This post has been brewing for a while. Months to maybe a year in fact. Initially, I wanted this to be an informative piece about my upcoming pursuit to my favourite place in the world, but I wanted to set the scene a little. Let you guys know why I've made the decision to leave home to live in Indonsesia for a few months and turns out I have so much to say this has turned into a bit of a love letter to Bali. So grab a cuppa and get comfy, It's a long one.
Exactly one year ago today, I boarded a flight to Bali for the first time with one of my best friends. It was my first time in Asia, the furthest I'd been from home and the beginning of what would be an insatiable love affair with the Indonesian island. Bali had been the top of my travel list since watching Eat Pray Love back in 2010, I'd literally spent years daydreaming about the surf, the rice fields, the temples, the sunsets and Balinese life itself. So of course, finally visiting was a pretty bloody magical, cathartic experience. It opened my eyes to not only new parts of the world, but new parts of myself. The energy, the people, the general vibe of pure happiness everywhere you went – it put a lot of things in perspective and I was addicted.
We spent two weeks traveling around the island, soaking up every bit of Bali that we could. From daily doses of vitamin-sea and traditional spas to temple trecks and conquering my fear of the sea on my first scuba dive in the Gili Islands. I fell head over heels for everything about it and came home with not only my first tattoo but a heavy heart about leaving. I mean, I like to think this was tiredness induced, but I think I was even mopey enough to shed a tear or two in Denpasar airport.
At home, I had a severe case of the Bali blues. My brain itching with fresh memories, my body craving sunshine, salt water, and coconuts. I hadn't had enough. I'd always been a gypsy soul. I craved adventure and discovery of new places, no matter how low my bank balance was – I always somehow made it happen. Where would I go next? Where haven't I seen? But this was different, never had I had such a gut-wrenching desire to return to somewhere so soon, so immediately after coming home. In the three weeks that followed, I threw myself into work, the gym and ended a five-year relationship – told you it put things in perspective. And then, before I knew it, I was on Sky Scanner booking flights back to my new favourite island.
So a little over a month after returning from my first Bali trip, I was back at Heathrow, nearly collapsing under the weight of my backpack, ready to embark on my first ever solo trip. Shit scared? Hell yes. I'd be experiencing hostels for the first time in my life, alone, with no idea who I'd meet or what to expect. It'd been something I'd always wanted to do, so returning to my new favourite place seemed like the perfect excuse to do it.
Traveling to Bali alone was a different experience entirely. It pushed me way out of my comfort zone but I loved every second of it. I met so many amazing different people from all over the world, all doing the same as me, some for months at a time, some on holiday – generally there was just an amazing friendly vibe everywhere and it did amazing things for my confidence. I was headed to the beach with different people every day, jumping on the back of scooters, sharing meals with strangers and dancing 'till the early hours at beach clubs with new friends. Like I said, a totally different experience but it only made me fall in love with Bali all over again.
And, being the hopeless romantic that I am, I also managed to fall for a boy during this trip too. Yes, Bali is renowned for its relaxed way of life, and everything really is so damn chill. But it's also heady, hell romantic and the tropical air is thick with promise and excitement. It's hard not to feel the love. This relationship evolved into a holiday romance that stretched out over the duration of the summer, and I used to think that's why I loved Bali so much, because I fell in love there. But now I can see it was pretty much the opposite, I fell so hard because I was having the time of my life, was so in love with Bali and the dreamy places I was in at the time. So when my friends asked me if it'd make me sad going back, I told them no – because (besides being totally over that relationship and a stronger person for it) there's not one hard feeling. I'll smile if I see the places we went, because it'll just be a reminder of how special the place can make you feel, with someone or by yourself.
That being said, this past year has had some soaring highs and soul-shattering lows. I've been by myself for a good amount of time for the first time in my adult life and feel more self-assured in myself, my work and the people in my life than ever before. I'm a hell of a lot more confident, independent and a step like this next one couldn't feel any more natural to me right now. I'm ready for new challenges and adventures, but I'm also so ready to return to my favourite place on the planet.
