“Kristen -- Don’t f*cking disqualify yourself.” I literally had to write it down and remind myself.

With only 3 weeks to go before I move to the other side of the world again, I can barely do anything to calm my excitement.

At the end of the month, I’ll be off to follow my dream again of experiencing the world through full cultural immersion. I got an opportunity to move to the capital of Malaysia!

I can’t even lie -- I’m really freaking anxious. For the past few weeks, it’s all I’ve been able to think about. I’m not *that* nervous -- but at the same time I am.

Hola, Costa Rica!

We'd been discussing a girls' getaway for months. Aruba? Bermuda? Me-hi-co? The world was our oyster. Ha - let's not kid our pockets. Anywhere reasonably close and preferably with a beach was our oyster. We juggled our options and did some Google Flights window shopping -- mainly concentrating on the Caribbean -- and then our attention shifted to Costa Rica. 

Latin America has been near the top of my travel list this year -- whether it was in Central or South didn't matter, I wanted to touch down somewhere below Mexico. Costa Rica seemed like a safe choice. I'd known that it's a popular go-to for tourists, somewhere I could get my Spanglish on, and from what I'd heard, very affordable. 

Sometimes a girl’s gotta take matters into her own hands.

As much as it would light up my world to take every trip with a group of my nearest and dearest, it doesn’t always pan out that way. More often than not, I’ve run into roadblocks when trying to plan getaways with other people -- we often find that our timing is off. Or our budgets don’t align at the moment. Or we have different travel styles. Then there was that time I wanted to move to Thailand for a while and couldn’t get anyone to join me… Hmm.

So, I found myself jetting off in a party of 1 on a handful of journeys over the past year. Being by myself in a new continent has forced me to shed my shyness more than I ever had before. As a result, I’ve entered countries knowing no one, and left having gained unforgettable experiences I got to share with others, lifetime friends, and people who I wouldn’t hesitate to hit up whenever I return to their city.

I did what felt good to my soul.

Once I dreamt up the idea to move to Thailand, I was so set on moving assoonaspossible that I didn’t allow myself any time to second guess it. I didn’t even wait until my LA apartment lease was up -- I found someone to replace me, bought my ticket without waiting for permission, and set the plan in motion to get up and go. Looking back, it happened so quickly. It seemed like just when I started to tell my friends I was moving overseas, I was up and out before they really had a chance to grasp what the hell I was doing.

I remember how anxious I was to go, right up until the day before I left. All types of anxiety kicked in, poking my brain around asking, “Who exactly do you think you are?”

Bali is a gripping place. It can't quite be accurately depicted by words or pictures, but there are so many special things about this piece of paradise that must be felt and experienced in person. Its energy is prevailing, it's culture overflowing, and it boasts enough views to last a lifetime. 

Below I'm breaking down what I spent during my 8 day trip here, with the hopes that it can help you map out your future Balinese getaway. If you weren't planning one already, add it to your travel list and start now. This country, this island in particular, is a must visit, one of a kind destination. Fortunately, it's also incredibly affordable. Whether you're on a super tight budget or if you have some room to ball out (or somewhere in between like me), you are bound to live it up on this energetic Indonesian island.