Eat, Pray, LoveFinal Recognition and Reassurance
A few months after I’d left Indonesia, I returned to visit loved ones and to celebrate the
Christmas and New Year’s holiday. My flight landed in Bali only two hours after Southeast
Asia was struck by a tsunami of staggering destruction. Acquaintances all over the world con-
tacted me immediately, concerned about the safety of my Indonesian friends. People seemed
particularly consumed with this worry: “Are Wayan and Tutti OK?” The answer is that the
tsunami did not impact Bali in any way whatsoever (aside from emotionally, of course) and I
found everybody safe and sound. Felipe was waiting for me at the airport (the first of many
times we would be meeting each other at various airports). Ketut Liyer was sitting on his
porch, same as ever, making medicine and meditations. Yudhi had recently taken work play-
ing guitar in some fancy local resort and was doing well. And Wayan’s family was living hap-
pily in their beautiful new house, far away from the dangerous coastline, sheltered high in the
rice terraces of Ubud.
With all the gratitude I can summon (and on Wayan’s behalf), I would now like to thank
everyone who contributed money to build that home:
Sakshi Andreozzi, Savitri Axelrod, Linda and Renee Barrera, Lisa Boone, Susan Bowen,
Gary Brenner, Monica Burke and Karen Kudej, Sandie Carpenter, David Cashion, Anne Con-
nell (who also, along with Jana Eisenberg, is a master of last-minute rescues), Mike and Mimi
de Gruy, Armenia de Oliveira, Rayya Elias and Gigi Madl, Susan Freddie, Devin Friedman,
Dwight Garner and Cree LeFavour, John and Carole Gilbert, Mamie Healey, Annie Hubbard
and the almost-unbelievable Harvey Schwartz, Bob Hughes, Susan Kittenplan, Michael and
Jill Knight, Brian and Linda Knopp, Deborah Lopez, Deborah Luepnitz, Craig Marks and Rene
Steinke, Adam McKay and Shira Piven, Jonny and Cat Miles, Sheryl Moller, John Morse and
Ross Petersen, James and Catherine Murdock (with Nick and Mimi’s blessings), José Nunes,
Anne Pagliarulo, Charley Patton, Laura Platter, Peter Richmond, Toby and Beverly Robinson,
Nina Bernstein Simmons, Stefania Somare, Natalie Standiford, Stacey Steers, Darcey
Steinke, The Thoreson Girls (Nancy, Laura and Miss Rebecca), Daphne Uviller, Richard Vo-
gt, Peter and Jean Warrington, Kristen Weiner, Scott Westerfeld and Justine Larbalestier, Bill
Yee and Karen Zimet.
Lastly, and on a different topic, I wish I could find a way to properly acknowledge my cher-
ished Uncle Terry and my Aunt Deborah for all the help they gave me during this year of
travel. To call it mere “technical support” is to diminish the importance of their contribution.