Wow. It’s been almost a year since I returned from my 3-month trip to Bali, Indonesia where I lived and worked for 3 months. It was a totally exhilarating year, full of lots of growth, change and uncertainty.
It would seem appropriate to look back on the last year, and summarize some of the things I learned in my year of living light and going with the flow.
Trade School 2011 from David Felix Sutcliffe on Vimeo.
What a brilliant concept. Learn more about Trade School Vancouver.
In my ongoing efforts to set up more effective tools for managing my business, I finally embraced “the spreadsheet.”
I have always struggled to visualize the “big picture” scheduling for a web design project. I use Basecamp to set milestones, make to-dos, and mark deadlines… but it doesn’t help me effectively estimate timeframes, and plan for realistic, achievable milestones. Basecamp is sufficient for smaller projects, where both myself and the client were often flexible with dates and structure, but in order to start being more effective with my time on larger-scale projects, I needed a system.
Read MoreA curious thing happened to me recently.
I had two different clients come to me within a very short window of each other: Let’s call them Client A and Client B. Both were exceptionally friendly and kind in their emails.
On Saturday September 29, I completed the Tough Mudder event in Seattle. If you haven’t heard of Tough Mudder, it is described as follows on the website: “Tough Mudder events are hardcore 10-12 mile obstacle courses designed by British Special Forces to test your all around strength, stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie.”
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A fantastic read called The Cheapest Generation, by DEREK THOMPSON and JORDAN WEISSMANN for The Atlantic takes a look at “Why Millennials aren’t buying cars or houses, and what that means for the economy.”
I particularly find this interesting because I can definitely see within my own age group and social circles that the desire for a house, a car, and material possessions seems to be drastically different from that of our parents generation. Our attitudes about money and ownership are changing…
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Check out my recent article for TXP mag: Exploring a nomadic business and lifestyle which discusses some of the challenges of a mobile business.
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Just a quick update to say that I’ve returned from my epic 3 month work/travel experience in Bali, Indonesia, and am currently couch-surfing with friends in Vancouver until I decide on my next move.
I have had the pleasure of working in some very interesting offices during my time here in Bali. I made it my mission to find some of the best workable cafes/bars/restaurants/guesthouses. My main requirements were 1. Fast internet access 2. Comfortable/ergonomic seating & tables 3. Good food
Here are some of my favourite spots I’ve worked at during my time in Bali, in order of preference :)
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You can only stay in Indonesia for 60 days at a time with a Visa on Arrival, and then you need to leave the country if you want to return again. I was thinking about maybe doing a small side trip to Thailand (rock climbing in Railay? visit Cody McKibben…), and then a university friend (Steve) informed me that he would be heading to Cambodia at the end of March. This aligned perfectly with my schedule, so with about 5 days notice, I booked tickets to Cambodia with a stopover in Malaysia!
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After spending my first week in Ubud, I made arrangements to meet up with some Couchsurfers on Gili Air in Lombok to get our diving certification. The Gili Islands are reputable for their snorkeling, surfing, and partying (depending on which of the 3 Gili Islands you go to).
I should probably mention that up until a few years ago I was… ahem… “very reluctant” to get into open natural water. I avoided it at all costs, and to be perfectly honest, it was even difficult to get me into a swimming pool (you’d have to trick me or throw me in). I’d had a number of negative experiences growing up with murky Ontario waters, that I stopped trusting water and the creatures living in it! Beaver lice larva one year, leaches, seaweed… I began to associate water with creepy crawlies, and it just generally gave me the shivers.
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Well, my first month of exploring a work-travel lifestyle has already flown by! It’s been a really interesting ride so far. I spent my first couple of weeks exploring Bali, decompressing, and getting adjusted to everything from the bug bites, to the food and everything in between.
Life is slower here, and I will admit, it is difficult to feel “stressed.” I am currently living in a little bungalow in the Rice Fields not far from the center of Ubud, a small town in the center of Bali, well known for its arts and culture (as well as its spectacular postcard-worthy rice field views). There are dingy bungalows and 5 star resorts, backpackers and wealthy travellers alike.
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