First Picnic of the Year (a.k.a. “yasudahlah!” edition)

3:51 PM

First things first: HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Holiday was short, finals are coming, and Bali...

Once all green and quiet, now has more traffic and hotels than vibes.

But the island still hides little pockets of calm if you know where to look.

Destination: the picnic park near Bedugul

We drove up toward Bedugul and stopped at the big park everyone uses for picnics.

Locals love this spot for weekend breath breaks. Think tall trees, lake breeze, big lawns, and families napping under jackets that pretend to be blankets.

The Day

Getting in: there’s an entrance fee (bring IDR 30–40k per person to be safe).
Vibe: cool air, mild sun, and enough space to throw a frisbee without decapitating a stranger.
What we did: played catch, bullied a guitar into cooperating, and perfected the ancient art of “accidental” naps.
It felt suspiciously like a manga panel: friends scattered on the grass, hair doing its own thing, a bento that looked humble but tasted like victory.

Honestly? 10/10 serenity. The air felt cooler, my brain felt quieter.

Field notes from a recovering overthinker

My brain is a meme: half stand-up comedian, half lab report.

Extrovert mode: “Picnic! Spontaneous! Let’s redesign the game of catch for maximum chaos.”
Introvert mode: “Observe: heart rate dropped after 14 minutes under trees. Hypothesis: outdoors > overthinking.”
Unified conclusion: I am dramatically serious about unserious things. And honestly? that’s fine.

Paulo Coelho said, “It’s a good idea to do something relaxing before making an important decision.”

Consider this my peer-reviewed replication.

Two hours of grass and sky = cleaner mind, softer edges, fewer catastrophic life plans drafted at 2 a.m.

Tiny logistics, big payoff

If you go, here’s the compact, bossy checklist I wish someone handed me:

Timing: late morning to early afternoon. Bedugul air stays cool; clouds make free filters.
Bring: sarong/blanket, wet tissues, trash bag (leave no trace), a real knife for fruit (the plastic one lied), sunscreen, and bug peace treaties.
Food: simple wins. Onigiri, fried chicken, cut fruit, something crunchy. Don’t forget water; ocha-in-a-thermos if you’re extra.
Do: lie down on purpose. Count the number of leaf shapes above you. Fail at guitar loudly.
Don’t: schedule every minute. The point is to un-schedule.

A love letter (with boundaries) to Bali

Yes, parts of Bali feel crowded. Yes, development can be… a lot.

But the island still sneaks you pockets of green if you look: parks, temple courtyards, rice fields, little community spaces that refuse to give up.

The trick is to keep claiming them with your presence and your care.

Pack the trash out. Smile at the tree you sat under.

(Trees love compliments. Peer-review me later.)

Why picnic at all?

Because starting the year with grass stains is superior to starting it with only spreadsheets.
Because resting isn’t the opposite of ambition; it’s the oxygen for it.
Because the brain writes better paragraphs after staring at a lake for no reason.

Little pep talk for 20XX-me

I’m still the most dramatic person I know.

I still think too hard about tiny things (hello, fork placement discourse).

But this year I’m choosing periodic softness: small rituals that interrupt the algorithm of stress.

So here’s my first ritual of the year, officially logged:

lay blanket
open bento
breathe like I didn’t forget how
laugh, nap, repeat

Bali, please stay green for us. We’ll do our part.

Ikkel

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