OMG I'm in total heaven right now. How MUCH I'm enjoying this makes me feel like I'm not a tough budget traveler anymore.

But I know I am because I have been living in a mild state of misery for over a month and a half and made it through. The discomfort wasn't really due to budget traveling, though. I was house sitting in an extremely (physically and spiritually) uncomfortable house. Unfortunately it turned out to be a rather negative experience, and costly in many ways. See House Sitting the Evil House.

But I think any budget traveler can relate. You spend so long without comforts and you don't think you miss them until you have them. Then wow - it's such luxury!!!

That's something that surfaces from time to time and I have always enjoyed it. You make do with so much less, that you really really appreciate even small things like clean laundry or a cold drink so much more than you do in a regular 9-5 life.I have spent the last 7 weeks with every part of me itchy and sweaty, all the time, 24/7. I have heat rash under my boobs and even though I scrub and exfoliate, my skin is just gross. When I put bug spray on my back, it stings. I haven't been dry or not-shiny in that entire time.

Keeping the insects out of my food an off my body was impossible. It was a steady routine of swat, swoosh, slap. I dreaded evening and nighttime since there was nowhere to hide from getting eaten by the bugs. No mosquito net for the bed, no screens on the windows. I just now thought I felt something on my leg and quickly went to brush it off. It was just the cord from my laptop - not a no-see-um or mosquito or jumping spider like I've been used to! It just made me realize what a constant state of discomfort I've been in.

So that's the state I've been living in and now I'm here in this hotel reflecting on it and it all seems so much worse! LOL Actually that's not entirely true since I did call my boyfriend in tears more than once. Again, a lot of that had to do with the house itself and not the lack of western amenities. I'm convinced that i'm still a brutal budget traveler!Now at this hotel, wow. Actually, it started on the 3 hour drive from Banjar (where I was staying) to Denpasar in an air-conditioned car. I felt CLEAN for the first time in I don't know how long. I actually got COLD this afternoon from the air-con (I forgot what "cold" felt like), then I realized the place has hot water! So I took a hot bath. I was hot, but clean hot. :) It was wonderful. I put on Vivaldi and I'm now in a white fluffy towel and I don't even want to get dressed.

I just picked up my light jacket (the one that had the giant creepy insect down the back of it, leaving me still traumatized) off the bed and realized that I didn't have to worry about something crawling out of it.

I have a kettle and instant coffee, drinking water, a fridge, and a giant bug-free bed. Did I tell you how clean I feel?!? I am going to really enjoy the next 4 nights here. :)