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01 July, 2018

FiSh's Diary 2018: First Half of the Year

1 July 2018. ❤ Everytime I flip to another page of the calendar, it reminds me how quickly the clock ticks each day and now that we are stepping into the second half of the year. It makes me wonder, what have I done in the past 6 months? Have I been coping well with my personal life, my job and my blogging hobby? Well....we'll find out in a bit :)

When I re-read my last personal post on this space - to wrap up 2017 and start anew in 2018 - I can feel the mixed feelings of happiness and pain. In case you're wondering, here are the annual diaries I have jotted down over the past years:

2017: July-Dec: For a more fulfilling 2018
2017: Jan-June: Flashback: 6 months in 2017
2016: Another Step into 2017
2014: New Year Resolution in 2015 / It's a Wrap for 2014

So far, 2018 has been treating me well, as it unexpectedly becomes a year of travelling for me. For the past 6 months, it feels as if I have spent half my time travelling -- I am thankful for the short trips I have, both near and far, over the past few months with different people. Each of which brings memorable experiences in good and bad ways, but ultimately I must admit that I have been enjoying this part of life very much :)

"Sometimes a short walk down memory lane is all it takes to appreciate where we are today."

Now here's a flashback between January to June 2018....

JANUARY

January 2018. The year began with my first impromptu 3D2N trip to Bangkok with a bunch of friends. The highlight of the trip? I missed my early morning flight to Bangkok, and forked out double the amount to board the immediate next flight. Lol. True story. I was there sitting right in the departure hall, not realising that my flight was taking off despite of the numerous announcements. When I told this to my friends, they were like, "How could that possibly happen?!" I said, I had no idea. It was just crazy. My mind must have gone haywire at that point.


Well, the real highlight of the trip to Bangkok was our one-day trip to Khao Yai because it was sunflower blooming season in January! It felt awesome to leave the bustling city of Bangkok for one day, and be surrounded by nature (a whole lot of flowers, alpacas and mountainous view) in Khao Yai.

If you would like to explore the countryside and take Instagram-worthy shots in this city filled with wineries, farms, and massive floral fields, you can find out more from my Khao Yai blog post: 1 Day  Trip Itinerary in Khao Yai.

FEBRUARY
February is always a great month for celebration because it's Chinese New Year! But this year, I was down with massive fever right before CNY and thus spent my entire CNY break sleeping and resting. The only thing I remembered was spending a day in my hometown for reunion with my paternal grandma. Not sure how many more years could we do this, but let's cherish these precious family moments always :)

MARCH
March began with another impromptu 3D2N trip to Langkawi, courtesy of Resorts World LangkawiIt was a long weekend well-spent by the sea; now I kinda miss the moments of dipping into the infinity pool with sea view and watching sunset from the cruise in the middle of the ocean. 

Personally, the most memorable experience was the zipline adventure where we literally 'flew' like a Tarzan in the jungle. Of course, what mattered most was the friendships we built during the trip. Here are some of the my favourite experiences in Langkawi during the trip:



APRIL
April was, again, all about fun because we had our annual 3D2N company trip in Philea Resorts and Spa, Malacca. Staying in a well-furnished wooden cabin in the midst of lush greenery overlooking the waterfall, was the kind of Zen experience I always wanted.

Since it was a pretty chillax trip, I had plenty of time to walk around Malacca town, chomp down the delicious food and take some street shots.

The part I loved most about this trip was sitting down on the bridge at Portuguese Settlement, enjoying sea breezes as the sun set... Moments like this were simple yet meaningful in the heart.  

MAY

May 2018 was a life-changing month for all Malaysians because of the change of government resulting from the people's tsunami. While we saw waves of victories from Pakatan Harapan, we heard very loud cheer for the special public holidays which rewarded us, working slaves, with a total of 5 days off in a row. It was fun spending these few days with impromptu road trips-- for example, I had a ride up to Genting Highlands (for the 4th time this year), and a makan-makan trip to Bentong and Janda Baik

I loved how things come unplanned, because they say...
"Unplanned trips are often the best ones."

Having a day trip to my hometown for the yummy noms was a spontaneous thought that popped up during a casual conversation. But I was glad that it happened because I realised over all these years I had not really explored the township like how tourists did. 
  
