7 thoughts after 7 days: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Greetings from Asia 🖖
1. Talk about an urban jungle.
Kuala Lumpur is literally the definition of an urban jungle. 🌴
It’s definitely a change from sleepy little Split, Croatia. The city is kind of reminding me of all the reasons I didn’t like living in New York…construction, pollution, noises. I’m finding myself craving island days. But then again the perks of city life are real. You can walk less than 5 minutes and get just about anything you could ever need. Speaking of which…
2. HOLY MALLS!
There are so. many. malls.
I’ve never been to Asia so this whole mall culture thing is new to me, and it takes some getting used to. I mean, some of my favorite meals have been at restaurants in malls. In the States, we’re used to Auntie Anne’s and Popeye’s being the mall food we crave. Here, I’m still thinking about dim sum I had in a mall for dinner the other night.
3. It’s mad cheap.
Especially the food. I mean a pork bun for like… 50 cents?! Come on.
Again, this whole being new to Asia things means that I am constantly stunned by the prices. We’re eating so well (and so much) for so little! Looks like my wallet (and my belly) will stay fat for the next four months.
4. Realizing what I want in my next city.
As I really start thinking about life after Remote Year, I start analyzing the places I’ve been living in the last eight months. What did I love? What did I hate?
My happiest place was definitely Croatia. I felt so comforted every morning when I woke up and got to stare at that gorgeous Adriatic Sea. I loved the calmness of our little neighborhood and how easy it felt to live life.
Will my next city be by the beach? Dunno yet.
5. Finding the new normal.
Like I said, Croatia was easy. I found a great routine that made me feel productive professionally and personally. I felt good about life in general.
Then I got to Asia.
My world was sort of flipped upside down — from time zones to routines to food. I’m sort of grasping at what I once knew to comfort me in terms of a routine, but it’s hard to find anything that’s sticking. Not to mention having friends in town sort of just takes you for a spin, regardless.
It’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel right now with a few busy weeks of travel coming up, but maybe this month for me will just reflect Kuala Lumpur’s chaos. Need to accept that, figure out what I can and cannot change, and move on.
6. My preferred activity is…
Equal parts active and chill.
This past weekend we took a little adventure trip to a local hiking spot, around two hours from Kuala Lumpur’s city center.
We hiked in the jungle, through a river, to a hidden waterfall spot. It was just a perfect day, with some of the best people. Despite being sick, this has been one of my favorite days in a while. Just want to remember that.
7. So much stimulation.
I’ve realized that my Instagram feed can kind of reflect my mood and experiences each month.
Asia has felt chaotic, but in a good way. And my Instagram is already reflecting that colorful chaos.
Check out my recaps of Còrdoba, Buenos Aires, La Paz,Cusco, London, my Remote Year hiatus, Prague, Belgrade, and Split. Follow along on Instagram for my daily adventures.
