One of these things is not like the other...

Joy here...A while back one of my more popular posts mused about how I felt a bit odd about living in Ottawa and felt like I didn't really fit.  Part of that oddity was feeling like the modus operandi there was one shared by a majority of people, and it was one that seemed antithetical to the things I hold near and dear about what it means to live a good life.  In Ottawa it seemed to me that many people love, search for, seek out, and embrace a good life based around security, safety, and quality time with family and friends.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with any of that.

But for me, I have always had ants in my pants and itchy feet and always been more interested in something challenging and hard rather than safe and comfortable.  As a result, living in Ottawa sometimes felt socially weird.  As much as we met some really wonderful people there and befriended a number of them, often I felt like admitting that I wanted something more, something different, something bigger, better, stranger, more exiting etc. marked me as an outsider.

So sometimes I felt lonely.  I felt like I didn't belong, and I wouldn't necessarily develop the kinds of good friends that I have always been able to count on throughout my life so far.

But Kuala Lumpur is proving to be different.  It seems like at every turn I'm not only reconnecting with our friends here who are really great, but I'm also meeting new people who seem to see the world in ways that tally with those I hold near and dear.

In that last blog post about Ottawa, I likened it to a relationship that just wasn't working, and to stretch that metaphor further, I know that now I'm in the flush of rose-tinted romance when it comes to Kuala Lumpur.  I mean, what's not to love about a new relationship?  There's the newness of it all, the excitement, and everyone is on their best behaviour.

And even though it might be fleeting, it might not be AND it sure is enjoyable while it lasts!

The view of the city and the Petronas Twin Towers taken from
Menara KL Tower.

For instance, I finally dusted off my bike after nearly two months and took it for a spin around the neighbourhood for the first time.  And while out riding, I met a number of the neighbours, interesting people who have either returned to Malaysia after living and working abroad (like The Man), or who have settled here as outsiders (like me).  They seem interesting, worldly, and interested in chasing down opportunities.  While it's early days, I think I may just have found the place for me.

First bike ride in Kuala Lumpur for me!

So while I'll continue to write about my ups and downs with running and training  (mostly downs, lately), you can be sure that I'll also be writing about my ups and down with my new Kuala Lumpur love affair (mostly ups at the moment!).

Over and out,
Joy