Last year I met some friends in Bali for a girls trip like no other. These ladies were a mix of new and old friends and all of them were members of my Fat Girls Traveling Community. I’d fallen in love with Bali a year earlier and I couldn’t wait to share with them the things that made it so special.
From villa-living and temple-hopping to beach days and spa treatments, each moment was an adventure. The biggest challenge for me was facing my fear of heights and finding a Bali Swing that could hold my weight. On my last visit, I toured a rice terrace, hoping for a photo on a swing, only to find the harness was too small. I cried silently while my friends took smiling photos and videos of themselves swinging 50 feet over the Balinese rice paddies. That day I made a promise to myself to find a swing that was literally and figuratively strong enough to support me, the next time I visited.
When my friends and I arrived at the Bali Swings a year later I was still fearful that I would make my way up to the front of the line just to be turned away. I’d done the research and made the calls but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was going to be humiliated. It’s something that often feels inevitable as a fat traveler. But on this day, everything went smoothly.
The ladies and I all wore beautiful maxi dresses that could catch the wind. We upgraded and opted for professional photos to capture the moment. It was a sticky, hot and humid day, but Bali’s light showers helped cool us down. The lines were long and it was obvious everyone there considered themselves an Instagram model (don’t we all?). So when it was finally my turn on the highest most dangerous swing, I instantly remembered that I’m afraid of heights!
I hopped on anyway. I screamed, I laughed, and I got the shot! More importantly, I faced my fears and when I was confronted with an obstacle about my weight, I found a way around it. This story reminds me that sometimes I will face adversity. There will be things and people attempting to prevent me from reaching my goals. It’s my job to never stop trying.
