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\n Riding along the busy, narrow roads of Bali on her scooter with the sun illuminating her face, Victoria Kjos has a clear destination in sight \u2014 the beach.\n <\/p>\n
\n The 71-year-old American, who relocated to the Indonesian destination in 2022, is a regular fixture on the sands of Sanur, which extends along the southeastern coastline of the tropical destination, known as the \u201cIsland of the Gods.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n When she\u2019s not enjoying one of Bali\u2019s finest stretches of shoreline, Victoria can be found exploring sites like Besakih, a temple complex known as the \u201cMother Temple of Bali,\u201d located on the slopes of Mount Agung, the island\u2019s highest volcano, or enjoying a massage at a local spa.\n <\/p>\n
\n Her life today is miles apart from the one she built in the US, where she had a long career in government, serving as the deputy state treasurer of North Dakota back in 1979.\n <\/p>\n
\n Victoria says she is now happily settled in the Southeast Asian destination, known for its rice fields, monkey-filled forests and ancient temples, and doesn\u2019t see herself ever returning to the United States.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cFor me the best thing (about living in Bali) is probably the weather,\u201d Victoria tells CNN Travel of the \u201cmagical place\u201d she now calls home. \u201cIt\u2019s the same all year long. I haven\u2019t needed a long-sleeved sweater or jacket ever in three years.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n But her motivation to move to the island was something more serious \u2014 disillusionment with life in the United States.\n <\/p>\n
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\n \u201cOn the surface, as viewed from the outside, I should have had no complaints,\u201d she says. Having also worked in real estate, banking and as a yoga instructor, in later life she had built a relatively comfortable life for herself in Phoenix, Arizona.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cI owned a nice home in a good neighborhood. Drove a convertible sports car. Frequented theater, opera, art gallery opening events. Shared regular repasts with dear friends and family,\u201d she says.\n <\/p>\n
\n However, Victoria found that she was continuously witnessing \u201ctrends that didn\u2019t really mesh\u201d with her beliefs and felt that she needed a \u201cmore meaningful existence.\u201d She says she wanted more than her \u201cmiddle class US existence\u201d offered her.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cI started to see that our culture had become so self-absorbed,\u201d she says. \u201cSo me-driven, and so money-centric, that I questioned whether or not that\u2019s where I wanted to spend the rest of my life.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n It was these thoughts, the sense of growing dissatisfaction, that set her on the road to Bali. But her journey there was far from smooth. In fact, she says it wasn\u2019t even one of her top choices when she was considering places to move to\n <\/p>\n
\n In 2012, Victoria sold her house in Arizona, along with her car, and got rid of most of her personal belongings, before embarking in a \u201cspiritual journey\u201d to India, armed with only a couple of guidebooks.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cI didn\u2019t know how long I would stay,\u201d she says. \u201cI didn\u2019t know what the journey would be like.\n <\/p>\n
\n She spent around six months on a \u201clife-altering and incredibly transformative\u201d trip around India. She traveled through 13 states, visiting temples, meditation caves and gardens, and practicing chanting, yoga and meditation.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cI \u2019m a different person because of India,\u201d she says. \u201cI hope I\u2019ve become a kinder, less judgmental, more patient and thoughtful human being.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n The next few years saw her spend more time in Asia, including an 18-month stint in India in 2017, and then four months in Thailand, in the coastal town of Hua Hin, near Bangkok. There was also a visit to Nepal.\n <\/p>\n
\n All the while, Bali was slowly seeping into her consciousness.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cI kept meeting fellow travelers who would say, \u2018Oh, you must go to Bali. It\u2019s wonderful.\u2019 And I thought, \u2018Why not?\u2019\u201d\n <\/p>\n
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\n In 2019, Victoria finally traveled to Bali and instantly fell in love with the destination. \u201cThere are some who believe there\u2019s a convergence of various energy vortexes in Bali, which gives it its magical quality,\u201d she says. \u201cThere is something very special here, and I did feel it immediately.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n When she returned to the US, Victoria felt that it was finally time to put roots down somewhere new, but despite being enthralled by the \u201cmagic\u201d of Bali, she initially opted for \u201cclose and convenient\u201d Mexico, moving to the Pacific resort town of Mazatl\u00e1n in 2020, where she anticipated spending the rest of her life.\n <\/p>\n
\n Just over two years later, she reconsidered. \u201cI decided Mexico really wasn\u2019t the right place for me,\u201d she says, explaining that she was unhappy with the \u201cparty place\u201d reputation of her chosen destination. She thought again about India, but by then Bali had won her over.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cAnd I had liked Bali, so it ended up being kind of the final choice for me.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n Another incentive: Indonesia offers a retirement visa, known as a KITAS, and Victoria met the income requirements.\n <\/p>\n
