Latest news with #SonyaMoore
Business Insider
a day ago
- Business Insider
I spent 2 months working remotely in Bali. I didn't unwind until I visited another island nearby.
After working remotely from Bali for two months, Sonya Moore was craving peace and quiet. She traveled with a friend to the neighboring island of Sumba. The natural beauty, lack of traffic, and smaller number of tourists made for a great getaway. In March, I decided to take advantage of my flexible schedule and spend two months in Bali, working remotely and exploring the island. I had already visited Bali many times, and I'm a big fan. But over the years, as its fame has spread, it has become busier. Bali's iconic charm and unique energy are still there, but they now coexist with big crowds and heavy traffic. During my time there, I relished much of what Bali has to offer: yoga, massages, sound baths, authentic spiritual traditions, gorgeous style, and delicious food. I found pockets away from the crowds in the less-developed regions of Bangli and Sidemen. But after a few weeks in Ubud and south Bali, I found myself craving peace and quiet — specifically, a break from the ever-present sound of motorbike engines. Luckily, I had planned to wrap up my time in Indonesia with a weeklong side trip to the nearby island of Sumba with a friend. Overpopulation was no longer a problem Sumba is a 90-minute direct flight from Denpasar International Airport. It's about twice the size of Bali, has one-sixth of Bali's population, and a fraction of its tourists. It's also known for limited WiFi and cell service across large swaths of its undeveloped territory. There's no signage on the main roads indicating the island's scenic spots, making it hard for visitors to find them without a local guide. We hired a guide my friend found through Facebook, and we're glad we did. Sumba's natural beauty lived up to our expectations. The rock-framed sandy coves, the turquoise lagoon, the landscapes of velvety green hills, and the waterfalls left my friend and me in awe. We were charmed by goats lounging by the side of the road and by horses meandering across expanses of golden savannah. And most of the time, we had the sights all to ourselves. Sometimes, groups of local kids would come over to talk to us. The roads were free of traffic. Along with the absence of tourists and traffic came the absence of extensive food and massage options, which we had grown accustomed to in Bali. I never found wine or cocktails anywhere in Sumba, though I imagine they're available at the handful of 5-star hotels on the island. Most people in Sumba didn't speak much English, including our guide, so we needed translation apps to communicate most of the time. When there was no cell service, we had to resort to hand gestures. And punctuality? We found out that it's not a thing in Sumba. Our driver tended to show up 15 to 20 minutes after our agreed departure time, then order himself a coffee before we left, then stop to pick up his breakfast at a roadside shop or get gas. He was an excellent drone videographer and photographer, though, which helped make up for his relaxed sense of time. A true mental reset Our four-day guided Sumba road trip covered a lot of ground. After the road trip, we spent three nights at a boutique hotel on a deserted stretch of white sand beach in East Sumba, about an hour from the airport, and it was there that we found total relaxation. Shaded by tall cemara trees, the temperature was perfect both day and night. We were lulled to sleep every night by the sound of gentle ocean waves lapping the shore. Our hotel, Cemara Beachfront Suite, was $80 per night and came with great service. The staff brought us tea with little desserts every afternoon and were always ready to provide any extras we asked for to make our stay more enjoyable. Except wine. Next time, I'd bring a bottle or two in my suitcase, along with a good book. The attentive care of the staff and the idyllic setting allowed us to completely unwind and fully enjoy just being there. We could have happily stayed much longer. Sumba's wild beauty and serene relaxation provided the perfect complement to Bali.
CBS News
16-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
Parent University teaches parents skills for harmonious life, including how to breathe, relax
Parents know that taking care of children doesn't come with instruction books. Though that is true, a non-profit on the city's west side offers parents the next best thing, their own university. "Audrey is 6 years old," parent Sonya Moore said. "Audrey loves bedtime stories, she loves hanging out at the park, and she's really a fast learner. And Audrey loves being a student at Legacy Charter School in North Lawndale. Moore describes herself as a pretty hands-on parent to Audrey and her three older siblings—maybe even a little overprotective. "You don't get a handbook, however, with each year passing, you get experience, you gain experience. You learn your child, your child's learning you," she said. When Moore wanted to learn more about parenting, she became a student at Parent University, a free program hosted by Illinois Action for Children. "Parents are learning multiple ways to develop and empower and enhance their skill-building with parenting, and it trickles down to the children. Rarzail Jones with the Illinois Action for Children said. "We try to build workshops that not only just for the parents but for the teens and for the parent-child as well." There are workshops on everything from art therapy to double-dutch aerobics, even one on breathing and relaxing. "We also cover topics in financial literacy, healthy meal prepping, how much is too much screen time," Jones said. The healthy cooking workshop caught Sonya's attention right away. "Just a moment of transparency," she said. "No one's ever taught me how to prepare healthy meals. I think we just carry on the tradition of the things we were taught as children. That tradition also made Sonya gravitate to the workshop on re-parenting. "Really, really insightful for me," she said. "It showed me things about myself, how I was showing up as a parent, and things that I either received as a child or did not receive, and that reflected into how I show up as a parent." But parents here aren't working by themselves. "All of the other families, you become like family," Moore said. "During the first ten minutes before the workshop, we want the parents to be able to introduce themselves, to get to know one another, and to have a little time conversing, building fellowship," Rarzail said. Moore said for her, Parent University is "money in the bank." "For the investment is showing up, getting the information, and the return on the investment is how I'm able to implement those things that my everyday life as a parent. I definitely receive a return on investment from my investment of time." The next Parent University workshop session is June 21. To learn more or sign up, visit
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Yahoo
I spent 16 days in French Polynesia. The trip was spectacular, but these 5 things would have made it better.