I knew after my last trip the next time I'd be coming back to Bali, it would be to stay, to experience living there. For a good while at least. The place fills my thoughts on the daily, I'd say about 50% of the accounts I follow on Instagram are Bali related and when I see these pictures or read stories about it, I almost feel homesick. I don't think there's a cell in my body that doesn't want to be there. So, come mid-April, me and my backpack are setting off once more and this time I'm gonna hang around for a while. Sure, I'll travel a little, but I'll be getting my own place, own scooter (god help me), pouring myself into my work and content creation and be living on the island of my dreams for a good few months. It's scary and will be a different experience to my previous two trips entirely, but I'm so damn ready for it.
I asked you guys on Instagram if you had any questions about my move and how I'll be doing it and the main question that came up was funding. How am I affording to up and leave? Of course, being self-employed has its perks and I fully intend on working as much as possible on my content whilst I'm out there – I'm not treating it like a three month holiday. I've saved a little money up, but to be honest, the cost of living is actually so cheap out there my expenses aren't going to be much different to what they are here. And work-wise, I'm hoping to collaborate with local creatives and have a few things planned with some of my favourite UK brands too. But what I'm really excited about is to get back to basics with my content, focus on my photography and write about things I really want to write about, there are so many ideas swimming around my brain right now I could burst.
I have a rough return date, so I'm not running away forever. There are some work and family commitments I have later in the year and to be honest, there are so many places and festivals in Europe I would hate to miss out on this summer. And if all goes well, I can probably see myself running back to Bali to escape the British winter. But for now, I just know for sure that this is my next step and after that – who the hell knows! So long as I can keep doing what I'm doing, keep traveling and creating pretty pictures and words here for you (and me) – I'm pretty bloody happy about having an open-ended future right now and am so excited about what the rest of 2018 and the next few months in particular will bring.
If you made it this far, thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed this personal post and some of my favourite shots from my last two trips. Stay tuned for a hell of a lot more coming this was so very soon <3
This post has been brewing for a while. Months to maybe a year in fact. Initially, I wanted this to be an informative piece about my upcoming pursuit to my favourite place in the world, but I wanted to set the scene a little. Let you guys know why I've made the decision to leave home to live in Indonsesia for a few months and turns out I have so much to say this has turned into a bit of a love letter to Bali. So grab a cuppa and get comfy, It's a long one.Exactly one year ago today, I boarded a flight to Bali for the first time with one of my best friends. It was my first time in Asia, the furthest I'd been from home and the beginning of what would be an insatiable love affair with the Indonesian island. Bali had been the top of my travel list since watching Eat Pray Love back in 2010, I'd literally spent years daydreaming about the surf, the rice fields, the temples, the sunsets and Balinese life itself. So of course, finally visiting was a pretty bloody magical, cathartic experience. It opened my eyes to not only new parts of the world, but new parts of myself. The energy, the people, the general vibe of pure happiness everywhere you went – it put a lot of things in perspective and I was addicted.
We spent two weeks traveling around the island, soaking up every bit of Bali that we could. From daily doses of vitamin-sea and traditional spas to temple trecks and conquering my fear of the sea on my first scuba dive in the Gili Islands. I fell head over heels for everything about it and came home with not only my first tattoo but a heavy heart about leaving. I mean, I like to think this was tiredness induced, but I think I was even mopey enough to shed a tear or two in Denpasar airport.
At home, I had a severe case of the Bali blues. My brain itching with fresh memories, my body craving sunshine, salt water, and coconuts. I hadn't had enough. I'd always been a gypsy soul. I craved adventure and discovery of new places, no matter how low my bank balance was – I always somehow made it happen. Where would I go next? Where haven't I seen? But this was different, never had I had such a gut-wrenching desire to return to somewhere so soon, so immediately after coming home. In the three weeks that followed, I threw myself into work, the gym and ended a five-year relationship – told you it put things in perspective. And then, before I knew it, I was on Sky Scanner booking flights back to my new favourite island.
