Going back

 

Image taken from I can't remember where 

We were back in Kuala Lumpur recently for ten days.  We've been away for a while, so it was a nice short trip to kill some birds with one stone, so to speak.  We caught up with family and also attended a church wedding as well as a different reception the next day.  It was a busy time as we rushed to do some quick shopping for traditional outfits for the occasion.  Everything turned out to be sensational. 

Although I used to travel by coach almost every weekend before I moved to Singapore, we usually take a flight nowadays.  Stephen says we fly for the speed and convenience of getting from Point A to Point B.  Actually, a coach ride is pretty relaxing these days.  I've seen the newer luxury coaches, and they look pretty comfortable.  However, it is a long five-hour drive and could be lengthened if there is any accident on the highway.

We usually take Firefly now although it costs slightly more than other airlines.  We pay for the ease of immigration clearance and proximity to the KL home.  Firefly is from Seletar to Subang.  Overall, it is worth the extra dollars!  

The picture above brought back memories of when the coach used to reach this area and I realise that I am at the end of the long journey back.  The KL home is just a wee bit yonder from the dark greenery in this picture. 

We'll be back, KL!

Already August 2019

Image from Instagram

January to July of 2019 has really been filled with loads of ups and downs.  And just like that, August is here!

Out of these 211 days, I spent 74 days away!

• 19 days (13Jan-31Jan) in KL
• 14 days (10Mar-24Mar) in KK
• 3 days (9Apr-11Apr) in KL
• 6 days (15Apr-20Apr) in KK 
• 24 days (12Jun-5Jul) in KL
• 8 days (6Jul-13Jul) in KK

Just about one-third of these seven months was spent moving around.  It was such an intense time of travelling and waiting at the airport.

Will I be going to KL again?  Yes. 

Will I be going to KK again?  Yes.

And so begins the next plan for my next visit.  Sometimes life can be so unpredictable.  If you had asked me this time, last year, if I had any travel plans, I'd have laughed.

Let's see what August brings.  I'm excited and looking forward to keeping the momentum but only after I've relaxed a bit with doing nothing.

Beauty in the ugly.

Image from WWW

Exactly a month ago, a normal five hour journey turned into a nine hour trip.  Was I annoyed?  Not really.  

I've learnt to always find the positive no matter what life throws my way.  The nine hour trip gave me an opportunity to be with my kids and to talk (no escape for them!).  Usually in the hustle and bustle of daily life, there is hardly time but here I was given an opportunity to listen and enjoy the steady drone of my children talking.  It's a sound that I missed and didn't even realise until that moment.

Now I look back and feel greatly blessed that we had a safe trip back.  "It could have been worse", I always say.

On that very same highway, I once had a burst tyre while driving but I was able to manoeuvre to the side of the road without any untoward incident.  Another time was when the car in front of me did a sudden flip (like in the movies) and landed in the ditch.  On both occasions, I was shaken but grateful that nothing serious happened.  I consider myself truly blessed.

In KL, the kids always look after me and I enjoy the attention. They're both very kind and loving.  I couldn't ask for any better than them. 

What was the beauty in that ugly long trip?  The precious time I had with Jared and Gwen.  Priceless!