The B{ali} Option — are you in?

I’ve been thinking a lot lately. I’d like to tell you about an idea I’ve been toying with. It involves you… and it might, just maybe, change your life. I think of it as: The B Option.

Waking up with ‘Why’

Perhaps it’s something to do with this bracket of life [30’s]. For some yet-to-be-identified reason, right now, I value people and their presence, conversation and community, more than ever. Which is weird, because, well, truth be told, I’m a natural introvert and find most people exhausting. ’Til now, things all used to make sense. That is, the hop-about lifestyle of my 20’s — going it solo — actively electing the solitary life over the shared. I loved (and often preferred) it. So what the bloody hell changed?

This predicament has led me to identify (and obsessively examine) those elements which pilot my internal “VW Campervan of Inner Perkiness”, and have likewise reduced its propensity to break down, rust through, run out of fuel, or on occasion, explode violently across the road. As it turns out, the following components have always been key:

Of these five components, ‘Solitude’ is the only to have drastically morphed. Odd really, and kind of problematic — one would assume it to be an absolute fundamental of the peripatetic way of life. Nonetheless, whilst I shan’t pretend to understand this newfound craving for kinship and community, especially as its fuelled neither by loneliness nor friendlessness, I daren’t ignore it.

Having passively watched this feeling swell over the past 2–3 years (in a really monumental way), an internal shift if you like, now I’d like to turn into the wind and embrace it. The raw admittance therefore being: I seek community. And better still, I believe that I’m not the only one! The single problem remaining: how does community harmoniously converge with the other essential components aforementioned?

I’ve been sharing these musings with some of those nearest me, and also with some more distant. A very cool pattern began to unfurl. Virtually every individual, irrespective of gender, above the age of twenty-seven-ish had begun to experience this enigmatic need for community, place and purpose, elected not by choice nor calculated by logical process, but rearing from a deeper, unreasoning, more primordial place — like a dimly lit presentiment hiding in the backrooms of the psyche. One rarely welcomed by most. Now, whilst I try to remain aware of my own social micro-bubble, I found it most fascinating that of each of the several friends I’d spoken with, many exhibited at least four out of five of the following traits:

1. Hardline Creatives — those that live and breathe their elective industry
2. Well-Travelled — it’s more of a constant ache than an itch
3. Progressive Values — Integrity, Balance, Fairness, Motivation, Kindness can all be applied here
4. Excitable — even when there is no coffee around
5. Forever fluctuating — boredom, a most frequent visitor, is actually a catalyst for innovation

This, comrades, was a fucking revelation! What began as a thanatophobic burnt pancake existential bummer type of situation, suddenly flipped out, doing a mid-air three-sixty tail-whip triple back-flip, landing upright in the geometric form of a vast neon purple sign spelling ‘golden opportunity’… am I making any sense? Most simply, it seemed clear that if one were to have an ambitious, unconventional and somewhat idealistic plan to extinguish the only black cloud dwelling upon our collective skyline, then what better demographic to share it with than a transient bouquet of innovative, over-excitable, curious folks who are driven by un-itchable itches and good morals, often found drunk on creative rock fuel and sometimes secretly daydreaming of revolution.

Whilst I have a proclivity to cynicism, I’m also a big proponent of creative visualisation. I believe we can do community in a better way (even in the short-term), and I now know for sure I’m not the only one who needs it, wants it, would take risk for it. This a good sign. So, the question begs: when you wish to open the doors and bring a crapload of people aboard from all over the world, how does the old VW-CoIP (yep, acronymised!) motor on towards the horizon…?

Dancing with ‘What’

So, I’ve been talking about why I feel this way, why many people I encounter feel the same way, and why building community feels right. Likewise, I’ve tried to discuss how optimal location changes everything, and touched upon how to sabotage those factors which restrict our ability to fully embrace our limited time in existence. Now the fun part…

I’m new at this, but in my head, for community to work, it needs to be adaptive and fluid. Of course it’s early days, but it’d be great to gather people regularly, ideally every year, and each time in a new location (suddenly I’m reminded of Ferriss’s Mini Retirements). People can come and go as they wish — be it for a few weeks, or several months at a time. No worries. Folks can participate as they please.