So a little over a month after returning from my first Bali trip, I was back at Heathrow, nearly collapsing under the weight of my backpack, ready to embark on my first ever solo trip. Shit scared? Hell yes. I'd be experiencing hostels for the first time in my life, alone, with no idea who I'd meet or what to expect. It'd been something I'd always wanted to do, so returning to my new favourite place seemed like the perfect excuse to do it.
Traveling to Bali alone was a different experience entirely. It pushed me way out of my comfort zone but I loved every second of it. I met so many amazing different people from all over the world, all doing the same as me, some for months at a time, some on holiday – generally there was just an amazing friendly vibe everywhere and it did amazing things for my confidence. I was headed to the beach with different people every day, jumping on the back of scooters, sharing meals with strangers and dancing 'till the early hours at beach clubs with new friends. Like I said, a totally different experience but it only made me fall in love with Bali all over again.
And, being the hopeless romantic that I am, I also managed to fall for a boy during this trip too. Yes, Bali is renowned for its relaxed way of life, and everything really is so damn chill. But it's also heady, hell romantic and the tropical air is thick with promise and excitement. It's hard not to feel the love. This relationship evolved into a holiday romance that stretched out over the duration of the summer, and I used to think that's why I loved Bali so much, because I fell in love there. But now I can see it was pretty much the opposite, I fell so hard because I was having the time of my life, was so in love with Bali and the dreamy places I was in at the time. So when my friends asked me if it'd make me sad going back, I told them no – because (besides being totally over that relationship and a stronger person for it) there's not one hard feeling. I'll smile if I see the places we went, because it'll just be a reminder of how special the place can make you feel, with someone or by yourself.
That being said, this past year has had some soaring highs and soul-shattering lows. I've been by myself for a good amount of time for the first time in my adult life and feel more self-assured in myself, my work and the people in my life than ever before. I'm a hell of a lot more confident, independent and a step like this next one couldn't feel any more natural to me right now. I'm ready for new challenges and adventures, but I'm also so ready to return to my favourite place on the planet.
I knew after my last trip the next time I'd be coming back to Bali, it would be to stay, to experience living there. For a good while at least. The place fills my thoughts on the daily, I'd say about 50% of the accounts I follow on Instagram are Bali related and when I see these pictures or read stories about it, I almost feel homesick. I don't think there's a cell in my body that doesn't want to be there. So, come mid-April, me and my backpack are setting off once more and this time I'm gonna hang around for a while. Sure, I'll travel a little, but I'll be getting my own place, own scooter (god help me), pouring myself into my work and content creation and be living on the island of my dreams for a good few months. It's scary and will be a different experience to my previous two trips entirely, but I'm so damn ready for it.
I asked you guys on Instagram if you had any questions about my move and how I'll be doing it and the main question that came up was funding. How am I affording to up and leave? Of course, being self-employed has its perks and I fully intend on working as much as possible on my content whilst I'm out there – I'm not treating it like a three month holiday. I've saved a little money up, but to be honest, the cost of living is actually so cheap out there my expenses aren't going to be much different to what they are here. And work-wise, I'm hoping to collaborate with local creatives and have a few things planned with some of my favourite UK brands too. But what I'm really excited about is to get back to basics with my content, focus on my photography and write about things I really want to write about, there are so many ideas swimming around my brain right now I could burst.
I have a rough return date, so I'm not running away forever. There are some work and family commitments I have later in the year and to be honest, there are so many places and festivals in Europe I would hate to miss out on this summer. And if all goes well, I can probably see myself running back to Bali to escape the British winter. But for now, I just know for sure that this is my next step and after that – who the hell knows! So long as I can keep doing what I'm doing, keep traveling and creating pretty pictures and words here for you (and me) – I'm pretty bloody happy about having an open-ended future right now and am so excited about what the rest of 2018 and the next few months in particular will bring.
