Introductions, formalities, shaking hands.

I thought I’d get the formalities out the way first and foremost. 

I’ve been living in Bali for just over 3 years since November 2010 and I was travelling for a year before that.  I’ve just got back from 6 months back in the UK with my fiancé of two years and whom I live with here in Bali. 

I thought I’d start this blog to tell people the truth about living with a local, living abroad, and being an expat.  Most people think it’s amazing, and to an extent it is, the beaches, the sun, the people you meet and the fun that comes with it! However it does come at a price.  I still have to work here to support myself, unfortunately I’m not a well off person that I can spend my days leisurely at the beach sunning myself all day.  I've still got to wake up at 6am, get ready and go to work for the monotonous 8 hours to make a living and I have a whole set of brand new problems to deal with, from visas to culture issues, to language problems, to religion, food, missing family and being homesick (happens to us all at some point) the list is endless. 

That’s what I’ll be talking about here, the problems, the issues but all the good stuff too. 

 
Now I don’t profess to know everything there is to know about living in Bali, I’m still learning and I learn something new every day but what I do know I wanted to share. 

So I told you I've been here living in Bali seriously for just over three years, three and a half if we’re being picky.  Since November 2010 I've been back in the UK for 7 months, almost 6 with my fiance and just over a month after I was here for 2 years.  

I met my fiance, who we’ll call Danny for now, (please note I will be changing the names of the people in my life to protect their identities) I met him while I was travelling.  

I traveled from September 2009 to August 2010.  I was 21 at the time and travelling with my sister who was 18.  We first went to Thailand then onto Singapore, Bali, Australia, New Zealand and Fiji.  Within that year we ended up coming back to Bali twice and pretty much changed every flight we had planned.  We loved Bali so much! 

I wouldn't change anything I've done but I can honestly say visiting a country and being a tourist is so much different to living and working there while trying to adapt to the way of life.  I met Danny on my second visit to Bali.  We had originally met some guys who became close friends and I met Danny through them.  For me it was love at first sight.  I know how corny that sounds, and thinking back it could have been pretty dangerous, you know what they say, all the bad that comes with being from a first world country and then meeting someone from a ‘third world’ it could have turned out horribly.  So My first piece of advice is beware! I was lucky, and I know a number of people who have also been lucky, but the amount of people who unfortunately do get tricked, or used, and that goes for both parties, Indonesians and foreigners can get used just as much as the tourists can.  That being said be brave and take a chance, you just never know. Just keep your wits about you. 

So me and Danny became a couple about 6 months after I arrived here.  We were friends for a long time first, partly because neither of us really wanted a long distance relationship and partly because he had been burned before.  Now we've been together almost 3 years in May and engaged two years in October.  We’re not in a rush to get married, too many people seem to do that here. 

I have worked as an English teacher online for a company here in Bali on and off for three years.  I say on and off because I have left twice to go back to the UK for a few months at a time.  I’ll be talking more about working here at some point. 

Working here has come with its issues, and living with Danny has its issues every day.  I’ll be talking about all of them in up and coming blogs. 

All in all living abroad and being with a local is not for the feint hearted.  You need to be brave, strong and have dedication.  If you’re reading this and you’re in a similar position you’ll know exactly what I mean, if not, I don’t want to deter anyone, go for it, absolutely!

That’s a bit about me for now.  Until next time travelers.