There has been a lot to love about the World Race so far, but I really think my time in Malaysia has been my favorite so far. My team started out in Georgetown. We stayed there for two weeks and made a few connections, but our time at our next destination has made the month of March unforgettable for me.
We made our way to the Cameron Highlands, southeast of Georgetown, in a more mountainous region of Malaysia. This area is a main stop for tourists who like to spend time outdoors, hiking, and the tiny town that we stayed in (Tanah Rata) had a more easy going vibe, and cooler temperatures, than most of the places my team has traveled to so far.
Long story short, our team ended up doing a work away at a local hostel, working for four hours a day in exchange for free lodging. This opportunity helped us meet so many amazing people from all over the world, and as a result, my Malaysia top 5 may end up being more of a top 7 or 8, because it’s all about the incredible people that I got to spend time with. Once again, these are in no particular order:
- John from Australia– John is the only person on this list who I didn’t meet in the Cameron Highlands. He’s from Australia, but lives most of his life in Georgetown since he’s retired. Because of his visa requirements, he has to leave Malaysia every 3 months and then apply for a new visa when he’s ready to come back. His main motivation for living in Malaysia is that it’s cheaper, and he spends most of his days sleeping, wakes up around 4 pm, picks up a six pack of beer from the convenience store a few doors down from the hotel, and reads the newspaper until he’s ready for dinner. One night, I was heading back to the hotel from dinner to go to bed, and he stopped me as I was heading in the door. I was a little annoyed initially, because i was ready to go to sleep, but I stopped and sat with him, and I’m so glad I did. He shared his drinks with me, and we each shared pieces of our story. John was previously in marketing, and shared some success stories from his career. We also got into some details about his views of religion, based mainly on his experience at an all boys school in Australia, and his mother’s strict household rules. He viewed Christianity mainly as an oppressive religion, and expressed a lot of frustration that obviously came from a lot of very real pain. I hope I was able to speak some encouragement to him, but mainly I felt like he just needed to be heard. So we shared some drinks, some laughs, and some stories about heartbreak. It just felt like sacred space.
- Aaron and Reina from Tanah Rata– Aaron and Reina were the managers at the hostel we ended up working at. They were incredibly welcoming and helpful to us as we were learning our roles, and they became really good friends. I worked with Reina almost every day, and I’m thankful for the time we spent joking around with each other, and even her failed attempts to play matchmaker… 🙂
- Sophie from Kuala Lumpur- Sophie also worked at the hostel, but was there in a more temporary role. She was moving back to Kuala Lumpur at the same time that we were leaving the Cameron Highlands, so we got to meet back up with her once we got there and spend more time with her. She for sure became one of our best friends, and it was an honor to us that she spent time with us and shared some of her story with us. We spent a lot of nights hanging out with her and she just brought a lot of joy and laughter to our time there. She’ll be starting up school soon in Kuala Lumpur, and we’re so excited to continue our friendship with her and watch her succeed from afar.
- Augustin and Laura from France- These two have been some of my favorite people that I’ve met while traveling so far. We were fortunate enough to get to go on some adventures with them, and to have long conversations during bus rides and over drinks. I felt so encouraged by the way that they view others and are working to make the world better. And I’m so thankful for the friendship that we were able to form. I can’t wait to visit them in France someday!
- Rawan from Palestine- Rawan was one of my briefest connections. We met one night after I got off of work and had a short conversation, but i’m so thankful for her perspective and life experience. Rawan is from Palestine, and has spent a good portion of her adult life working with refugees in that area. She shared about some of her interactions with others, and also gave me some educational material to learn more about the experience of her people. I love when I have the opportunity to see the world differently through the eyes of someone else. Even though this conversation was brief, it was one of the more impactful conversations for me personally.
- Oona from Finland– My interactions with Oona were mostly brief as well. She was sick for most of her time in the Cameron Highlands. When I would see her, I’d ask how she was feeling, and we would have brief exchanges, but when she was finally feeling better, we went to dinner. We talked about life and culture. We talked about music and poetry. And we talked about how travel provides so many opportunities for self reflection and growth. She talked about her passion for cooking and about how living life out of your passion changes the way you view your life. Conversations with Oona went deep quickly, and I’ve had the pleasure of keeping up with her electronically even after she left. I’m already very thankful for her friendship.
- Sophie from Austria- I really enjoyed the conversations our group got to have with Sophie. We talked about religion, relationships, human rights, and the way that our perspectives shape how we live and treat people. And she was just a blast to hang out with!
There were so many others that I loved hanging out with this month (Jimena, Fei, Janice). Malaysia has been a reminder to me that all men and women are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26). When we look into the face of others, we are getting a unique glimpse of God’s character. After my time with all of these people, it’s even easier for me to say that i love how good God is, and I love that I have the opportunity to experience him more fully in the character of those I encounter along the way.
