It can be really tought to live in a foreign country, especially when we have no family or close friends around.

Even more when you live in a place like Bali, tht everyone consider a sa little sunny paradise. Sometimes paradise can quickly become close to hell.

Here are the goods and bads from being an expat in general and in Bali, this is my friends and I experiences and impressions :

Let's start with goods :

-It's sunny everyday
-The locals seems friendly and helpfull
-There is more freedom than in western countries
-We can show off on social media and when we go back home with impresive pictures taken in paradise backgrounds !!
-We easily get a dreamy tan
-Seems like we are all day drinking coconuts and eating yummy tropical fruit while hanging around the pool (sometimes true )

What else...Oh yes, and enjoying a tasty mojito in front of a colourfull sunset !!

Actually, The reality more looks like:

-You won't easily make money, so you can forget the mojitos, dreamy pools and so on ...
-The locals are definnitely friendy but also very interested in your money (that they think you have)
-You won't get that much tan, especially If you have kids to keep away from the burning sun
-It can be very hard to make true friends

Basically, the 2 main points are the difficulty to make real money and the lack of social life.

**To be very honest, Bali is , yes dreamy, but hide an ugly side. It's clowe to impossible for a foreigneir to fin a decent job here ( It took me nearly 2 years !! ), the money troubles starts earlier that we hope and quickly becomes a nightmares. **

Making friends and relations can save you as most jobs vacancies are fullfilled by people knowing someone who know someone else, etc ...

But then you need to know people, an It's actually not always easy to make good friends here. Lonelines is something that can break you and make you loose confidence and swap away your good mood.

When times get tought we usually get close to our family and friends, and when you have no one near you, no one with who have a deep talk, times goes very slow.

Luckily there is some groups that mum's-at-home, lonely travellers or just expats wishing to meet other expats created. Those groups are opened to everyone and help all of us to have a better social life.

Personnally, I met most of my friends here in random places, at the beach, at the immigraton office, and thru my husband .
I felt very lonely at beginning but I am very glad to, now, having a bunch of good friends around me .

Thanks for reading me
Carodebali