Family Gap Year Post #27: Fast Travel Around Southeast Asia
Description
What a whirlwind tour around some amazing spots in Asia!
First, we flew to Japan for a night, so we could break up the long trip from Hawai’i to Malaysia. I’m so glad we did! Spending a night in Japan and getting a little taste of the culture was incredible.
Then it was off to Malaysia. We started in the major urban city of Kuala Lumpur and then continued on to a tiny island called Langkawi. We specifically traveled to Malaysia to attend our friend’s wedding. We were thrilled to receive an invitation to a wedding in Malaysia in October and to be able to say yes! Our normal life doesn’t afford that kind of flexibility.
Since we were so close to Singapore, we added a stopover there. I once read that Singapore has the highest concentration of INTJs in the world, so I had to check it out! (INTJs are only 2% of the world’s population and only 0.8% of women).
After Singapore, we journeyed to Bali, which has always been on my wishlist. We stayed at the most affordable and beautiful AirBnb we could find, which happened to be on the west coast in Balian Beach.
Highs
So many good moments from this trip! I’ll never forget our sunset cruise in Malaysia or the best massages of my life in Bali. I also loved the scooter rides to our outdoor yoga class in Bali (although it was terrifying!). And I’ll remember our special family moments, like the Door-o-Ween celebration we invented for Halloween, as well as all the games of Marco Polo we played across Southeast Asia. And I’ll never forget our magical night in Singapore with dinner at IKEA, a trip to the famous hawker stalls, and our discovery of a machine that juices oranges right in front of your eyes for $2.
Lows
If I’m being completely honest, this leg of the trip wasn’t my favorite. The area we picked in Bali, Indonesia, was incredibly isolated, and there was so much trash on the beach. Also, I’m not a particularly big city girl, so I didn’t love Kuala Lumpur or Singapore.
I’m absolutely glad we visited these places and will hold them in my heart pocket forever. It just wasn’t my favorite (especially after dreaming about going to Bali for nearly my entire life).
Lessons Learned
- We are a family that loves mocktails. Here are some of our favorites: 1) mango juice + club soda + lime and 2) club soda + a stick of lemongrass + lemons + basil.
- Henry and I think we want to build a microschool together. I’m not 100% sure it would be the best thing for our relationship, but I’m intrigued by the idea!
- Before making a big change in your life, see if you can test and experiment in different ways. I got this advice from my leadership coach, and I love it! Like before Henry and I start a school together, we should co-plan some classes together. We should also put out feelers to see what kinds of families would be interested in attending our school.