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Interview with Eliette, Bali Internships Story
Starting Again in Bali: A Mid-Career Shift That Changed Everything
Eliette made a decision that most people postpone until it quietly fades into something they “might do one day.” She left Ecuador, stepped away from her job, and chose to begin again in an environment where nothing was familiar. There was no perfect plan behind it, no carefully staged transition. What she had was a clear sense that staying where she was no longer made sense. “I didn’t overthink it,” she says. “I just did it.”
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Eliette's first orientation day at her office, Bali's Legal and Business Advisory Firm
Eiette's search began online, but the intention behind it was precise, she was not looking for a break or a temporary escape. She was looking for movement, an experience that would challenge her professionally, while forcing a shift in how she approached her life. The idea of working in another language, building a routine in a different country, and placing herself in an environment that required constant adjustment became central to that decision. Bali stood out not only as a destination, but as a place that felt emotionally accessible. She describes it as carrying the same warmth she associates with Ecuador, something that made the transition feel grounded rather than abrupt.
What followed was not a dramatic transformation, but a structured one. Eliette built discipline into her day, she wakes up early, prepares her own meals, goes to the office, trains at the gym, and spends her evenings reading, reflecting, and working on personal development. The routine is intentional. It gives her control in a situation where most external factors are new. Change, in her case, is not chaotic, it is managed.
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Eliette attending Bali Internships' Christmas Gathering 2025
The professional environment introduced a different layer of challenge. Working in a multilingual setting meant that communication was often imperfect. English was not the native language for most people around her, and clarity had to be built rather than assumed. Yet instead of becoming a limitation, this became part of her learning process. “Sometimes we don’t know how to say things,” she explains, “but we still make it work.” In that process, she began to recognize something she had not fully understood before. Her ability to adapt.
Beyond the workplace, the social dimension of Bali reshaped her experience in ways she had not anticipated. While many people arrive expecting surface-level connections, Eliette found something more consistent. Through her daily interactions, she built genuine relationships with local people who became part of her everyday life. These were not temporary encounters, but ongoing support systems that helped her navigate the reality of living in a new country. “They care,” she says. “That makes me feel at home.” It is a distinction that separates experience from tourism.
Her role within the internship also expanded quickly. What began as an interest in copywriting shifted into broader responsibility for content creation. Without prior experience in visual strategy or digital tools, she was pushed into unfamiliar territory almost immediately. The learning curve was steep and unstructured. Within days, she moved from uncertainty to execution, producing content, experimenting with formats, and learning through doing. “Two days ago, I had no idea what I was doing,” she says. “Now I already have ten posts.” The shift was driven by trust. Someone gave her responsibility before she felt ready, and she rose to meet it.
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Celebrating early Christmas, Secret Santa
The impact of the experience is visible. When her sister visited her in Bali, the difference was immediate. “She told me I was a different person,” Eliette recalls. The change is not abstract. It shows in her confidence, her decision-making, and her ability to operate independently in unfamiliar situations. Even small details, such as feeling safe walking alone at night, contribute to a broader sense of freedom that reshapes how she moves through the world.
At the same time, this transition was not left to chance. Eliette was deliberate about the need for structure and support before arriving. Leaving her country, her job, and her existing life required more than motivation. It required preparation. “I didn’t want to take unnecessary risks,” she explains. Working with Bali Internships provided that framework. It allowed her to focus on the experience itself, rather than managing uncertainty on every level.
What emerges from her story is not a narrative about escape, but about repositioning. She did not come to Bali to pause her life. She came to move it forward. The shift is not temporary. It reflects a change in how she approaches decisions, challenges, and timing.
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Photo by Eliette, taken from Instagram, with her lovely colleagues
“I would do it again,” she says. “At 40, at 60, even at 80.” There is no hesitation in that statement. No sense of waiting for the right moment. Only recognition that the moment is something you decide. Her advice is direct. “Think less, act more.”
It is not a slogan, it is a method. One that replaced overthinking with movement, and in doing so, created the conditions for change to actually happen. Eliette describes Bali in three words: life-changing, safe, and fun. What sits beneath those words is more complex. A recalibration of direction, a deeper sense of capability, and a lived understanding that transformation is not something you plan perfectly. It is something you step into, before you feel ready, and learn to manage as you go.
By LK
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