My Digital Nomad Life in Batukaras, Indonesia

Welcome to my 5 year anniversary episode since quitting corporate! (1:00). This episode is designed to inspire you to follow your dreams. I talk about how to purposefully prioritize your life to achieve your goals (3:11) and how to create a life that is conducive to success in both your passions and business (8:14).

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Intro

The Wanderlover Podcast was created with a mission to enable travel and freedom through entrepreneurship. I’m your host, Danielle Hu business mentor, content creator, and founder of The Wanderlover. Tune in every week for episodes about travel online business, social media, and mindset that will inspire you to take massive action towards living the life of your dreams. If you’ve been enjoying the Wanderlover podcast, if you’ve been tuning in and finding inspiration and taking away value, it would mean so much to me. If you could take a second to leave us a review on apple podcasts, I continue to record these episodes for you every single week and take all of your comments and feedback to heart. Thank you guys so, so much. 

5 Year Anniversary Since Quitting Corporate

Dani:

Hello. My loves. Welcome back to The Wanderlover Podcast. I’m your host, Danielle we’re recording this episode from Batukaras, Indonesia. Today is also the five year anniversary of when I quit my corporate job. So my last day in corporate was July 11th, 2017. This episode goes live on July 11th, 2022, and wow, how much my life has changed in the past five years. I always say, where would you be today if you started five years ago. And where would you be in five years? If you started today?

Dani:

When I handed in my letter of resignation in pursuit of a location, independent lifestyle, never would I have imagined that I would be recording episodes for thousands and thousands of listeners in this remote part of the world, where all I’m doing is surfing every day. I didn’t even know Batukaras existed until last year. And here we are. So if you would like to have a recap of how I’ve built my location, independent business, you can download my case study for free and the episode description. And this just goes through the mindset, shifts, the steps I took year over year to build a multiple six-figure business all while traveling full-time through COVID and how you can too.

Dani:

So I also feel like I haven’t talked to you guys in a while. The last time I recorded a solo episode was I think in England, we were going to London for my birthday. It was absolutely fantastic. And since then a lot has happened. I’ve really gotten settled into Batukaras. I’ve actually extended my stay. And so this episode, I really just want to catch up, give you all the travel vibes. If you’re thinking of quitting your job and traveling full-time, Or maybe you already have a one way ticket booked, this episode is really going to inspire you. And also give you a few ideas as to how you can plan your day so that it is the most aligned with what you are doing in your life and in your business and what lights you up the most.

What Do You Prioritize in Life Right Now? 

Dani: 

So you might be wondering where in the world is Batukaras. And a lot of people, when I tell them I’m in Indonesia, they automatically assume Bali. I am not on the island of Bali. I am on the island of Java and this remote little surf town is on the south coast of Java. So Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia is on the north coast. We flew into there from England, and then we took an 11 hour car transfer to Batukaras. When we first arrived, it was pouring rain, which is very unusual because usually in Indonesia, they just have dry season and wet season and wet season isn’t until like November, but it was pouring rain when we got here.

Dani:

And that’s why I think our transfer, it took 11 hours. It was very enjoyable. But as you guys can probably tell it’s a very hard to get to location. And that’s probably why there aren’t a lot of tourists. It’s not as done up as Bali and personally, that is why I am falling in love with it each and every day. And you might be wondering why are you there? And funny story. So last year I met a really, really good long border surfer in Bali. His name is Teddy and he is originally from here. And I told him how on my vision board, one of my life goals is to be able to hang 10 on a surf board.

Dani:

So this is where you crossed up your way to the front of your board. My board is like nine foot four. So it’s very long while you’re riding the wave. You want to cross it up until you reach five toes front of the board that is called hanging five. And when you have both feet perched on the nose, so on the front of your board, that is called hanging tent. So last year on my vision board, I wanted to hang five and I was able to do that. This year, 2022, on my vision board, I want to be able to hang 10. And so last year when I met Teddy, I told him about my goal and he told me the wave in Batukaras is so good.