\n Moving to a new country twice within a few years might seem like a daunting prospect, but she says it was made easier by her personal circumstances.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cI was married for a brief period, but I\u2019ve been alone most of my life\u2026 I don\u2019t have children,\u201d she says. \u201cSo, it\u2019s much easier for me to kind of pick up and move, than it is for people that have kids and grandkids that kind of pull on the heartstrings.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
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\n And so, in May 2022, Victoria arrived in Bali to begin her new life and says she \u201cimmediately felt very comfortable.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cThere was never any question that I wouldn\u2019t stay,\u201d she adds, describing how she quickly became enthralled by Balinese culture, which is rooted in traditions and spirituality, and loved its \u201ccalm energy.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n Victoria found locals to be very welcoming and had little trouble making new friends, despite not speaking Balinese or Indonesian.\n <\/p>\n
\n But, she says she made a lot of \u201cmissteps\u201d in her first few months in Bali, particularly when it came to finding a place to live.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cEverybody\u2019s a real estate agent,\u201d she says. \u201cBut they really aren\u2019t. (It\u2019s an) everybody has a friend who has a friend, who has a friend kind of thing.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n After moving in and out of several places, Victoria eventually settled in Sanur, a quiet coastal town with a strong Balinese community that is known for its beautiful beaches. It is, says Victoria, jokingly referred to as \u201cSnore\u201d due to its laidback atmosphere, and popularity with retirees and families.\n <\/p>\n
\n Victoria lives in a small, modern, gated house, which features traditional Balinese-style sliding glass front doors and high ceilings, with one bedroom, a living room, kitchen and bathroom.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cMy neighbor\u2019s dog barking is the only noise I ever hear here,\u201d she says. \u201cSo it\u2019s almost like my wake-up call or a reminder of the outside world.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n Victoria, who describes herself as an \u201cavowed introvert,\u201d concedes that she socializes even less in Bali than she did in the US, but says that this suits her just fine.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cI was one of those people that loved Covid,\u201d she says, recalling lockdowns implemented during the pandemic. \u201cI was in heaven, because I live kind of like a hermit.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n While she\u2019s been trying to learn Balinese, Victoria says that most of her friends in the country speak English and she often finds that locals prefer to speak her native language with her, even though she wants to practice.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cI think it\u2019s really important in any foreign country to learn the language, not only to benefit you and understand but also as respect,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m actually more interested in learning the language to read the signs on the street and things, more so than speaking.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
Pros and cons<\/p>\n
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\n Although she\u2019s encountered many other foreigners who\u2019ve moved to Bali, Victoria says she feels more connected to Balinese people and her friends are mainly locals.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cI haven\u2019t met a single expat here who is on that same path as I am,\u201d she says. \u201cSo, I spend my time with locals, not foreigners. Because I have more in common with them spiritually.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n Victoria says she\u2019s an admirer of how family oriented local culture is.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cIt would be like in my country a century ago, where the grandparents and the parents and the kids and the grandkids all lived in the same house,\u201d she says.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cGenerations resided together. We don\u2019t live like that in America. Once you\u2019re 17 or 18, you go off to college and you never want to go home again.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n She\u2019s also noticed that life in Bali, which is a Hindu-majority region of Muslim-majority Indonesia, seems to revolve around ceremonies, which frequently take priority over work or activities.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cThere are ceremonies for everything. From the baby being born to the baby being named, to the cremation, to the anniversary of the cremation,\u201d she says. \u2018\u201cThe ceremony comes first, which would be unheard of in my country. Except for major holidays like Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n Last year, Victoria was invited to a Balinese cremation ceremony, known as Ngaben, and was the only non-local in attendance. \u201cHence, I felt like an honored guest, witnessing the traditional washing of the body on the first day and the actual cremation on the second, with elaborate rituals, drumming, music, meals, and processions.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n Bali is much slower paced than she\u2019s used to, which has its pros and cons, according to Victoria.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cSometimes I find myself standing in the grocery line and it takes like 15 minutes and three people to do something that in the United States would take five minutes,\u201d she says. \u201cBut it\u2019s just the way it is.