Last August, Sonya Moore ticked French Polynesia off her travel bucket list. Despite a lot of planning before the trip, looking back, there are a few things she'd have done differently. She would have skipped Bora Bora and budgeted higher for food and wine. French Polynesia had been on my bucket list ever since I learned of its existence, and last August, I finally made it there. My partner and I spent 16 days traveling across this dreamy French overseas territory. Our itinerary included six islands in the Society Islands archipelago, a region that's part of French Polynesia's 118 Pacific islands. We visited during the high season, but it never felt crowded. The islands are as stunning as their reputation, with pristine white-sand beaches and vivid turquoise lagoons. I loved our trip to French Polynesia, but there are five things I'd have done differently to make it even better. I spent too much time planning flights between islands when I should have first studied a map of the Society Islands to see which routes were better by ferry. I also should have ignored most of the options on the cluttered Air Tahiti website — its Book feature is all that's needed for flight times and prices. Ferries proved to be reliable, comfortable, and much cheaper for short routes like Tahiti to Moorea and Huahine-Raiatea-Taha'a-Bora Bora. Knowing that earlier would have saved me a lot of planning time. Some islands, like Taha'a, don't even have an airport. Often referred to as "Vanilla Island," due to its fragrant plantations, it's only accessible by boat via Raiatea — either a 45-minute Apetahi Express ferry or a 30-minute water taxi. We were glad we made it there because it's where we had one of our most magical experiences — swimming with six manta rays in the open ocean, completely alone. For some routes, flights are the better choice. We took the Maupiti Express 2 ferry from Bora Bora to Maupiti since no flights fit our schedule, but I wouldn't do it again. It's less comfortable, and the rough two-and-a-half-hour ride is only for the strongest stomachs. Whether by plane or ferry, checking schedules before booking accommodations is key. Ferries don't run daily, and flight prices can fluctuate wildly — one ticket we saw was $120 on Monday but $327 on Saturday. Planning around these factors made a big difference in our trip. I got tripped up by the time change when flying east into Tahiti. Since we traveled through Australia and New Zealand, we essentially went back in time, landing a day before our departure date. The final leg of our journey left Auckland on the afternoon of August 17 and arrived in Papeete on the evening of August 16. I mistakenly booked our hotel in Papeete for the wrong date, assuming we would arrive on the 17th. Fortunately, this mix-up is so common that sent a message double-checking the date, allowing me to correct the mistake in advance. Food and wine in French Polynesia aren't cheap. We spent $17 for a hummus appetizer and about the same for poisson cru, the local coconut milk ceviche. Main dishes were often over $30. French wine by the bottle ranged, on average, from $30 to $65 or more. Had we splurged on a bottle of Veuve Cliquot in a restaurant, it would have set us back $146. On the bright side, everything was delicious. We fell head over heels in love with Huahine, and four nights there wasn't enough. We stayed in a $250-a-night Airbnb villa on a private beach facing a stunning lagoon, and the snorkeling was incredible. I would have loved more days in that paradise to simply relax in a hammock with a good book. While Bora Bora was beautiful, it was much less memorable, and we wouldn't have minded skipping it. However, if $2,000 overwater bungalows had been in our budget, Bora Bora may have become my favorite island. French Polynesia doesn't experience much variation in temperature throughout the year. The weather forecast for August, which falls in the cooler season, predicted highs of 82 degrees Fahrenheit and lows of 73°F. However, average highs for the rest of the year aren't much different — around 86°F. We thought we would be comfortable in tropical attire, but we didn't realize how windy this part of the world is. With the windchill factor, we found ourselves shivering at times and had to shop for some long-sleeved shirts. June to August is also the driest time of year, although we did experience occasional light showers and overcast skies. French Polynesia is an enchanting part of the world, and I hope to return, using the lessons learned from the first trip to plan an even better visit. Read the original article on Business Insider