If you made it this far, thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed this personal post and some of my favourite shots from my last two trips. Stay tuned for a hell of a lot more coming this was so very soon <3
Exactly one year ago today, I boarded a flight to Bali for the first time with one of my best friends. It was my first time in Asia, the furthest I'd been from home and the beginning of what would be an insatiable love affair with the Indonesian island. Bali had been the top of my travel list since watching Eat Pray Love back in 2010, I'd literally spent years daydreaming about the surf, the rice fields, the temples, the sunsets and Balinese life itself. So of course, finally visiting was a pretty bloody magical, cathartic experience. It opened my eyes to not only new parts of the world, but new parts of myself. The energy, the people, the general vibe of pure happiness everywhere you went – it put a lot of things in perspective and I was addicted.
We spent two weeks traveling around the island, soaking up every bit of Bali that we could. From daily doses of vitamin-sea and traditional spas to temple trecks and conquering my fear of the sea on my first scuba dive in the Gili Islands. I fell head over heels for everything about it and came home with not only my first tattoo but a heavy heart about leaving. I mean, I like to think this was tiredness induced, but I think I was even mopey enough to shed a tear or two in Denpasar airport.
At home, I had a severe case of the Bali blues. My brain itching with fresh memories, my body craving sunshine, salt water, and coconuts. I hadn't had enough. I'd always been a gypsy soul. I craved adventure and discovery of new places, no matter how low my bank balance was – I always somehow made it happen. Where would I go next? Where haven't I seen? But this was different, never had I had such a gut-wrenching desire to return to somewhere so soon, so immediately after coming home. In the three weeks that followed, I threw myself into work, the gym and ended a five-year relationship – told you it put things in perspective. And then, before I knew it, I was on Sky Scanner booking flights back to my new favourite island.
So a little over a month after returning from my first Bali trip, I was back at Heathrow, nearly collapsing under the weight of my backpack, ready to embark on my first ever solo trip. Shit scared? Hell yes. I'd be experiencing hostels for the first time in my life, alone, with no idea who I'd meet or what to expect. It'd been something I'd always wanted to do, so returning to my new favourite place seemed like the perfect excuse to do it.
Traveling to Bali alone was a different experience entirely. It pushed me way out of my comfort zone but I loved every second of it. I met so many amazing different people from all over the world, all doing the same as me, some for months at a time, some on holiday – generally there was just an amazing friendly vibe everywhere and it did amazing things for my confidence. I was headed to the beach with different people every day, jumping on the back of scooters, sharing meals with strangers and dancing 'till the early hours at beach clubs with new friends. Like I said, a totally different experience but it only made me fall in love with Bali all over again.
And, being the hopeless romantic that I am, I also managed to fall for a boy during this trip too. Yes, Bali is renowned for its relaxed way of life, and everything really is so damn chill. But it's also heady, hell romantic and the tropical air is thick with promise and excitement. It's hard not to feel the love. This relationship evolved into a holiday romance that stretched out over the duration of the summer, and I used to think that's why I loved Bali so much, because I fell in love there. But now I can see it was pretty much the opposite, I fell so hard because I was having the time of my life, was so in love with Bali and the dreamy places I was in at the time. So when my friends asked me if it'd make me sad going back, I told them no – because (besides being totally over that relationship and a stronger person for it) there's not one hard feeling. I'll smile if I see the places we went, because it'll just be a reminder of how special the place can make you feel, with someone or by yourself.
That being said, this past year has had some soaring highs and soul-shattering lows. I've been by myself for a good amount of time for the first time in my adult life and feel more self-assured in myself, my work and the people in my life than ever before. I'm a hell of a lot more confident, independent and a step like this next one couldn't feel any more natural to me right now. I'm ready for new challenges and adventures, but I'm also so ready to return to my favourite place on the planet.
