April 5th, 2012. This day marks our first day in our new hometown of Malaysia. Its been a little over a year now and I simply cannot even believe how quickly time has flown by during the first year of our 1st expat assignment in Kuala Lumpur. I say “first assignment” because even though this has been the hardest experience I have ever been through, its also been the most rewarding, so to that end, I would not hesitate to do it all over again….and the next time hopefully it will be somewhere else in this magnificent world!
Words cannot begin to describe the emotions of all the ups & downs that we have experienced thus far. From the initial settling in period of looking for a temporary house & the searching for a more permanent house, to the research of finding & buying/financing a car, and the health, auto, and renters insurance that goes along with all that- the first 3 months went down in the history books of the craziest time ever in our lives, and we’ve both moved homes together and separately multiple times before!
From the moment we stepped foot in this country, our new life in KL quickly began to take on a life of its own. Being a type “A” personality and now out of a formal “Corporate America” job, my new job was to get us settled into life here in KL and to expand our social network. I quickly found out that there are a plethora of options to chose from- The American Association, The Expat Group, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church (our KL church home), LEGS Golf Group, Chi Fitness Gym, our new neighbors, and many other expat groups to tag along to as well. Between setting up adult “play dates” (haha) with new friends and getting more acquainted with our home town, I was busier than ever! In fact, it became a bit comical to try and coordinate our KL social life, David’s work travels, and fitting in our own regional holidays. To say we were in for the ride of our lives is an understatement!
The process of finding our way around town also proved to be quite the challenge- Where to shop for groceries? Where to go for dry-cleaning? How to get a cell phone? Where to buy furniture, house plants, cleaning supplies, and more? How to find a repair man? Where to get pictures framed? The great thing about the expat life though is that there are so many people around town in our same stage that everyone shares info freely and excitedly. It’s been a fantastic learning experience for sure!
Then this past November we found out we were pregnant with our first child! What a thrill and once again this news expanded our social network even more but also brought on more questions. Doctors? Medical Care? Hospitals? Baby gear? The list goes on & on. Luckily, I found out about the the IBU Family Resource Group and it has been a godsend. In fact, I am currently the pregnancy support group volunteer leader! I also found out about Fitfor2 in Bangsar Village- a great place for expectant moms to practice yoga, pilates, and chat with other moms in the same stage of life. Both of these groups have helped me more than I ever could have hoped and is making having a baby in KL much more enjoyable.
We also found time to travel to a new destination/country every single month for the first 9 months of living here. We began with Seoul & Hong Kong before even arriving in Malaysia, then on to Langkawi for my birthday last May, then Singapore, Phuket & the Phi Phi Islands, Penang, the USA for a wedding, Koh Samui, Bali, Malacca, Bangkok, and finishing off 2012 with a bang……the Maldives Islands! Holy moly- what fun every single one of those trips were. So far 2013 is a bit quieter travel wise, but much needed in order to enjoy & explore KL more with our friends as well as save & prepare for baby Naber. We did recently travel back to the USA for a wedding & baby showers and are looking forward to our Babymoon in Vietnam this coming May.
I’ve also enjoyed huge personal successes with my blog and with contributing to other expat magazines and websites. I want to thank YOU, all my dear readers, for supporting me and encouraging me along the way. I have grown so much in my writing and I know I am still just scratching the surface of my capabilities, knowing that the sky is the limit as long as my heart is in it- and boy is it ever! I’ve been lucky enough to partner with the AAM Magazine, The Bonda Magazine, Expat Arrivals website, Expats Blog website, AngloInfo website as well as having been found via google searches from other first time expats enquiring about living in KL. This has been so rewarding and I am very much looking forward to expanding my blog posts, contributions, and experiences more and more in the coming year, with an added focus on Expat life & travels with a baby!
