Gbenro made Berlin his first stop. to where he met his friends at graduate school. He was granted a tourist visa and spent the three-month trip bouncing from hostels to friends’ couches. 

Gbenro was left with “almost no savings” and “no plan when he fled the United States.” Gbenro quickly built his Instagram account by posting tips and dance videos, as well as travel advice. Gbenro wanted to make money from his passion. He used Instagram to message businesses and creators, offering to improve their social media strategies for a fee of often $250.

Gbenro says that it was hard to start a remote business at the beginning. But he quickly had clients lined up and sufficient income to make his job as a social media manager a full-time gig. After completing an online course on social media marketing, Gbenro was able to structure his business. A friend from San Diego also referred him the first two clients.

After his visa expires, he went to Mexico and stayed there for four months before returning to San Diego. He says, “But I realized that I was not happy living in America.” “I felt like I was stagnating because of the fact that America made it so easy for me to live there.”

He continued: “As Black man, I experienced a psychological trauma, pressure, and feeling that I did not fit in, particularly as an immigrant.

Gbenro officially launched his social media marketing business, Olumide Gbenro PR & Brand Monetization, in 2018 while he was still in San Diego, collaborating with celebrity chefs, real estate agents, business coaches and more. Gbenro was happy at his job, but he still wanted a break. 

While scrolling through Instagram, he came across an image of a Bali traveler friend. A coconut was in her hand as she relaxed on a sandy beach surrounded by palm trees. 

Gbenro states that “It seemed like the ideal place to live.” “The difference between Bali and every other city I researched is that it seemed very peaceful – all the locals, in photos online, looked genuinely happy and like they spend a lot of time in nature.”

He found an apartment at Bali in 2019, Through an Instagram friend, I booked a 1-way plane ticket. 

Gbenro believes that loneliness was the biggest challenge in his journey to Bali. He says, “I went to the beach daily, drinking coconuts, seeing beautiful sunsets. However, I didn’t live with anyone.” 

Gbenro believes it was much easier to form close friendships with expats once he began going to co-working spaces and meeting local people in person. Although he speaks Indonesian conversationally, a majority of Balians speak English. 

He says, “I have been truly loved and accepted by the Balinese.” “Everyone’s always smiling – there’s a really genuine, heart-centered tone here that you can’t get anywhere else.”