There's something about living in an island paradise that makes everyone really happy and super friendly. Shocker. It's day three and I've already made contact with my online friends who helped prep me for the trip, and about a half dozen new expats. Bali Dinner Club is in the works, maybe two weeks out from our first event, and we're already invited to a BBQ at the villa of an awesome Al Jazeera reporter and her surf instructor boyfriend.
The best part is that I've found a home base about 5 minutes walk from my villa — a co-working space called Dojo Bali. It's THE PERFECT place for any digital nomad. Crazy fast wifi, cafe, pool, lockers, Skype booths, conference rooms, and adorable cats and dogs to play with. Of course the best part is the people. Everyone here is doing something with their lives online to make money while living the dream in a tropical heaven.
The local food is delicious and so so so cheap. I'm spending about $6 a day on food. That's breakfast, lunch and dinner. Beers are between $1.50 and $3.00 depending on where you are. Massages are $7 for an hour. Uber drivers cost about 1/10th the LA price — we're going to Ubud this weekend, our driver will cost $30 for 10 hours. That includes taking us wherever we want, waiting, and getting us home. It's almost too good to be true, but I promise you it is.