Dani:

If you visit there, you will be able to hang 10. And ever since he said that, I looked it up and I planned for this year to be the year, you know, where everything aligns in my vision board. And so I make it happen. I go to where the waves are the best, where I’m surrounded by other surfers. And that is how you reach your goals, right? I’m always talking about finding your community, surrounding yourself, with the people who are doing what you want to do. If you want to be a photographer, hang out with photographers. If you want to be a photographer, don’t hang out with people in corporate, right? Their habits are different, their mindsets are different. And it’s such a powerful thing.

Dani:

When everyone around you is working towards the same goal. I’m at a point in my life after a few years of full-time travel after many, many years of travel, where right now my priorities are surf and clients’ top two priorities. And because of that, I’m really able to pinpoint where in the world, there are good waves for me to surf and where there’s fast internet and fast data so that I can communicate with clients and org on my business. And the other thing is I am so focused on the goal that I am basing myself here until I can hang 10 on a longboard.

Dani:

I have a six month business visa. So hopefully it’s before then, but maybe I’m going to extend surfing is such a big part of my life. And I only started, I think, two or three years ago. It’s so fulfilling watching yourself grow in something outside of your business and dedicating time and energy and money to your passion. So if you are an online business owner, I really encourage you. It helps so much when you step away, when you fully immerse yourself in something that you’ve love, where you’re like losing track of time so that you’re not constantly in your business. If you don’t know what that is yet it is okay.

Dani:

Just be open to all the new possibilities and opportunities that come your way. Now, you know the backstory of why I am here and full disclosure. I’m actually here by myself right now. Rags went back to Rote Island. So where we were spending a few months last year, he went back to that island because he prefers the waves. They’re, they’re bigger. They’re barely, I wanted to come here because the waves are perfect for longboarding. And so I chose not to go with him and I’m just so focused on my goals that I am doing my own thing. The rest of this episode, I want to paint a picture of my life here, how I found the place I’m currently staying at, and maybe give you some tips of if you’re planning, long-term travel, what you should expect and how you can structure your day.

Day In The Life

Dani:

So every morning I will wake up around 5:30 AM to surf. And this is because during the day it gets super windy. And when it’s windy, the waves aren’t as clean. And so I wake up sunrise so that I can start surfing when there is no wind and it’s super glassy and they’re just better twice a week, I will have lessons. So I invest in a local surf coach. His name is Denny, and he is absolutely incredible, such a ripper, like one of the best longboarders in Indonesia in the world. I always love learning from the best.

Dani:

This goes, hand-in-hand surfing business life in business. I see people doing what I want to do. And I learned from them, right? Same thing with surfing. I see people hanging 10. And that is who I want to learn from. That is who I want to spend time with. So twice a week, I have lessons. The locals here are amongst like the friendliest locals. I know I’ve been here two weeks and I already know so many of them they’re so inviting. They’re always smiling. And a lot of them serve, which I absolutely love because it’s just really cool getting perspective into how they structure their days.

Dani:

Every single time you go out for a surf, they’re surfing. So it’s just such an integral part of their day. And of course, they’re also good at it because they dedicate so many hours to, it just goes to show, the more you do something, the better you get the first week, I booked a place called Villa ammonia for seven days. And this is what I usually do. When I go to aiming place. I’ll find something for a week. It’s so much easier finding a long-term stay when you’re on the ground. When you’re able to just go door to door, seeing what is available. Because a lot of times, not all accommodations are going to be online. They’re not going to be on Airbnb or booking.

Dani:

So it’s just really helpful booking a week. And then giving yourself time to get settled in a little and then find a monthly stay. And you don’t have to commit to it before, you know, getting there and seeing what it’s really like. So the day we got here, I rented a scooter for a month. I learned how to drive a scooter back in Bali. And the first week here literally just went door to door, went on Google maps, but then also went to the beach and looked at every single accommodation around this area, asking them how much a monthly stay was. I was very specific in my criteria. I wanted an office space.