My all-time favourite Wan Tan mee from Hooi Kee. 

Hence, putting on my tourist cap, I made it for the first time to the popular Chamang Waterfall. I was never a fan of waterfall (because I had aquaphobia) but the experience of splashing the icy cold water and enjoying the breezy wind was fun :) Would definitely be back if I have a chance! 

Actually, May felt like a magical month to me. For the first time, I received a surprise bouquet of colorful baby's breath on a random day. 

Do you know what's the meaning behind this tiny little flower? Purity and everlasting love. Although it may seem small, insignificant, and often used to accessorise other flowers, it can be very beautiful on its own. Whether you see its beauty, it is entirely up to you :) I may not be a beautiful stalk of rose, but I am glad to be appreciated like the baby's breath although not everyone notices me. 

JUNE

Moving towards June, a great news came by surprise -- I was flying to Bali with AirAsia for a 3D2N KILORUN Travel-Eat-Run trip. Although our schedule was very packed throughout the 3 days in Ubud, I was glad that our time was very well spent on visiting several historical places, cafes and local restaurants there. 

Feel free to check out the food we tried and places we visited in Ubud HERE
Can't wait to be back to Bali again next year!

Despite of the busy schedule, I managed to squeeze in another road trip to Port Dickson over the long weekend to makan-makan and chill by the sea. Good to be back to the sea once again :) 

And the best part of the trip was not all the yummy food we had (ranging from Seremban's squid noodles and Lukut's curry king bun to PD's famous salted egg crab), but it was the lovely evening spent at a fun fair located at PD Waterfront.

I have always been a big fan of carousel since young, and just by surrounding myself with the colorful ride complemented by light-hearted music, it was sufficient to carve a smile on my face. I really enjoyed mini amusement parks like this where the atmosphere was full of colors and energy. Love the electrifying vibes there!

The 100th. ❤ 

Right before the end of June, here came another surprise. I must agree that the best moment always comes unexpected. It was another bouquet of my favourite baby's breath again, this time bigger and all white, just to celebrate our little milestone :) And of course a dedicated gift to keep me warm as well (not showing any picture, sorry!). Indeed a great ending to the month of June!


What's Next?

Along the first half of the year, I just couldn't be more thankful, for the travelling opportunities I had thus far, although life has given me little hiccups every now and then. The most precious thing I gain throughout the past 6 months is a loyal companionship -- a great listener who never gets tired of all my whining, a cool entertainer who never stops cracking jokes, a dedicated person who never leaves me regardless of how many times I said "Go awayyy" and most importantly a genuine person who is ready to face the challenges with me in the upcoming days and years. Hopefully things can continue progressing well in a good momentum...

I don't usually share things about us online. I read about an experiment conducted by Denmark's Happiness Research Institute in which the result shows that people who stay off Facebook are happier. 

"When you're happy, you don't get distracted by social media."

True. When we truly enjoy each other's companion at the very moment, there is just no time for social media postings. I feel that couples who are genuinely happy do not need validation from social media to prove how happy they are. No showing off, no bragging, no gushing about the relationship :) In the past, the relationships I have been through all ended because of social media. It was social media that gave us unreal perception and pre-mature assumptions on others. And people who feel jealous would tend to ruin happiness most of the time. Now I just want to keep it as discreet as possible, because we do not owe the world an explanation on how happy we are. 

As part of 2018's resolution, I have promised myself not to stay up too late for work by forcing myself to bed by 12am. I think I am doing pretty good now as I manage to strike a balance between bed time and working hours. Nevertheless, life does give us lemons sometimes... Tears still roll down the cheeks at late nights occasionally, but I hope I can continue building my inner strength to combat those negative emotions. I am still, and always, learning each day...


So....what will I be expecting in the next 6 months? 

❤ More vacations? Definitely. 
❤ Better worklife balance? Of course.
❤ Less tears and more laughter? Hopefully. 

Thank you everyone for your support thus far; 
The fact that you're reading this already means a lot to me.
Looking forward to sharing more stories and adventures with you!

Love,
FiSh

1 comment:

  1. Wow we are in the middle of the year... Love this post it makes me reflec

    ReplyDelete

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