Photo essay: A glance at Kuala Lumpur

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The cheapest and best local breakfast in town

Discovering Hindu temples at the Batu Caves

Fish feet cleaning in the Central Market

A quick bite to eat at one of the many fruit stands

Merdeka Square, Muslim roots, and the Old Quarter

Wearing a burka and exploring the National Mosque

The crazy atmosphere that is Chinatown

Petronas Towers – Day and Night

Favorite place in Kuala Lumpur, The Golden Triangle

First taste of Southeast Asia, Malaysia

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Mimi McFadden

Travel Writer/Blogger at The Atlas Heart

Mimi founded The Atlas Heart to create a community of travelers inspired to see the world. The Atlas Heart is a space where you'll find anecdotes on slow travel, craft beer, outdoor adventures, and all the eccentric bits in between that this world has to offer.

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Latest posts by Mimi McFadden (see all)

How I Made $675 from Travel Blogging in December 2019 - January 4, 2020
2019, A Year of Discovery - December 31, 2019
50 Best Gifts for Hikers | Ultimate Gift Guide for 2020 - December 12, 2019

I created The Atlas Heart with the intention of not only seeing the world, but understanding and writing about cultures from the perspectives of locals – what I call ‘seeing the world through a kaleidoscope lens’.

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San Francisco, CA

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Hey guys, guess what!? I’m writing my first book

Hey guys, guess what!? I’m writing my first book! I’ve been knee deep in research and writing every day and I’m excited to announce my first nonfiction travel guide will be coming out at the end of January. .
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I’ve been wanting to create my own product for ages, but I always had excuses for why I couldn’t do it right now. But, to be honest, I’m over making excuses for why I can’t do things or be successful in the way I want. It’s a mental block that I’ve worked on getting over for a while, but due to recent events and on and off health issues I’ve been dealing with since October, it has really hit home for me that there’s no time like the present. I can’t think of a better way to start off the New Year than truly diving into what I want to do, regardless of that fear of failure or it not living up to what I want it to be. .
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Here’s to living boldly in 2020 - wishing you all a very merry Christmas and happy end to your 2019. Time to go back into my writing cave for the next few weeks, but I look forward to sharing my book with you soon! See you on the other side. 😎

The older I get, the more I realize how much I lov

The older I get, the more I realize how much I love simple moments in nature and finding daily mindfulness and intention. These moments bring me pure joy, no strings attached. .
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If you’ve been following my stories, you know that my word for 2020 is “Joy”. This upcoming year is all about tuning into what brings me the most joy in life and letting go of the things that don’t. .
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Besides my blog, one of the ways I’m thinking of leaning more into joy this year is getting my yoga teacher certification and leading hiking/photography/yoga tours around the Bay Area. .
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This is only the start. I have so many more plans for 2020 which I’ll be sharing soon, but I think the most exciting part is the feeling that I’m getting closer to my purpose and what I want to give back to this world before I leave it. And, most importantly, how I can help bring more joy to other people’s lives too.
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So tell me - what brings you pure joy in life?

Things have been a bit quiet around here and that’ll probably last through most of the rest of the year. I’ve been taking a much needed break from social media to reconnect with my goals, my business, and mindset. After almost a month and a half of living in Puerto Vallarta, my time in Mexico is coming to an end for now. 2019 has been an interesting year, one where nothing quite went as planned but because of that it allowed me to grow in more ways and I’m grateful for that. It has also set me up to make big moves in 2020 that I probably wouldn’t be making if all those things hadn’t fallen apart. I’m really starting to believe the old saying that things fall apart so better things can come together. .
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I realize that I’ve spent the last month in Mexico and haven’t shared hardly anything about my time here. It’s been nice, actually, to just have this trip to myself, but I did want to share a few thoughts about life in Puerto Vallarta and Mexico in general. These are my takeaways after living in PV for a month and a half: .
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🇲🇽Mexican culture is incredibly vibrant and alive. It’s a culture I’ve always been surrounded by and lived adjacent to growing up in California, but I’ve been able to experience it in a new way this trip. The Mexicans I’ve met here live life fully and have a whole lot of fun while they do it. I love that about this culture. It has reminded me to stop taking life so seriously and to just enjoy this crazy journey while I can.
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🇲🇽The food is amazing. I already knew this would be the case before I arrived, but I’m glad it was confirmed as soon as I got here. I’ve had tacos almost every day and I’ve fallen in love with mole enchiladas and al pastor anything. .
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🇲🇽I haven’t had this much intense attention from local men since I was in India. However, it’s much more forward in Mexico. Mexican men in PV have this tendency to stop a few feet in front of you and literally watch you as you walk past, heads turned and eyes looking you up and down. Then, of course, there are the usual catcalls, the come from the windows of cars that slow down as they pass you by. — > CONTINUED IN THE COMMENTS 👇

