Last summer I had the pleasure of attending Institute of Code‘s 10 day coding retreat in Bali, Indonesia! Not only was it my first time properly exploring that side of the world, it was my first formal exposure to coding after 15+ years! I wrote up a super honest post last year How I made my #LifeGoals a Reality and talked about my journey with content creation — it all began with learning very basic coding in my 7th grade computer class. It was at this pivotal, young age I realized how important it is to be self-reliant. As much as I do need to hire someone to give my bloggy a little make-over, I like to have the option of doing it myself in the meantime while I’m being lazy :)

I was totally geeked, in every sense of the word, to discover Institute of Code! Not only did it get me excited to properly learn how to code, it ignited all of my wanderlust too! Talk about a two-fer!

I hated school. I hated school so much. It felt like prison – & I can confidently say that I wasn’t alone in feeling this way. This is where IOC’s philosophy really stood out to me, they don’t believe that hard work & enjoyment are mutually exclusive. Who says you have to be miserable in order to reach your full potential? If anything, shouldn’t it be the other way? Yes, yes it should! & it is. IOC is all about getting us into our flow state – “when they are inspired, motivated, supported and eager to learn, they can accomplish so much more than they would in a normal day.”

I had to steal that blurb right from their website because it is so true! I didn’t think I’d learn more than basics over the 10-day course but I learned, absorbed, & retained so much! Not only did the program provide everything we needed so we could just focus on learning to code (chef prepared meals, yoga, meditation, massages, etc), being around other like-minded individuals was super motivating and inspiring. When we weren’t in class we got to explore the beautiful island of Bali – sigh, which isn’t just any ol’ destination. Travel goals while you’re pursuing your life goals.. that’s what I’m talkin’ bout!

I do recommend planning for an extra day or two (or more!) in Bali after your course though just in case you don’t get to check everything off of your bucket list during your stay! The outside activities & sight seeing seemed to be really dependent on the collective group’s interests. While I was very interested in checking out the cultural and historical sites on the island, most of my classmates were more into relaxing and hanging at the beach so I went off to explore on my own a couple days – totally worth it! Just something to keep in mind!

Within the past year, Institute of Code has expanded their course offerings and now also offer Digital Marketing & Blog Mentorship workshops!! FOMO!!! Kiersten of The Blonde Abroad is leading the Blog Mentorship workshop – she is such an inspiration to me as a content creator & globe trotter. I’ve followed her work for some time and actually met her while I was in Bali as she was coincidentally visiting at the same time. She not only knows how to create beautiful, compelling content.. but also clearly understands strategy as one of the most visible female travel bloggers! If I weren’t a million years pregnant, I’d attend her workshops this summer in a heartbeat! You can find deets on all the different courses IOC is currently holding on their website.

My vlog from the IOC villa is above if you haven’t checked it out yet! They have since gotten a new campus which blows the previous out of the water – check out their Instagram page for an updated look on everything they have to offer! And now…. on to my photos! :) Enjoy!