Dane Gonzalez

The co-founder of Tala the Label and creator of the blog Trust Me, It’s Paradise gets real about her island-girl lifestyle.

YOU WERE IN THE NIGHTLIFE AND CORPORATE INDUSTRIES BEFORE YOU EVENTUALLY CAME BACK TO A NATURECENTRIC LIFE, SHUTTLING BETWEEN BORACAY AND BALI. WHAT MAKES THIS LIFESTYLE APPEALING TO YOU? I moved to Boracay in 2006 when I was 21. For a long time, I was under the impression that in order to “grow up,” I needed to embrace a life filled with more responsibilities, money, and ambition. It took a while before I figured out that this was causing me more anxiety and confusion—I was working like a slave, but I was moving more and more away from myself and the peace of mind I was craving so badly. Finally in 2015, overworked and underpaid, I quit my job and booked a flight to Europe. I stayed three months and focused on just being and breathing. Even though I was ultimately broke and unemployed, I felt freer than ever. So, I moved back to the island and decided to start from scratch.