In this episode, we cover quitting my corporate job and making the decision to become a travel influencer in Bali (02:10), the path to investing in help from others to grow my business (9:00), and some suggestions for things to do in Bali (13:22).
Tune in or read the blog version below!
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Prefer to read? Here’s the blog version…
Welcome back to The Wanderlover Podcast! This past week, Ragz and I got back to Bali.
This is where we met two years ago, and we quarantined in Jakarta for six days.
The day we flew back, not only was it our anniversary, but it was also the first day that they implemented a lockdown.
We landed and all of the restaurants are closed. The beaches are closed. Lots of coworking spaces are closed. But I’m still just so happy to be back and to be surrounded by the energy that I’m so familiar with.
I’m still really familiar with all of the streets and all the people here and guys I’m just really happy to be back.
So this episode is dedicated to this island.
My First Time in Bali
I used to work in Corporate Finance in New York city. July 11th, 2017 was my last full day at my corporate job. Today actually marks my four year anniversary since I quit my job.
In February of 2018, I broke up with my ex-boyfriend, who I was living with at the time and decided, you know what? I’m going to go to the other side of the world.
At that point, I hadn’t gone to Australia yet.
One of my main reasons for quitting my corporate job was because I didn’t have the time to go to Australia. I only had 15 vacation days a year.
If I saved up all my vacation days, I could take like a three week trip to Australia, but it takes like two days to fly there. And if I did do this three week trip, I wouldn’t have been able to take a vacation for the rest of the year.
So I was finally like, I’m going to Australia and Bali.
That trip meant a lot to me because it represented a new chapter. Bali always calls your name at the perfect time in your life.
When you need a new beginning, when you need some inspiration, it just magically shows up and it guides you and things like magical things happen that you just can’t explain.
For me, that trip meant so much because it was the beginning of my single life. It represented quitting my corporate job and really committing full time to being a travel influencer Bali.
Bali back in 2018 already had so much significance in my life.
Read The Perfect One Week in Bali Itinerary for First-Time Visitors.
Bali Solo Travel
Bali was the perfect place for solo travel and finding my community, especially after heartbreak.
I decided that after months of just bouncing around, I wanted a new base.
So in September of 2018, I decided to move back full time by myself, everything was just so accessible and comfortable.
It was really easy to get settled in, there was fast wifi, there were co-working spaces, there was so much surf.
So from September 2018 to September,2019, I was based in Bali and I really had no intentional plans to leave until I met Ragz.
You just can never predict what life throws at you.
You might have all of these plans and all of these timelines, and sometimes they just go out the door and there’s nothing you can do about that.
But that’s the beauty of life. You really just can’t control it.
Bali Energy
Every time I come back to this amazing island, I’m so reminded of just how much can change in such a short period of time.
Why not just live it up, right? Why not do everything we’ve always wanted to do?
I love the community of entrepreneurs and the community of people who quit their jobs, moved to Bali, to pursue their dreams.
There is just such an abundance of entrepreneurs and like-minded souls that I feel like I belong here.
There really is no better feeling than saying what you do and have people accept it and understand it with complete understanding.
When I was in my corporate job, I would tell people about my dreams to travel, to start my own business. And it was met with critics and skepticism and just a lot of negativity.
There is honestly no better feeling than to say what you’re doing and have people understand and support your goals and your entire lifestyle.
The second best thing about being in Bali is surfing, which is so near and dear to my heart.
Bali has some of the best waves in the world, especially for longboarding, which is what I’m trying to improve on every single day.
It’s so easy to just hop on a scooter, go down for a surf and come back and work from your villa and have really fast wifi.
Bali Reflections
2018 versus 2021, obviously the pandemic that happened and then it’s still happening was a major change.
Back in 2018, I had just broken up with my ex long-term partner and wanted to get out of New York City, and I wanted to pursue being a full time influencer.
That was something I had on my Passion Planner. Read How to Use a Passion Planner and a Look Into Mine From This Year!
This was also before I started surfing before I really had any hobbies other than going to the gym.
Back when I had a corporate job, I really had no hobbies outside of my work.
I loved backpacking and country hopping, but I think that’s also just something that came out of having really limited vacation days and limited time.
Every time I had a long weekend, I would kind of add on two vacation days to that and go to a different country.
I really didn’t have the luxury of exploring a place for more than one or two weeks at a time.
All that changed in 3 years time.
This is what I love about reflecting on the past, because it just shows that so much can happen in such a short amount of time.
I decided to put myself out there and start dating again, which is how I met Ragz.
I decided to do things outside of my comfort zone.
I decided to start surfing and really commit to it and get better at it.
I decided to invest in my business and Marketing, and ask for help when I needed it.
I invested in masterminds and in coaches reached multiple five figure months.
I now have a thriving business and expanded onto so many other platforms outside of Instagram. I’m a better surfer. I’m a better girlfriend. I’m a better friend.
There is just so much growth that I was not even able to comprehend back in 2018.
All this is a testimonial of being able to serve and help others and make an impact and influence others after filling up your own cup.
Quick Facts About Bali
- 1 USD is around 14,500 Indonesian Rupiah (IDR)
- Language: Bahasa Indonesian
- Airport: Ngurah Rai International Airport Denpasar (DPS)
Popular Areas of Bali
Ubud: Jungle, yogi, temple, waterfall, nature vibes. Not by the coast. Beautiful hotels in the jungle, monkey forest. Worth a visit, but don’t stay if you plan to surf.
Canggu: Where I’m based now. Cute cafes, surf breaks for all levels, co-working spaces, gyms, nail salons, massages.
Read Best Bali Coworking Spaces for Digital Nomads.
Seminyak: Big hotels, beach bars, beach clubs, more touristy with a lot going on.
Uluwatu: Also known as the bukit. Where the best Bali waves are located, perfect for getting barreled. Cliff bars, amazing views.
Another thing I love about this island is you can scoot around on your scooter for 30 minutes and be in a completely different world.
Staying in Bali for 1 Month
Bali is very small, and everyone’s super connected.
Once you find your community, you really connect with everyone else in that community.
I feel like these are the connections that give you the most opportunities because it’s so aligned with what you’re doing and what kind of lifestyle you’re living.
The longer you stay somewhere, the more you find your groove.
When you’re traveling, whether it be on vacation or just like a short weekend trip, you’re always on the go. It’s really hard to find a system and find a routine.
But now I’m back on track and can figure out what kind of day-to-day routine is the most sustainable for myself, my energy levels, and my business.
Bali is very accessible. I drive a scooter. I had no idea how to drive a scooter before arriving for the first time, but it’s really easy to learn.
Once you can just hop on a bike and go anywhere on the island, you can design your days exactly how you want to.
Everything here is so conducive to my goals when it comes to networking with other coaches, networking with other influencers, shooting content, growing my luxury media production company, growing my audience, and surfing.
These are the reasons why I’m back.
Conclusion
I hope you guys learned something about life design, about what it’s like traveling full time and finding your bases.
I hope it gives you some ideas of how you may want to design your life in the future.
As always, if you have any questions, my DMs are always open.
I’m really excited to share more about this island and create content and help coach and serve more and more of you at!
Remember, you are capable of doing anything you set your mind to.
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Read Next
How to Use a Passion Planner and a Look Into Mine From This Year!
The Perfect One Week in Bali Itinerary for First-Time Visitors
Best Bali Coworking Spaces for Digital Nomads
