have 7 in subtle places because they are for me. In 2017 my cat Milley passed away and it took me 3 years to decide that I wanted another fur companion. When I felt ready, I got Milo and for a while I have wanted to honor both of them. Off to the tattoo parlor in Bali I went and got one paw print on each of my Peter Pointer fingers that represents each of my pets. It reminds me every day of their unconditional love.
Any time I travel, I get excited about trying different types of foods that are native to where I am visiting. There were many good restaurants in Bali. Donna in Ubud was a dining and clubbing experience and I loved Rockbar for its scenic view. If you ever go, be sure to try gado gado, it’s a weird salad made of raw but lightly boiled veggies mixed with boiled eggs and potato and fried tofu, tempeh, and longtong. The most interesting thing I tried was poo coffee, it was actually very good! It’s coffee that is made out of beans that are pooped out by the Kopi Luwak (a.k.a. Civet cat).
With all this taste testing though, I’ll be honest, I wasn’t able to avoid the ever dreaded, 24-hour Bali Belly. I lost a full day of my vacation but even then, I can honestly say there was nothing bad about this trip. I learned that I have no problem traveling alone because it’s easy to meet people and new opportunities present themselves that may not have otherwise.
What was extremely interesting to me is that no one really uses medical-grade skin care there, it’s primarily about natural products. This, among other reasons, is why I would love to go back. I think it would be great to experiment with both natural and medical-grade skin care products, there can be advantages to both. Certain oils, like rosehip and coconut, have been used for generations and I definitely think it’s worth studying and learning more about.
Bali taught me so much about myself and my business. Life is about doing what you want because it’s short, don’t be afraid to take a risk. And who knows, after another trip to Bali, maybe I’ll jet set to Dubai for some training on full face rejuvenation using filler; with some sightseeing on the side of course.
The world is full of natural beauty, that includes you. Call to book your free initial consultation or peruse www.prestigebeautybarinc.ca to see the range of treatments available at Prestige Beauty Bar Inc, where the belief is “you can always add more.”