Geographic Arbitrage in Indonesia

In just a few weeks, my wife and I will be boarding a flight to Indonesia. No big plans, no grand itinerary—just a few backpacks, a couple of snorkel masks, and a hunger for warm air, slow mornings, and a different kind of rhythm.

We’re not moving there permanently—just going for a few weeks—but we’re treating it like a small experiment. A test drive of a different kind of life. One that trades mountain highways for dusty dirt roads winding through villages, mountain hikes for ocean swims, and familiar routines left behind in favor of something a little more wild, a little less scripted.

And honestly, I need new landscapes.
New material.
New stories.

I’ve spent the last decade writing about the deserts and forests of the American West. But now, I feel something stirring again—that quiet itch that tells me it’s time for a new season, a new environment, a new book. There’s so much beauty on this planet. And only so much time to wander through it. I want to write about faraway places. About jungles and volcanoes and the feeling of salt drying on your skin after an afternoon swim in a sea you’ve never touched before.

This is our first real dip into Geographic Arbitrage—the idea that you can earn your income in one place, and live in another where that income stretches much further. It’s a quiet kind of rebellion. A simple but powerful way to trade dollars for time, space, and freedom.

As digital nomads, we can live just about anywhere. The income we generate through book sales and platforms like Substack gives us the freedom to work from a beach hut, a jungle bungalow, or a quiet guesthouse where the Wi-Fi is good and the sunsets are better. So thank you—truly—for making this possible.

This journey is part curiosity, part lifestyle design. We’ll be staying in local accommodations—many for around $25 a night—to see just how far simplicity can go. You’ll be seeing a lot more images soon: lonely beaches, misty volcanoes, jungle paths, wandering monkeys, and all the vibrant texture of life on the far side of the world.

So why Indonesia? Why now? Curiosity, I suppose. A deep need for newness. And a practical urge to stretch our money in a place that gives more than it takes. Because if the math doesn’t work at home—if you’re working too much just to afford a life that feels too small—it’s worth asking whether it’s the numbers that need fixing… or the entire equation.

Places like Thailand, Panama, Sri Lanka, and yes, Indonesia, offer more than a lower cost of living. They offer a reset. A chance to slow down, zoom out, and reimagine how you want to live. What I’m learning more and more these days is: you don’t need to be rich. You just need to get creative.

Geographic arbitrage is about true freedom. It’s about choosing. It’s about opting out of a system that rewards burnout, and opting into a life that leaves room for awe. For beauty. For breathing.

Have you tried geographic arbitrage? Are you thinking about it? Let me know in the comments—or share your story in Reader Stories, where we’re collecting real-life escape plans from people carving their own path.

—Scott