We’re Moving From Bali After 7-Years

I still can’t believe it’s been nearly 7-years since we flew to Bali on a one-way ticket. I think back to that version of myself and get teary eyed. Honestly, I think back to every younger version of myself with tears in my eyes. I can vividly remember how strong and hard I was trying to build this life I live. How unsure of myself I felt with the risks I was taking in my life. How unstable everything was.

Of course, Bali was not our ‘move abroad experience’. We had already been living abroad for 5-years when we traveled to Bali. We boarded our first one-way flight to Panama in 2013 and have been traveling and living abroad nonstop since. I’d been feeling very strongly that we were supposed to move to Bali. In retrospect, Jarrell says I was so certain it was convincing.

They say Bali chooses and rejects people. Some people arrive here and cannot settle. Literally and figuratively. They cannot find peace with the surroundings. It’s too different, too dirty, too chaotic. The food too spicy, they’re constantly sick. The house search is unbearable, they just can’t find a place to live within their budget. The traffic is too exhausting. In short, they’re miserable and feel the internet lied to them. Bali isn’t what they thought. Whether they know it or not, they were rejected by the island.

And then there’s my experience. From the moment we arrived, I was in awe. We actually landed in the middle of the night and made the hour trek to Ubud in darkness. Everything was still, except the butterflies in my belly. That night, we saw what Jarrell calls a ‘gnarly’ spider in the bathroom. Was it crazy? Yes. Did it deter the love? Not even a little. We embraced everything from that moment as, “This is Bali.”

Our first morning here is a clear memory. I can remember what I wore and where we walked. After living here for so long I now know we chose ridiculous restaurants to dine and stores to shop. It didn’t matter. We were smiling all day, looking to each other with such gratitude nodding the silent understanding, “This is it.” We’d been accepted by Bali.

I’ve loved living here. We got to experience pre-covid Bali, something that will never return. And it was arguably the best place to brave the pandemic. The traffic was nonexistent, and we got to explore so much of the island we may not have otherwise. We got to take care of the people who had taken care of us, who were now out of work without tourism. We were happily secluded from the world.

More than the island, I specifically loved our house. Especially after the pandemic, it was normal for me to not leave the house more than once a week. In my adult life, I’d never lived in one place longer than a year before moving into our Bali home. We got to live with this beautiful view from our office for 6-years. What a blessing.

Honestly, I feel like Bali is kicking us out. Telling us it’s time to move on. She does that, too, in addition to the initial acceptance or rejection. Bali pushes you when it’s time. And its time.

Bali will always feel like home, and we will always have that option to return to a place we love. Now, it’s time to see how many other places we can love. How many other cities we can feel comfortable in. It’s time for adventure.

There’s a part of me that feels we’re too free to live such a structured life. This house has made us more responsible than we need to be in this chapter. We could stand a little spontaneity and fantasy. While Bali can be quite romantic, it’s time for some new romance.

What’s Next?

As always, I’ll be taking you along on the adventure, wherever it may lead. If you’ve followed me for a while, you know I have been looking for the next place to move. At this point, we’ve decided not having the next destination isn’t enough of a reason to stay put in Bali. And that might sound unreasonable, but we live an unreasonable life. So, it makes sense.

Our hope is that Thailand is the place. Bangkok, specifically. After 7-years on an island, it will be nice to have some modern amenities and access to things that are limited or restricted entirely in Bali.

And it will be a redemption move, for me especially. We lived in Bangkok for one year before moving to Bali and it was a very dark time for me. I couldn’t enjoy and embrace Bangkok, because I wasn’t enjoying life in general. I was stressed and financially insecure. I’m curious how a change in myself could change my perception of the city.

I’d love the ability to walk, and option to take public transportation. Access to a major airport hub will make travel easier and cheaper. Modern amenities in our accommodation will be a welcome upgrade. There are so many things on my ‘I can’t wait ‘til…’ list I’m excited to experience.

More than anything, it’s the unknown. I’m not sure what this path leads to, but I feel it’s time to take it. It’s how I’ve always lived my life. 

Jarrell felt strongly about entrepreneurship. It was something we were supposed to do. A lifestyle pillar we needed to fully embrace, and so we did. We just follow these hints of intuition, or breadcrumbs as I call them, and see where they lead, often without the expectation of a destination. 

When we set out to travel the world, travel influencing wasn’t a thing. There was no plan to ‘build a following’ or ‘make content’. There was no real plan at all. It was just something I felt I was supposed to do. We followed the breadcrumbs towards travel and entrepreneurship, and they’ve led to this lifestyle we’ve created.

It’s time to follow the breadcrumbs again. And they’re leading away from Bali.

XOXO