It’s laughable as I type, but I have to add that it’s not to be a weird kind of dictatorial syndicate

Involvement is free, non-binding/non-exclusive; there is no sign-up and expenses are down to the individual. Phew. Mission Statement: Be Nice, No Assholes.

This year (tomorrow in fact), I’m moving back to Bali [Canggu]— Location No.1. It’s a place I’ve been bouncing to and from for the past few years; a place that offers an exceptional lifestyle hard to surpass (satisfying all prerequisites aforementioned above). Truth be told, Bali has been the vital springboard I needed to make this social leap. Thanks Bali. Let me tell you why I love life in Bali, and why it works so well as the first spot for bringing people together.

• Weather: Hot/tropical and reliable
• Demographic: Balanced ratio of locals vs expats vs passers-through
• Food: Loads of organic, clean, tasty and vegetarian options
• Nature: Volcanoes, Beaches, Jungle, Waterfalls, Ocean
• Focusing: Dojo Co-Work Space, super fast internet, 200+ community of international entrepreneurs/freelancers
• Active options: Climbing, Surfing, Yoga, HIIT Sessions, Hiking
• Vibe: Relaxed & friendly, community orientated, as social as you make it
• Access: International airport — nowhere beyond a 13hr flight (£400-ish)
• Cost of existence: Low

Looking deeper at costs (pretty vital for sustainability and peace of mind), then Bali is an exceedingly affordable place to pin-drop. Per month, typical out-goings are: Villa rent (with pool & bills), Motorbike rent/fuel, Co-Work Space fee, all food and drink (obviously), Yoga sessions, Surfboard rent, Sports Massages, various excursions inland and islands, plus any other unforeseeable add-ons. My average monthly cost: £thismuch. What! Yeah, that’s it! And I consider this the ‘luxury’ option — it could be done for significantly less if desired. I look back at my costs living in London; that figure would barely abate the landlord’s ratatat-tat! Another take on it — £5000 affords me 6 months of this very fitting lifestyle. If I’m not selling this well, then Sir/Madam, my final pitch to you is this: an “average” day:

A daily structure that to me represents idyllic balance, acting as a supercharged deflective forcefield for negativity and most calculable stressors. Each block is uber-flexible; an elasticity so very essential in life.

You know, sometimes we just NEED to extend focus time, other times we NEED take off to the mountains/islands for a few days.

Come days end on days like these, I feel strong, productive, calm and energised. Like I’m cheating real life (maybe I am :p). Like I’ve gained repeat secret access to Walter Mitty’s quintessence of life. The good life.

The lollipop idea of sharing time with great people, collaborating on projects together, challenging one another and solidifying friendships whilst coexisting in this fantastic arena is achingly enticing (I feel sick with over-inspiration). We are, irrefutably, the average of the 5 people nearest to us. I feel it madness to ignore our collective potential, and to not otherwise cast this vague possibility out there into the ether. I seek community, and I believe that I’m not the only one.

Most electrifying right now is that things are already in motion. It’s GO time! Tomorrow I fly from Thailand to Bali. Over the next 3 months, 7 different friends of rather diverse socioeconomic/professional backgrounds are arriving from 7 different countries to hang out in Bali to see what we can build. Some short term just to sample, others for 3–5 months to really explore themselves and an alternative lifestyle. THIS.IS.AMAZING. Am I on to something here?

“Oblivion is around the corner” — I say this often. If you ever have had suspicion that your life isn’t exploding quite as supernova technicolor brilliant bright across the window-framed firmament of your perceived reality as once you prophesied in the cradle of youth as a boundless young kiddie wink, then [maybe] it’s time to go buy some bigger fireworks. Like, now! Come to Bali. With hand extended, I openly invite you to make the leap. Outwards. Upwards. What’s the worst that could happen? Let us be Kerouac’s yawnless.