My plea came as I gagged out seawater and paddled back to my new friends. It was November, and I had met this international crew of beginner surfers three days ago. Like me, nearly all of the 30 surf campers arrived at our hostel on Bali's south coast alone. They ranged in age from 22 to over 50 and hailed from Russia to New Zealand. On the way to our first lesson on the beach, their backstories tumbled out as the sun rose. In our group were digital nomads, startup founders, and working