Places That Changed Us: Ubud, Bali

Joining the community of travelers, digital nomads, locals, and expats in Ubud changed my life in two major ways. First, the melting pot of cultures, religions, ideas, and backgrounds of the people I met shattered my suburban American worldview — a dim and narrow perspective that had already been severely wounded by prior travels. Conversing with people from around the globe, most of whom had uprooted their lives to come here and start over (insert Eat, Pray, Love joke here), I came to understand that everyone, at every age, is struggling to figure out who they will be going forward. This gave me a confidence in my redirective vision that I couldn’t find back home.

Second, by heading to Bali alone, I became much more comfortable doing things on my own. I no longer felt the need to join a group of people going to a bar, or to do something that wasn’t a priority for me, just because I wanted to hang out. There is minimal nightlife in Ubud, and I became accustomed to doing yoga every morning and heading out for a solo hike or a long walk through town after work. I honed my trip planning skills and headed to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore after leaving the island.

My time in Bali changed me to the point that in the seven years since I was there, I’ve started referring to events and memories in my life as “pre-Bali” or “post-Bali.” My priorities and mindset shifted so significantly while on the island that categorizing things in this way seemed not only doable, but necessary.