I knew after my last trip the next time I'd be coming back to Bali, it would be to stay, to experience living there. For a good while at least. The place fills my thoughts on the daily, I'd say about 50% of the accounts I follow on Instagram are Bali related and when I see these pictures or read stories about it, I almost feel homesick. I don't think there's a cell in my body that doesn't want to be there. So, come mid-April, me and my backpack are setting off once more and this time I'm gonna hang around for a while. Sure, I'll travel a little, but I'll be getting my own place, own scooter (god help me), pouring myself into my work and content creation and be living on the island of my dreams for a good few months. It's scary and will be a different experience to my previous two trips entirely, but I'm so damn ready for it.
I asked you guys on Instagram if you had any questions about my move and how I'll be doing it and the main question that came up was funding. How am I affording to up and leave? Of course, being self-employed has its perks and I fully intend on working as much as possible on my content whilst I'm out there – I'm not treating it like a three month holiday. I've saved a little money up, but to be honest, the cost of living is actually so cheap out there my expenses aren't going to be much different to what they are here. And work-wise, I'm hoping to collaborate with local creatives and have a few things planned with some of my favourite UK brands too. But what I'm really excited about is to get back to basics with my content, focus on my photography and write about things I really want to write about, there are so many ideas swimming around my brain right now I could burst.
I have a rough return date, so I'm not running away forever. There are some work and family commitments I have later in the year and to be honest, there are so many places and festivals in Europe I would hate to miss out on this summer. And if all goes well, I can probably see myself running back to Bali to escape the British winter. But for now, I just know for sure that this is my next step and after that – who the hell knows! So long as I can keep doing what I'm doing, keep traveling and creating pretty pictures and words here for you (and me) – I'm pretty bloody happy about having an open-ended future right now and am so excited about what the rest of 2018 and the next few months in particular will bring.
If you made it this far, thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed this personal post and some of my favourite shots from my last two trips. Stay tuned for a hell of a lot more coming this was so very soon <3
Love this! Wish I was coming with you xxxx
ReplyDeleteAhhhhhh I am so jealous, almost welled up reading this. I went to Bali last summer and had the exact same experience. We spent two weeks exploring and I have CRAVED it ever since. There is not a day that goes by when I don't dream about my next trip. It is a truly magical, ethereal place and I hope that you love every second of your return visit. I can't wait to read all about it. Safe travels Ax
ReplyDeleteSo inspiring! I hope to visit Asia soon, but it’s great to see yourself living that dream of my own! Makes me want it even more, and makes it seem even more reachable! I can’t wait to see all your creativity flow from this x
ReplyDeleteThis is the first time in a long time that i sat down and read a post this long. I could barely sip my coffee at the excitement i felt coming off the tops of your fingers as i read your words. It’s inspiring when people step out of their comfort zone! I moved away from London to America alone when i was 21 and i am now 26 married to a us marine, one toddler, one baby, half way through pregnancy and i wouldn’t have my life any other way. I can’t wait to visit Bali with my husband one day but for now my adventure lays between deployments trying to raise my tribe of men! I loved this post and look forward to your content during your stay.
ReplyDeletePs, you’ve come along way since our boot camp days and I’m so happy to have stumbled across you again! Xo
This was so SO beautiful to read, I’ve never been but you’ve totally made me want to visit, sounds exactly like the kind of place I’d thrive! Huge good luck with the move, so so exciting! I hope you have the best time! X
ReplyDeleteHttp://www.stylepetal.co.uk
Girl I'm SO excited for you; I absolutely cannot wait to follow your content and I cannot wait to meet you out there! I've wanted to visit for the longest time and am finally taking the trip in April too for around five weeks, I'm so excited I could burst!
ReplyDeleteHayley xo
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