Working a job on the ground in Bali is absolutely OUT. The Indonesian government will deport your ass for getting paid $50 to sing in a club. In general, NO foreigner is allowed to work any job that an Indonesian could do. This is ok with me however, because I’ll still be able to do what I do now, technical and strategic consulting for NationBuilder customers. I guess the name for it is “digital nomad” - someone who can work from anywhere. Most expats who live there seem to be digital nomads, employed elsewhere, married to locals, or retired. 

Found this article really helpful -  The True Cost of Living in Bali

Who Knew Facebook Was Your “Eyes on The Ground” Before Moving Across The World? 

I don’t know if this is true for everywhere, but I DO know it’s true for Bali. After using Graph Search to find my friends of friends who live in Bali, I ended up searching for group names with the neighborhoods I was interested in, as well as groups located in Bali in general. There is SUCH a wealth of well maintained and frequently updated pockets of local knowledge, and EVERYONE is friendly. Like everyone. I should have known, my own neighborhood of Downtown LA has MANY active Facebook groups, and despite the appearance, there are more expats living on the tiny island of Bali than there are Angelenos living in DTLA. 

Just Bought My One Way, Non-Refundable Airline Ticket - Shit Just Got Real

There’s something about making it official. Robert Cialdini the author of “Influence” would say that this is when “Commitment and Consistency” kick in. At first it’s a shock. This is real, I made a decision and I’m gonna have to live with it!!! Then the wonderful neuro-chemicals kick in. Waves of endorphins and dopamine over a few days cement the idea in your head as not rash, but GREAT and well thought out too! It happens to everyone, that rush of relief when choices are eliminated in favor of a decision. 

It also makes getting things done easier. I immediately made arrangements to loan my mom’s art supplies (which take up a good bit of room) to my friend Raina, bought a new couch to replace the old one, and began making repairs on my loft to get it ready for showings. 

This is real. This is really happening. I’m scared/excited. Ton’s of positive reinforcement from my friends is super helpful, because this will certainly be the biggest adventure of my life. Here we go - countdown, 48 days.