July 2026 – To Tokyo, Japan then Bali and Nusa Lembongan, Indonesia

Tokyo, Japan

My journey began on June 29. Delta’s nonstop flight from Minneapolis to Tokyo has always been my default choice, but Kai flew Japan Airlines in April and couldn’t say enough good things about it. With a 90-minute layover in Chicago and substantial savings on a one-way ticket, it seemed worth trying.. And it was a great flight – roomy seats, great service and believe it or not, bidet toilets!

Tokyo is familiar and a great way to break up what would be a 30ish hours of traveling to get straight to Bali. Plus the time allowed me to deal with the fallout from my mom’s estate. (pro tip: leave a will. your heirs will thank you).

Added bonuses : seeing friends and eating great food. 5 days in Tokyo were enough to enjoy Five days was enough to enjoy sushi, tempura, ramen, sashimi, and more than a few beers . Will definitely be back to Japan more often – maybe even an extended future stay.

Bali to Nusa Lembongan

Then to Bali. Enough time for the lost luggage that sat on the tarmac in Manila to catch up, getting my dengue fever and typhoid vaccines and getting a well needed haircut. The six days in Bali was enough – way too much traffic and chaos but it’s familiar enough to get my bearings before catching the 45 minute ferry to Nusa Lembongan.

This tiny island, just 4.6 km (2.9 miles) long, has become my home base, at least for now. I spent a month here in January 2025, 10 weeks earlier this year, and now I’m back for another month. It’s enough time to settle into a routine, unpack, and stop feeling like I’m just passing through.

It’s not perfect but it’s small enough to walk, has world-class diving, white sand beaches, good coffee, plenty of restaurants, and a 25-meter lap pool. More importantly, it has people I look forward to seeing each time I return.

And if I ever miss shopping malls, Bali is only a 45-minute ferry ride away.

I’ll share what my ordinary life looks like on Nusa Lembongan in my next post. I hope you’ll join me.

What would it take for you to consider somewhere “home”?

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Love,

Mimi & Jingles