Jungles and Joglos

One of the first things you notice when arriving in Bali is the abundance of dogs. They’re everywhere. They’re hanging around the shops, restaurants, and cafes. They’re lounging on the beach.  More alarmingly they’re often lying right in the middle of the road. A lot of them are in desperate need of care. The first night we arrived in Bali, my son and I noticed not one but two dogs hobbling down the road with broken legs. Many are missing large patches of their fur. They’re often riddled with parasites. As one long time expat told me, “the state of the dogs in Bali will break your heart”. He’s right.…

One of the first orders of business when arriving in Bali is securing a motorbike. It’s really the only way to get around. It’s also the best way to discover hidden gems on the island.  But driving a scooter in Bali is not for the fainthearted. Crowds of bikes dominate the roads like packs of wild dogs. Finding the right moment to join the throng can be daunting, which is why many expats opt for a motorcycle lesson. “Don’t be afraid to be bold and go with the flow”, is what most instructors advise. I drove a Vespa in New York City for nine years so I skipped the class. …

I recently had an experience that shook me to the core. What was supposed to be a fun-filled Friday night watching movies and eating takeout amongst friends turned into every parent’s worst nightmare. I could hear the laughter and chatter of my son playing with his friend in the pool. I was puttering around the living room not paying much attention. All of a sudden, the laughter turned into a bloodcurdling scream. My son then emerged from the water with blood pouring down his face. It was dark so I couldn’t see the full extent of the damage but I could see the gash in his head and knew it…

I have lived in Los Angeles and New York City – two pricey places where you expect to pay big bucks to live in a shoebox. Despite stratospheric prices, it’s difficult to even secure housing because EVERYONE seemingly wants to move to LA and New York. Or at least it feels that way, when you’re apartment hunting. Despite the odds, I got lucky in both cities. For the two years I called Hollywood home in my 20s, I lived in one place – a charming Spanish-style home in Hancock Park that I shared with two wonderful roommates. Years later when I moved to New York, I found a great one…

When I told my friends and family about our plan to move to Bali for a year or two, it triggered a variety of reactions. The majority of the responses were of the “you, go girl” or “can you take me with you?” variety but there was one friend of the family who was baffled as to why we’d want to leave the safety and comfort of the U.S. to go to a country that is associated, in their minds, with terrorism (2002 Bali bombings), earthquakes and venomous snakes. I’m honestly more scared of the random gun violence in the U.S. that is plaguing our schools and shopping malls than…