Kuala Lumpur Bound: Notes from a Solo Traveler #1

📝👀✈️🙏🍜💤🌆👋🌎🔌💻📚

After more than a year and a half, I finally mustered the courage to sit beside the window on my flight to Kuala Lumpur. There were times when I cried a lot due to my fear of flying, but this time I decided to take the window seat and was rewarded with a beautiful view of the city lights at night. It was a long-awaited sight!

Before my flight, I took some time to perform a short itikaf in the airport prayer room. I was feeling a mix of emotions- nervousness for the journey ahead, sadness for being alone, and maybe even a bit of overthinking about unfinished work and friendships. But during my prayers, I felt a sense of peace and comfort.

After praying, I went on a search for sahoor. I hoped to find KFC in the airport, but there wasn't any open, so I looked for rice. Unfortunately, all I found was noodles, so I grabbed some to go and headed to my gate. As I arrived, people were already queuing to board, but I took a moment to sit and eat my noodles. Just in time, I finished eating, did fajr prayer on the plane, and fell asleep until landing!

As soon as I woke up, my brain felt a bit fuzzy, and I found myself wandering around the massive Kuala Lumpur International Airport, searching for a power outlet. After half an hour of searching, I decided to ask for help from the Malaysia Tourism Office. In less than five minutes, they pointed me to the nearest power outlet. I settled down, did my work, and even assisted in an online class and a studio class. While there, I met a friendly Chinese grandma who couldn't speak English, but we communicated through body language. Though I couldn't help her, she kept smiling and saying "assalamu'alaikum." What a lovely lady!

I learned from my previous lesson and decided to ask for help whenever I wasn't sure about something. It saved me from wasting more time, and now I'm on a bus heading to KL Sentral, feeling excited about what the city has in store for me! 🚌🤩👍

P.S. Forgot to mention these stories!

I also had a lovely experience with immigration officers during my trip to Kuala Lumpur! In Indonesia, the immigration officer asked me if I came from Bukittinggi. I told him that I was only born there as my parents worked there, and he joked with me, saying he just wanted to speak to me in the Minang language. We had a good laugh together!

When I arrived in Malaysia, the immigration officer asked if I was traveling alone and if I was brave to do so as a girl. I just laughed and said "yes," taking it as a compliment.

I also had the opportunity to practice my English while in Kuala Lumpur, and I was thrilled to communicate well! 🙌🇲🇾👍