Under My Belt - Part II

Two years has flown by here in Kuala Lumpur, and happily at that. To be complete honest, this is an incredibly easy place to be an expat who already speaks English. It's international, navigable, modern, and accessible.

I feel I have gotten to now the city and surrounding area a lot better this year for a couple reasons.  One: I can drive! Getting behind the wheel of my own car for the first time in nine years - and a right driving one at that - felt strange at first, but I am loving having my "freedom" back, especially when public transportation here is not as extensive as it has been other places I've lived.  Secondly, there is always a group of friends keen to go hiking on weekends and I'm happy to have been able to continue exploring new trails and water falls as well as discover new ones...with vary levels of success!

Hiking Club!

So, what's next?  Goals are good and I've got a few for the next twelve months:

• Travel more...in Malaysia!  I had big plans to visit Ipoh, Malacca, and Redang this year which never happened. I'm almost embarrassed to admit that the only locales within the country I visited this year were due to work.  Tioman Island was a beautiful place to take students for ecology field work and Kota Kinabalu in Sabah (Eastern Malaysia - Borneo) for a regional conference was stunning and full of culture that I need to go back to experience in full.
• Continue to do competitions. There was a marathon that was a bust and got cancelled, however, I was able to complete a Spartan Sprint race. Next year I am already signed up for a half marathon through Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia. I have a swimming friend who is encouraging me to train for an open water race.  And then there is always the possibility of completing the Spartan "trifecta" and capping it off with the Beast event.  So many possibilities...
• Move!  This is basically a done deal but it is still going to happen. After two years in a beautiful apartment with a panoramic view of the city, that was truthfully too large for me, I am moving a bit closer down town, a bit closer to school and more reasonably spaced. Also, the view became blocked this year due to construction of an inconceivable number of high rise condos.

The sunsets in Kota Kinabalu were stunning every single night. There is so much
more to do here, it's almost a shame I was at a conference in a hotel learning how
to be a better teacher! It is a must that I return.

Spartans Aroo!!!
Only three of us this year but still a good, dirty time!

Malaysia: I feel I'm just starting to scratch the surface!  Looking forward to the adventures ahead...