Going north….still!

Going north….still!

Well, on Monday I got me outta Dodge (the airport) and grabbed a ride to Kapar, heading North. I give the ‘Grand Hotel’ 10/10 for photoshopping their website for the place – like putting lipstick on a pig, as the saying goes. Let’s just say it was a ‘immersive cultural experience’ and leave it at that! I cycled around a bit to get a feel for how things worked. Does ‘interesting’ cover it? Or ‘WTF’…yep, that feels more on the money 🤣. The only saving grace is that they (in theory) drive on the same side as Aus so that was gratefully one less headache to deal with. I wandered around the chaotic streets looking for something ‘western’ to eat then said ‘bugger it – when in Malaysia….’ So I found a street food place and had a delicious rice dish. Wasn’t sure why he bought me a hot Milo though – nothing says a piping hot drink than a 30 degree evening with 78% humidity! I got to speak to my Niamh – so so good to see her so bubbly and loving her school holidays 😘.

Today I set off with admittedly some trepidation. It was already stifling hot at 8 and threatening rain. I had swapped the red dirt and blue skies for grey skies and palm trees. Well, it did rain. Rain drops the likes of which I’ve never seen. Humongous drops. But it really was delightful. I got off the main road around half way through the ride and headed to the coast where I found a wonderful dirt track and then loads of backroads that took me most of the way to Sabak, where I stopped as cramps were setting in 😢. I clocked 99k.

So what did I learn:

1. 1. red is only a darker shade of green (when it applies to traffic lights
   2. understand that just because I’m on the left side of the road doesn’t mean motorcyclists can’t come towards you going the wrong way!
   3. Stay alert….watch for massive monitor lizards scooting across the road in front of you (scared the sh1t out of me)
   4. Despite all the contention that Malays can’t drive, that’s just not true. I was stunned by the way lorries and cars gave me so much space, and even waited if they couldn’t pass. Some Adelaide drivers could take a lesson from these drivers and
   5. I didn’t drink nearly enough!

Once I was able to relax on the road I was also able to take stock of a few things – so the reflective and healing nature of this bike ride has continued 😊. I’m learning so much about myself, my limits, my inner voices, and where (and why) I place my focus and energy. Jo Dispenza talks about ‘Neurons that fire together, wire together’ -explaining why old patterns, behaviours and triggers are so bolted on to us and stubborn to break.

I love this quote:
‘So your thoughts drive your feelings, and your feelings drive your thoughts, and eventually this loop hardwires your brain into the same patterns, which conditions your body into the past. And because emotions are a record of past experiences, if you can’t think greater than how you feel, this thinking-feeling loop keeps you anchored to your past and creates a constant state of being. This is how the body becomes the mind—or in time, how your thoughts run you and your feelings own you’

Thanks for reading everyone and sharing this journey with me.