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n As the cost of living is lower in Bali, Victoria\u2019s money goes further, which means she\u2019s able to afford things that she would once have considered luxuries.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cOrdering from catering services and through the food delivery is so inexpensive, almost embarrassingly,\u201d she says, pointing out that she rarely cooks, and her housing costs are around a quarter less than they were in the United States.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cSo, I don\u2019t do laundry for the same reason. It\u2019s inexpensive to take it next door, a minute away.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n She gets around mainly via motor <\/strong>scooter, which she learned to ride at the age of 65, and while she\u2019s had a \u201ccouple of spills\u201d on Balinese roads, Victoria prefers two-wheel transport to a car due to regular traffic snarls in Bali.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cI\u2019m cautious,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd I\u2019m old. I know my reflexes are slower than the kids. So I kind of drive slowly to the left. People pass me all the time, but I don\u2019t really care.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Although Victoria suffers from a chronic medical condition, which causes pain and fatigue, she describes herself as in \u201crelatively good health,\u201d pointing out that she also walks as much as she can, and goes to yoga classes regularly.\n <\/p>\n \n She says she\u2019s had positive experiences with the local healthcare system, which consists of both public and private healthcare providers.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cI am fortunate enough to be on the government health insurance program, which is very affordable,\u201d she says, adding that she also has a private insurance plan that would cover her for \u201csomething major.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Victoria points out that the standard of care is not the same as \u201cin the West or other countries.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cMy feeling is, if you\u2019re going to live here, you kind of have to suck it up\u2026\u201d she says. \u201cIf you want Western medicine, then stay in a Western country. But overall, I\u2019ve been pleased.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n She notes that \u201cretirement centers or homes and assisted living options\u201d are \u201cnon-existent\u201d in Bali as families tend to care for their elderly relatives in their later years, quipping that she may have no choice but to return to the US if she lives \u201ctoo long.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n But after residing in the Indonesian island for three years, Victoria says she can\u2019t imagine going back to the life she had before.\n <\/p>\n \n \n Victoria plans to convert her retirement visa to a KITAP visa, or permanent stay permit card, which is valid for five years, within the next two years.\n <\/p>\n \n However, she admits that she misses simple things about living in the US, such as being able to do all of her shopping in one place.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cI know it seems sort of silly,\u201d she says. \u201cBut the difference is the shopping options \u2013 we get kind of spoiled (in the US).\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cThere\u2019s a major drugstore in every corner. You can go in, and buy everything at one place. Here, you have to go to 10 different shops and little markets. You don\u2019t have the same kind of availability.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Victoria also misses going to the opera and theater regularly, but stresses that there\u2019s \u201cnothing to be sad about\u201d as she was an \u201cactive participant in those activities for 40 years.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Although she\u2019s happily settled in Bali, Victoria concedes that she hasn\u2019t ruled out moving \u201celsewhere,\u201d describing herself as a \u201cvagabond.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cI\u2019ve learned never to say \u2018never\u2019 and always to remain flexible,\u201d she says. Her main focus now is trying \u201cto live a little more consciously\u201d and \u201cbeing of service\u201d during what she describes as the \u201clast phase\u201d of her life.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cA person\u2019s life is enriched by variety and change,\u201d Victoria adds. \u201cAnd, I feel incredibly blessed to finish out my life in such a beautiful, peaceful location.\u201d\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Facebook Tweet Email Link Riding along the busy, narrow roads of Bali on her scooter with the sun…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":314334,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5311],"tags":[49,978,659],"class_list":{"0":"post-314333","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-united-states","8":"tag-united-states","9":"tag-us","10":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114964491610778859","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/314333","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=314333"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/314333\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/314334"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=314333"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=314333"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=314333"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Victoria](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1000042126.jpg\")
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\u201cI jokingly say, \u2018The only way I\u2019m setting foot back in the United States is if I\u2019m demented,\u2019\u201d she says. \u201cEveryone that has a conscience and a soul in the United States that I know wants to leave now.\u201d\n <\/p>\n