Anyway, as I write, the tears are threatening to come (thank you pregnancy hormones!). I’m just incredibly grateful and thankful for being blessed enough to experience a season of life in KL with my partner in crime and best friend in the whole world- the love of my life & baby daddy- David Naber.
Please enjoy a little walk down memory lane with some pictures highlighting our 1st year in KL. Please also note that you can read more in depth about trips & experiences I’ve blogged about by clicking on any underlined word.
Champagne toast on flight to our new home in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia!
Korean BBQ in Seoul
Top of Victoria’s Peak in Hong Kong
Experiencing Chinatown in Kuala Lumpur
Our first hike up to the Batu Caves
Birthday drinks at Trader’s Hotel with view of Petronas Twin Towers, KL
Birthday weekend in Langkawi, Malaysia
Our first Expat Mingle
Sunset in Singapore
Trying Durian for the first time on Jalan Alor
Expatriate Lifestyle- Women’s Fashion Show
Elephants in Phuket, Thailand
Bangsar Sunday Farmer’s Market (still need to blog about this one!)
Homesick bouquet from my hubby
“Hashing” in the tropical heat!
Penang, Malaysia Hawker Stall food weekend!
Trip home to Indianapolis– dinner with our friends
My bestie’s wedding in Seattle, WA
David’s Birthday dinner with his parents!
Royal Selangor Pewter Factory Tour with the in-laws in town
Kayaking in Koh Samui, Thailand
Koh Samui, Thailand– lantern wishes
Volunteering at the CIMB PGA Golf Classic– paired with Tiger Woods (to his right)!
Dinner in Bali
Malacca, Malaysia day trip
Fish Spa– torture!
American Thanksgiving with my parents in KL!
Wild Silver-leaf Monkeys in Kuala Selangor
Banana Leaf Indian Food in Bangsar
Bangkok, Thailand train market
Bangkok, Thailand floating market
Arrival into the Maldives Islands
Christmas Day in the Maldives!
Thiapusam 2013 festival at the Batu Caves
Of course this is just a bit of what we experienced this past year, feel free to read & view more about our travels & about expat life in general in previous posts….so.much.fun!
Until next time, safe & happy travels~
Kimbra
6 Responses to Expat Life Update: 1 year Anniversary in KL!
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Love your expression tasting The Famous durian…
Loved reading your blog and looking at the pictures! I am also an American, just moved to Malaysia about a year ago. My husband is a local, but I definitely identify with your writings about adjustments and such! Has been difficult, but wouldn’t trade it. Would love to get together in a group sometime! My blog is malaysiahousewife.blogspot.com.
Hi Kerry!
Wow, I’m so glad you found my blog and I just took a look at yours, nicely done :). It sounds like you moved here just after my husband and I did- we moved in March 2012. We actually just had our first baby! And right here in KL- what a fantastic experience! and yes you are correct, it is such a difficult transition, especially coming from the states, but so worth it and I as well wouldn’t trade it for the world! That is so great that you found true love across the globe- what a fun adventure :). Would love to trade more stories and meet sometime. Life is a bit nuts right now with a new baby but please do keep in touch and email me- intlnabers@gmail.com.
Hi,
Love you post, lovely photos. What a beautiful adventure life!
Are you still in KL?
I will retiree/begin my expat life in Malaysia next month . Would you open to meet for a cup of tea?
Best regards an hope to hear from you,
such
Hello,
Congratulations on your upcoming move to KL and retiring :). You will love Malaysia and all it has to offer. I wish you the best of luck!
[…] I honestly cannot believe 2 years have passed since making the trek across the world to make our home in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Time sure does fly by in the blink of an eye, as they say. Whatever thoughts I had about my adult life as I was growing up, I never in a million years would have envisioned this. That being said, I’m eternally grateful for this amazing opportunity to live in KL for a season of life. We arrived in KL on April 5th 2012 and that first year literally flew by as we tried to acclimate to our new home, explore, adjust, and more. You can read all about our first year in KL here. […]