I’m Now Location Independent! Here Are 3 Truths I’ve Learned

I’ve been an expat most of my adult life, moving from country to country and along life’s path as it opened up to me. However, until this year I never identified as a Digital Nomad or being Location Independent. Pretty much because I wasn’t, even though most people in my life saw me that way. I’m a Californian and have worked in digital comms in Spain, India, China, Hong Kong, and Malaysia for local start-ups. Never on assignment as a foreign worker for a large company and rarely working freelance. So sure, the past couple of decades I’ve lived a nomadic existence but I wasn’t location-independent. (more…)

1st Look at HISTORY Con MY with Matt Preston MasterChef Australia Judge

HISTORY Con MY is going on this weekend in Kuala Lumpur and I just had a sneak peak at all the fun and antics you and your family can get up to there! Some of HISTORY Channels top celebrities are on hand, including Masterchef Australia judge Matt Preston who sat down for a one-on-one with me and talked … yep you guessed it … all about FASHION!!! It was very fun 😉 (more…)

Penang Hawker Street Food | Red Garden (my favourite!)

Malaysia is home to some of Asia’s most wonderful street and hawker food and Penang is the undisputed king when it comes to showcasing its bounty (at least in my opinion!). I’m in George Town at least every six to eight weeks and I always find time to spend an evening (or at least a very long meal) at Red Garden Food Paradise located next to The Edison and The Blue Mansion heritage hotels (more…)

Best Leica Camera for Vlogging | V-Lux Buy & Test in Malaysia at YL Camera

I fell in love with Leica last year when I saw a review from one of my favourite travel vloggers Jon Olsson using one of their cams. The 4k video quality was off-the-charts and looked nothing like even the BEST the videos I was producing. So when I decided that it was time to upgrade from the iPhone + DSLR setup I was using, it was a Leica that I wanted. I did my research and chatted with the guys at YL Camera, Malaysia’s largest camera retailer, for advice and decided on the Leica V-Lux for its video features and all-in-one 25-400mm zoom lens capabilities. It has been less than a week since I brought my new baby home and the quality of what it shoots is already so amazing … come check it out. (more…)

Penang | Old Protestant Cemetery Tour with Clement Liang

The first time I realised that the beauty of a city is reflected and can be found in the history of its cemeteries was in October, 2008. My daughter and I were in Venice, Italy celebrating her 13th birthday and we took a vaporetto (water bus) to the cemetery island there and found the experience left a lasting impression on us. So when the opportunity arose to explore Penang’s most famous cemetery I leapt at the chance. The UNESCO-protected Old Protestant Cemetery (or Francis Light Cemetery) offers free tours on the last Sunday of each month by one of Penang’s most well respected historian tour guides, Clement Liang. (more…)

Masjid India Night Market | Best Fun During Ramadan in Kuala Lumpur

Ramadan in Kuala Lumpur is so wonderfully festive and exciting, full of vibrant food bazaars and nights markets that welcome those breaking fast and visitors like me to an array of diverse and YUMMY choices night after night. Last night I went for the very first time to the Masjid India Ramadan Bazaar and WOW was it good fun. This pasar malam starts at the foot of the Masjid India mosque and seems to go on and on without end, it’s fabulous! (more…)

Kuala Lumpur | My New Condo Tour

Come with me on a tour of 157 Hampshire Place, my new home in Kuala Lumpur for the next 2 years. I have moved from quite an expat-heavy residential area into something akin to an oasis inside the heart of the KLCC urban jungle. The neighbourhood is called Hampshire Park and it’s located just two blocks from Petronas Twin Towers and I couldn’t be happier. Literally within a 5 – 7 minute walk I now have countless cafes, amazing restaurants with rooftop views of the city, street food at places like TAPAK, and everything else I could possibly need between the Suria Mall at Petronas, Avenue K, and the Ampang Mall. (more…)

Ramadan Kuala Lumpur | Breaking Fast at TAPAK Food Truck Park With Friends

Living in Malaysia is always awesome but it’s never better than during Ramadan! This is my first year with Muslim friends and I’m going to take advantage of this by exploring the infamous food bazaars of Kuala Lumpur and breaking fast with them at hotspots like TAPAK, Malaysia’s first food truck park in the heart of KLCC and just a stone’s throw from Petronas Tower. TAPAK calls itself ‘urban street dining’ and it’s all that and more, including cool live entertainment 🙂 (more…)

Malacca | Trishaw Tour of UNESCO World Heritage City Melaka

I was recently staying at the gorgeous Casa Del Rio hotel in Malacca, which is the perfect hotel for anyone looking to be pampered while exploring UNESCO World Heritage City of Melaka 😉 Well, while there I arranged one of the city’s infamous Trishaw tours and it was hella-fun! This is basically a bike peddled rickshaw but bling bling’d out in over-the-top ways. I had gone on a Hello Kitty trishaw when my Mommy came to visit last so that was what I went with again this time. (more…)

Exploring Super Cool Malaysian Rest Stop Behind-the-Scenes

Sooooo I’ve just returned home to Kuala Lumpur following an 11 day solo road trip in and around Cameron Highlands and had a fascinating adventure at a typical Malaysian rest and truck stop. It was my 1st solo road trip here AND the very 1st time I’ve driven in Malaysia, which mad it extra-super-duper-hella-fun! In fact, it was my first time driving since a solo road trip in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado while on holiday in the USA back in 2014 … but shhhhhh, don’t tell my friend who lent me the Subaru 😉 While stopping to refuel both my body and the petrol, I discovered that Malaysian rest stops are the BOMB and something truly special. (more…)

[Video] Malaysia’s Cameron Highlands Pasar Malam Night Market

Malaysia’s Night Markets Never Disappoint!! Cameron Highlands Pasar Malam is the ONLY one in all of the surrounding hill stations and it is full of some unique and tasty treats, tons of organic fruits and vegetables from local farmers, homemade honey and juices, and local handicrafts.

The next time you’re headed up to the gorgeous hill stations of Cameron Highlands, plan your trip around the weekend so you can explore the delicious and fun night market there. If you’re coo coo for strawberries, well this place is your nirvana because they have everything from organic fresh berries to keychains and strawberry umbrellas! (more…)

Single Mom Diaries: Tips On Living An Extraordinary Life

Today is Mother’s Day back home in the USA, here in Malaysia where I now call home, and in lots of countries around the globe. First and foremost it is the day to acknowledge our moms and be grateful for the person they’ve helped us become. But for single moms (or single dads), it’s also the perfect day to celebrate the adventure and the beauty that our extraordinary ‘single parent’ life holds.

Although my daughter left for university in the UK a few years ago, she’s still the brightest glowing light in my life. Her father was from Spain and he and I divorced when she was a baby, just one year old. (more…)

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