Indo, Let's Go

We talked it over. We saved. We never believed we’d do it. We got the kids ready. We got ourselves ready. Then we set off. Indo, Let’s Go.

It’s scary and exhilarating all at once. Quitting two great jobs, packing up the house, pulling the kids out of school and away from friends—seems a little out in left field. Perhaps it is, but it’s us.

We’re the Shuck family—Amanda, Shaun, Lyla, and Jack—embarking on a one-year journey in Bali, Indonesia. Follow along on this blog and our Instagram (@Indoletsgo).

Why? It’s the first question we get. We’ve lived our lives in high-end tech sales and leadership positions. When the pandemic hit and we stared at “Zoom” meetings from sun up to sun down, something shifted in us. The world we knew of culture, team building, and connectedness seemed gone. It took something from us that we loved about work. Somewhere in that fog, the idea was born for a sabbatical year. Over a few years, it turned from a dream to a reality. Lyla was our forcing function. With her entering 5th grade, we knew it was now or never. Middle school would hit and life would become hectic; full stop.

What are you going to do? We get that one a lot. Funny enough, it’s simple. We’ll invest more time into the activities we already enjoy. Surf more, read more, exercise more, meditate more, connect more. We joke that learning how to be bored is one of our primary goals. To give ourselves grace to do nothing, slow down the pace, relax, and invest in our physical and mental health. For those who know us, this will likely be easier said than done!

What about the kids? Lyla and Jack will attend Green School Bali (much more on that later) and have a normal dose of scholastics and sports. They’re both excited, but no doubt, the move has more of an impact on Lyla. Leaving 5th grade and missing all the accolades and activities that go with it is hard for her. However, she’s a leader and knows that adventure and excitement are through the windshield. Jack turns 7 a few weeks into our journey. He’s excited because he has his Mom and Dad, not on an airplane or on a call, and his sister. Life is simple for him.

As you follow along through the year, we’ll share travel bits, updates on feelings, tips, tricks, and more. Until then, as the late poet Jimmy Buffett would say, “There’s just too much to see waiting in front of me and I know that I just can’t go wrong.”