About me
Photo by M. Gambino
I eat. I write. I travel. I’ve had the travel bug bad since I was a little girl. I’ve always been curious about the world around me and wanted to visit the far off lands in books that I lost myself in as a child. I always believed that my place was somewhere between here and there. Here being, Australia and there being everywhere else.
Now, I’m big and bad enough to get out there and finally explore for myself. Over the past few years I’ve traveled through North America, England, France, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and the search quest has only just begun.
In 2010 I’m on an incredible adventure living in Indonesia. Taking 12 months away from the world as I know it. Open my eyes, shake up my life and live by the beach riding around on a motorbike and eating great food. What more could anyone ask for out of life?
Leaving home is easy, it’s the staying once you’ve got there that takes real courage. To travel, to experience, is to find a way to know another place, another culture, in some small way. And then to have the courage to allow yourself to be truly transformed by it.
I work as a screenwriter, which allows me to work and earn from anywhere in the world. When this opportunity came up to spend a year in Indonesia, I grabbed it with both hands, eager to learn more about the culture, the language and the people… living in a small Muslim fishing village is like a baptism of fire for me. It’s not always easy, it’s not always fun, but it is always the adventure and the challenge that I wanted it to be.
Adding Indonesia to the list of countries that I have loved in and lived in…
Barefoot inked.
Note 17/12/2010: Back in Australia for Christmas, but no plans to remain on home soil. On Boxing Day 2010 I return to the village in Indonesia, the pull of Batukaras takes me home, like a magnet I am drawn to it… I don’t know for how long… I don’t know if forever. But for now, this chocolate beach surrounded by volcanoes is my home, another 12 months… another year of adventure.
No blog on Christmas day?
But I miss you. I like your blogging ways and love you lots. Hope you had a nice day yesterday. Take care chicken xxx
Thanks for your support.
Potatoes, peas, and milk
Hi! Im heading to BK with my wife and young baby to spend 2 months out of time. We are looking for a safe, quite village with surf. We hope to be there for Aug and Sept.
I’ve read and been inspired by your blogs. Thank you for that. Is there any advice you can give me? We need to rent a house so any ideas on that would be great. Also, is the water and food generally OK (for the baby – by then 1 yr old). Is there malaria? I surf as well so Im curious to hear how good it gets, and if it’s normally crowded. Many thanks! Ross (ross@wavescape.co.za)
PS If you want me to take anything to the village please just let me know
very courageous of you
hows the language learning goin? I struggled with thai when i first moved there and korean never happened for me :S i hear indonesian grammar is very easy to learn tho so im sure ur fine 
anyway, cool blog and good luck. I visited an awesome place called Batu Karas on the south coast of java last year, cool place – certainly got my recommendations 
Hi Johnny, If you read my blog you’ll notice that I am infact living in Batu Karas. It’s a very funky part of the world. I’m glad you found me here – the language learning is moving along, slowly and surely,
Thanks for your support.
Hi gorgeous girl! Love your blog – it’s great to know what you’re up to. It sounds like you’re having a WONDERFUL time. All my love to you and S. xox
Hello, nice to read your blog. I love your mekong delta review.
If you happen to come to Indonesia again, drop me a note.
Hi!
I am the Content and Community Manager of Travelavenue.com, the new community travel guide.
Our editorial team has selected your blog for our program “Travelavenue favorite blog 2010″
Could you please give me your mail? I will present you our program in details.
Thank you
Emilie.
emilie@travelavenue.com
http://www.travel-avenue.com
Just ran across your blog after Googling “Green Bamboo Warm Shelter.” My son, Quinn, enjoys the nomadic traveling lifestyle. He lives in Saigon and spends a lot of time with the kids at the GBWS. He is a photographer for a magazine. Enjoy your travels.
Dennis
Hey there,
Loving your stories about Batu Karas. Looks and sounds like a place I would love to spend a couple of months in. Have a million and one questions I’d like to ask you, if possible….
Either way, always looking forward to new adventured from you. All the best
Hi Ali, Thanks for reading my blog! Feel free to shoot any questions you have this way! Keep coming by, there will be lots more stories in the coming months, I’m sure.
We just stumbled upon barefootink.wordpress.com and would love you to consider a link exchange.
My partner Danielle and I are currently traveling to nearly every country in Africa (we are writing now from Dakar, Senegal) meeting with farmers, workers, NGO’s and community groups writing about innovations and projects that our working to alliviate hunger and poverty. We travel blog everyday at BorderJumpers (www.borderjumpers.org). We are trying to highlight stories of hope and success.
Thanks so much for your consideration!
All the best, Bernie and Dani
hi there! great blog! reading your tales has got me so stoked for my “mini adventure” (compared to yours) to batu karas and its shown a whole other side to the town than whats written in the guides and on the net. i will arrive in BK in the middle of november for a month or so and was hoping you could point me in the right direction for the best value accomodation and ways to get there etc. i love to meet people when i travel as it sound like you do too so look forward to meeting a ‘foreign local’ if your on the beach when i get there!
enjoy your amazing and insipring adventure, looking forward to the next blog entry!
Hey!
I’m heading to Indonesia in two months as the start of a 6 month solo backpacking trip and foudn your blog while doing my research.
You’re an inspiring writer, and in one of your posts you spoke about the connection you form with children as being a highlight for you in your travels, and I have to agree. I’m Canadian, but I’m currently living in South Korea, and have been for the last 17 months, teaching English as a second language to the cutest little ones in the world. I’m quite devastated to be leaving them shortly, but there is just so much more out there for me to explore.
Anyway, I would love to meet up with you for a drink on my travels in Indonesia! If you’re up for it let me know!
Thanks for the inspiration!
Meagan
Hi there
I was looking through your website and thoroughly enjoyed what I saw and read.
I am writing to you because I have a request; do you accept guest blogging? If you do, am I allowed to post professional travel related articles on you website which have links embedded within the text. If this is something you do allow, please let me know the terms and conditions that must be followed and applied.
I work with a number of travel clients and we are encouraging them to develop their own blogs as well as looking for quality sites like yours to post guest articles on. Our emphasis when creating content is on quality, so we would make sure that whatever content we sent your way would be of actual interest and relevance to your readers.
Sites we would be linking to include Travelzoo.com, Fly.com, TravelIndoChina.com, co.uk and .com.au and SelectiveAsia.com
An example is here: http://www.travelwithamate.com/vietnam-cambodia-tours-best
Hope to hear from you soon,
Mike
http://twitter.com/#!/MikeZimShaw
http://www.linkedin.com/in/mjshaw
Hi Mike,
I would like to know how this would benefit me, my blog and my readers… If I can get a clear idea of the benefits then I would consider it. You can email me directly at sash_milne@hotmail.com
Thanks.