After 30-40 something hours (4 connecting flights!) of travel, I landed into Bali a few nights ago. Perhaps because of all of the flying my body lost track of what time it thinks it should be, and I don’t have jet lag going to bed/waking up like I’ve been living 12 hours ahead of time my whole life.
The past weekend I was in Jaco, Costa Rica visiting a few friends. I would normally be excited and looking forward to visiting somewhere new with friends, but I actually wasn’t too enthused to visit as it was a precursor to my extended Bali trip. It felt more like a pit stop that required work (figuring out transportation from the airport, planning excursions, etc.), but I ended up really liking it. The beaches had majestic long stretches of dark sand and rumbling waves as far as I could see. It was so peaceful, the water was warm, the Costa Rican people were happy and kind, and we saw some wild monkeys + crocodiles.
Today is day 4 in Canggu, Bali. First impressions: how have I never been here? It’s like people built all of the businesses I’ve wanted to frequent, put them in a 2 mile radius in a tropical jungle close to the beach, and it’s cheap! Great coffee, eating at restaurants that only cook in coconut oil, and my girlfriend and I got the numbers of multiple friendly people at the CrossFit gym on our first day.
We joined CrossFit Wanderlust which is beating the overly high expectations I already had. I’ve done CrossFit all over the world, and this is one of the best. There is also another gym on the same street, Nirvana, that has adult gymnastics for aesthetics and Olympic weightlifting classes only. I’ve always wanted this as a consumer! Both gyms also have full cafes with good coffee and high quality food.
Our Airbnb that we have for the week while we look for a 1 month rental is also great. We have a pool overlooking the rice fields that is fun to swim in and lay around getting some sun post-workout. There are cities that are cheaper than Bali, but when you want to start eating high quality food/have a designer place I’ve never been anywhere this cheap. I think this might be one of the best price/value ratio cities I’ve been to. Medellin is another city I would compare it to.
On the work front I’m hoping to quickly settle in here. Part of me fomo’s to want to try every coffee/healthy restaurant/gym on the island (which would be impossible in the next month even if I was doing it full-time), but I’m coming to mental terms with settling on a curated list of recommended things in my free time. I want to work on my trading/ML research and write on a regular basis. Bali is one of those places where you can join a gym, immediately meet people to go to brunch with, then go for a massage, then it’s time for a mobility/yoga class, then dinner, then party. I know because I stopped today halfway down this list to get to work on this blog.
I’ve got to get going to a pool party now, but will get back on a more normal work/blogging schedule next week.
Some quick recommendations:
“Bohemian Rhapsody” the film (thank you Jeff) and then the Spotify playlist after you realize how many good songs they have.
“Turning Pro” by Steven Pressfield for people who need a quick kick in the butt to commit to their craft.
Leaving you with a few pics of the beach, our apartment, and some crocodiles in Costa Rica.
Andrew Manser 