I was at dinner in Barcelona with two Americans who live in the United States. They wanted to know why I had chosen to live abroad for the better part of a decade.

My friend, DCer, and all around super nice guy Tom planted the idea of home exchanges in my brain a few months back. It’s exactly what it sounds like.

I have the top end fiber service here in Bali (it’s only available in certain areas). I pay $125 a month for it, and it’s the fastest home connection of anyone I’ve so far met. It’s rare to see 1MEG+ connections in Bali.

Way back in 2007, when I was putting in 60+ hour weeks in the office, 20+ hours behind the wheel of my car, and checking emails 24 hours a day, it was the idea of winning back my time that struck me the most while reading the 4 Hour Work Week.

I’m currently living in Bali, Indonesia. I’m in the final steps on throwing down some serious loot on a 1 year lease, which for somebody who has been publicly diagnosed with “location ADHD,” and who has bounced around the world like a ping pong ball for the last 3 years, is a pretty huge deal. I don’t think I’ve changed much. My values are still pretty much the same.

I got a ton of emails after podcasting and writing about Bali. Perhaps people could feel our passion about the place, or maybe a lot of people remembering their own good memories.