the art of living unoptimized

Kids know this. We forgot this.

It was a slow Sunday afternoon when I visited one of the most stunning waterfalls my feet had ever been blessed enough to dip into. The crystal-clear water reflected the sun at the perfect angle, creating tiny rainbows. Below the waterfall stretched a series of natural swimming pools, making me genuinely wonder how a place like this could even exist. Was I Alice in fucking Wonderland? (I wasn’t).

The island I’m exploring, once a serene piece of heaven, has now been invaded by people from all over the world who think their privilege of earning higher salaries than the locals is reason enough to ditch their morals in favor of a capitalistic version of "self-realization." Welcome to the new Bali. A place that promises optimization. Thriving businesses at the cost of workforce exploitation. Instagram-worthy cafés built upon the ashes of local food stalls. Beige padel clubs erected on the very fields where kids once played football. 15 bedroom villas built by couples, because why have an apartment in your own country when you can have a mansion in Bali.