Meet: Maria, Luis, Matteo (3.5 years) & Maja (22 months old) & Simba (our golden retriever puppy!)
Originally from: Denmark & Venezuela
Arrived in Bali: I arrived in Bali around 10 years ago and my husband Luis 12 years ago.
What made you decide to MOVE TO BALI?
10 years ago, I met my husband in Perth, Western Australia, where we were both on working holiday visas. We fell in love and made the move to Bali since my husband had lived there previously and I had a dream of becoming a yoga teacher and living somewhere in South East Asia where I had previously travelled to quite frequently.
WHERE IS Home in Bali and why did you decide to live there?
Our first home was in Sanur when Canggu was just rice fields and a sleepy beach town. But we have lived in Canggu for around 7 years now. We have a long-term rental in a Balinese house we have done a bit of work on, nothing fancy but a home with a big garden and not too far from the beach and my work. Initially, we travelled back and forth between Europe and Bali, but Bali always felt like home to us. Matteo our first born has been here since he was 7 weeks old, and our second child Maja was born here and has never been outside Indonesia. We will however be travelling soon.
You have been living IN BALI for over 10 years, is there a plan to leave?
As of right now no, but you never know. We have talked about moving elsewhere in Bali or to Rote Island in Indonesia (where we invested in some land a few years ago) and if we were heading to Europe, Portugal would be an option too. But right now we are happy here and hope to do a lot more travelling in the years to come when the kids are older. We like to keep all our options open.
You are the co founder of ‘The Peaceful Warriors Yoga’. Please TELL US MORE.
When we moved to Bali, I first started out teaching regular yoga classes at studios around Bali and then started running Yoga & Surf Retreats. I did that for a couple of years and then I founded The Peaceful Warriors Yoga with another Danish woman and friend that is also living in Bali. The business started from wanting to share the teachings and our passion for yoga with others, offering life-changing journeys in beautiful Bali. We run a very successful Yoga school for over 5 years that offers both trainings in Bali and online. We are now currently working on taking our Yoga Teacher Trainings beyond the borders of Bali. You can read more about our Yoga School Here www.thepeacefulwarriorsyoga.com or find us on Instagram here @thepeacefulwarriorsyoga
My husband Luis works as a freelance web and graphic designer and has also been able to do that from Bali or anywhere else in the world.
What tips do you have for those with young families?
My husband and I both prioritise our family first and for us, that means spending a lot of time with our children and being hands-on parents. Luckily with our line of work, this has been possible, and we can work when it fits with the family schedule. We love that we can get help with pretty much everything else, from cleaning to laundry, food, gardening and so on. Something we would not be able to do if we were living in Denmark. We have made it a priority to have that special time with them as they are small, and we will continue to do so. Our children go to The Garden Early Learning in Canggu and we absolutely love it. Maja just started a week ago and Matteo has been going for around 1.5 years.
We love going on getaways with the children around Bali and have a lot of friends with small children too, it’s a great community here for that. We feel very lucky that our children get to grow up here!
What are the biggest challenges you find living in Bali?
Being stuck in traffic and just how things ‘’work’’ here in general, especially with regards to running a business it’s not straightforward and of course, being away from our families. But we do get a lot of visitors!
How do you find healthcare? Do you feel safe?
We have an expat insurance with Allianz alongside the local insurance here, BPJS. I gave birth to our daughter here and had an amazing experience, so we don’t feel unsafe at all. But make sure you have insurance of course!
What does your daily routine look like?
During weekdays, we get up in the morning and have a slow morning with the kids, get them ready for school and drop them off together in the car, then we work from home, a co-working space or café, we have some breakfast at a café or home. Then we pick up the children at 12pm. Sometimes we work, see friends, we play outside in the garden often, I do a yoga class, Luis plays football. We also have some kid’s afternoon activities occasionally like a trampoline park, gymnastics and so on. We also have a nanny that comes and helps sometimes if we need to work in the afternoons. We also get massages on a weekly basis. Our weekly date night involves exploring a new restaurant, getting a massage or something similar. Weekends are always different. This weekend we are heading to Ubud to see some friends and my husband has a football match there. Some weekends, we visit the beach, play parks, or cafes.
How do you get around Bali?
On bike and car (or order a go-car/taxi). We do miss being able to walk to places like we always do in Europe!
What is the best thing about living in Bali so far?
The weather, the Balinese people, culture & the lifestyle.
What advice do you have for other families making the move to Bali?
Just do it! You won’t look back. The first step is the hardest, but it’s the best decision we ever made. I think we sometimes get so caught up in how everyone else is living their life, that we forget there is many other ways to do so.