Cheers to the freakin’ weekend from Mexico. 🇲

Cheers to the freakin’ weekend from Mexico. 🇲🇽🏖 Girls trip to kick off my last weekend in Puerto Vallarta for a while. More thoughts on Mexico soon, but for now let’s just say I’m grateful for what this month and a half has given me. A Full heart, clear mind, new friends, and a belly full of tacos. 🌮
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#puertovallarta #puertovallartamexico #sanpanchonayarit #sanpancho #sanpanchobeach #rivieranayarit #nayarit #nayaritmexico #jaliscomexico #puertovallartajalisco #womenwhotravel

The humid air enveloped me as I stood on the rooft

The humid air enveloped me as I stood on the rooftop of my new apartment. It was a welcome respite after San Francisco’s cool chill that left me full of love but unprotected from the needlelike cold. There was a storm in the distance, rain falling in a place I hadn’t yet explored. I wondered what they might be doing over there. I imagined dancing in the street as the rain picked up so you could truly feel the omnipotence of nature fall down around you. That’s how I remember Laos, a parallel time and place. When kids danced in the torrential rain happy to be alive and free, while I looked on laughing with them and their sheer joy that infected me too.
Alone and full in my contented space. Already steadfast in my decision to walk away from a past that had no place in my present. The thunder came near my rooftop and I wondered if I would be struck down where I stood. I watched with glittering eyes as it danced around me, testing fate as I always have. When you go, you go. And when you know something isn’t right for you, you know. Is it possible to feel equally lost and at home in a place? Because that’s how I felt long before I left for Mexico. An attempt to create a life of stability on swampy ground. A shallow grave, everything floated to the surface with the first hint of the rain.
Without the feeling of breaking free from a cocoon that has suffocated you for so long, you would never know just how much further you could fly. I think I’ll stay a little while in this tropical place, where life is easy and palm trees sway to twinkling lights with the sound of jazz across the street. The world keeps spinning and grace is staring me right in the face.
I’m a runaway like so many others who have come here before, ready to build something that is completely my own.
Something that feels like dropping my keys in the bowl after a long trip away. Something that is home.
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. **excerpt from my latest post on the blog**

#ad What is your favorite way of finding affordabl

#ad What is your favorite way of finding affordable flights?
I’ve picked up quite a few hacks over the years for finding affordable flights around the world. 
TIP 1: Figure out what the cheapest city is to fly into and out of in the region you want to travel to.
For example, if you want to go to Asia from North America - look at cities like Taipei, Hong Kong, Bangkok, or Ho Chi Minh City as your gateway destination for cheaper flights.
Once you arrive, you can take a much cheaper regional flight to wherever you want to go. 
TIP 2: If possible, be flexible with your travel dates. If you’re willing to travel mid-week as opposed to the weekend, you can usually find cheaper flights.
In a similar vein, if you’re traveling in the low or shoulder season of your destination, flights are usually much cheaper. 
TIP 3: Research the most affordable airlines that fly to your destination.
I know if I’m flying to Asia from North America, the first airline I’ll look at is @EVAAirUS because I’ve found some of the best international flights with them in the past.
And they regularly fly to Taipei, which, as I mentioned above, is a super affordable gateway city to fly into in Asia. If you’re heading to Asia soon, I’d recommend first figuring out your perfect gateway city and travel dates, then checking out flights on EVA Air to start planning an affordable getaway. You can get started here: https://ooh.li/793d926 
#gatewaytoasia #EVAAirUS #theatlasheart

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