Why I Left Bali, And Why I'm Not Going Back (For Now)

Bali is the kind of place that changes you—sometimes slowly, sometimes all at once. In my case, it was the latter. It’s intoxicating, and I think that's why I left.

The Island of Lost Souls

The first driver I had on the island (literally from the airport) called Bali an island of lost souls. At the time, I brushed it off, I thought it was sort of...sad? But the longer I stayed, the more I understood.

People come to Bali when they don’t know what’s next. When they’re in between versions of themselves. When they’re searching—sometimes for clarity, sometimes for escape.

And if I’m honest with myself, that’s exactly why I was there too. I landed on the island fresh off of a breakup when talks of engagement were underway. I had also tried to quit my job. So I guess it's fair to say I was looking for both clarity and escape.

Bali became my playground for reinvention. I healed, I unraveled, I put myself back together, and I played. Hard.

In six months, I changed more than I had in five years.

Why I Left (And Why I’m Not Coming Back—For Now)

I could have stayed longer. I could have stayed forever. But would staying longer have helped me find what I was looking for? Or would I have just kept floating?

Bali is a place of transformation, of deep shifts and beautiful, chaotic growth. But for me, it wasn’t a place to plant my roots. It was a bridge—a magical, sun-drenched, life-altering bridge—between who I was and who I’m becoming.

Bali taught me how to let go. But now, I want to learn how to build. To ground myself. To take everything I learned—the playfulness, the ease, the trust in the unknown—and carry it somewhere else. Somewhere I can grow deeper, not just wider.

So, I left.

Bali isn't going anywhere. The waves will keep rolling in, the jungle will keep buzzing with life, and the lost souls will keep arriving, ready to shed their skin and find something new. Maybe, someday, I’ll be one of them again. Maybe one day, I’ll find my way back to being the girl riding her motorbike through rice paddies, chasing sunsets, losing herself in the rhythm of the island.

Just not today.