Dani:

I wanted fast internet. I wanted to be close to the beach, hot water air conditioning. And after a few days of searching, I found the perfect room at this hotel called sunrise hotel, about two condos, the room overlooks the ocean. The balcony is huge. The room is super modern, really well decorated with Bohemian furniture, huge bathroom with a tub. And it just checked off everything I had written down and I basically manifested this property, especially because of rags. Wasn’t going to be staying with me. It was the perfect size. I had a desk brought into the room and it’s where I chose to base myself for the entire month of July.

Dani:

What I also usually do is ask them if I book for a month, do I get a discount? And most of the time they do so, just make sure to ask for a discount if you’re staying long-term and it usually comes out cheaper than if you were to travel for a short amount of time, breakfast is included. So after I go surf, I come back to eat a buffet-style breakfast with Nazi Garang, which is fried rice. Meager means fried noodles, there’s fruits, eggs, sausages, coffee, tea, and it’s just very comfortable staying here. There’s fast internet. And I also bought a data package from the local sell shop.

Dani:

I schedule my coaching calls with clients Tuesdays through Thursdays, because there is an 11 hour time difference between where I am to Eastern time. So New York time, most of my client calls will be in the morning or in the evening, the rest of the day. If I am not on calls, sometimes I’ll grab a lunch at house of Sahwa. It is this beautiful restaurant and accommodation in the middle of rice patties. And they have really nice coffee. They have really good Western style dishes, as well as Indonesian dishes. So sometimes I’ll go there.

Dani:

Sometimes I’ll surf again in the afternoon, or I will work. There’s always something to be done in business. Whether that’s creating content, scaling your business, talking to contractors, making sure everything is going smoothly with my team. There’s just always something to do. And I have all the time in the world to do it. It just feels so aligned this life that I am living right now. The people I’m meeting such amazing longboard girls, traveling the world, working online. And it’s just my community. I feel like I’m at the stage of my life, where I’m all about improvement, self-growth and mastery.

Dani:

And I’m surrounding myself with the best of the best last but not least to end the day, I’ll have dinner either with friends or if I’m working at night, I will order delivery straight to my hotel room. I’m really excited because next month I actually found this place. That’s not advertised online. I learned about it through a friend. It is a beautiful two story loft on the beach, like literally on the beach where I surf every day, I can wake up and see the surf point from my bed. We are moving in there next month. It has a projector. It has an outdoor workout space.

Dani:

It has a full kitchen with a massive dining table, fiber optic internet. Just when I thought my living situation couldn’t get any better, couldn’t get any closer to the beach. Just goes to show. You never know how much better your life can get. You never know at all. Don’t think you know it all. Don’t think that you’re right, all the time, be open and receptive to new things coming your way, to new ways of thinking. When rags gets back from roads, Hey, we’ll be doing a lot of exploring. We’ll be doing a lot of content creation and photo shoots. And until then I’ll be filling my own cup, designing my day and my weeks, the way I want to and sharing it with you guys.

Dani:

So you feel empowered to do the same. Your 24 hours can be designed exactly the way you want it. FYI, I sleep for at least eight hours every single night. So I go to sleep really early. I make sure all my work is done during the day. And there you have it. This is ideal. If someone asks me, you know, how is life? I don’t fake it and say, it’s great. It is actually great. It is perfect. And I am thriving. I hope you guys can feel how energized I really am. I hope you feel it because this is an energy that’s going to inspire you to take different actions with your life.

Join Momentum Mastermind

Dani:

Last round of momentum, every single person quit their jobs, built their businesses, and some of them, I think more than half of them booked a one-way ticket. So if I can do it, if they can do it, you can too. If you would like to surround yourself with like-minded entrepreneurs and be in the next round of momentum, sign up for the waitlist for fall 2022. In the episode description. If you have any questions about full time travel or starting your digital nomad, life, yourself, feel free to email me to DM me. I’m always happy to help have an amazing week. Guys. I will see you in the next episode.

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