Update From Malaysia

Hello to all of our friends who have been following us on our world travel adventure! It’s been quite awhile since our last update. And the reason it’s been so long is because not much has changed with us. We are still in Malaysia!

When we arrived in Malaysia almost 10 months ago we thought it would just be another country to visit for short time. We also thought we would be returning to the U.S. in September 2020 for a quick visit before heading off for another year of travel. But as we all know, nothing has gone according to plan for anyone in 2020.

For us, one silver lining is that we had the opportunity to live in Penang, Malaysia, and we really enjoyed getting to know this island. We call it “The Honolulu of Malaysia” because it’s a big city on a tropical island with beautiful mountains and beaches. This has been a great place to chill while waiting for some normalcy to return to the world. We’ve especially appreciated the English-speaking population; being able to communicate with locals (and expats) removed the feeling of isolation we’ve sometimes had in other parts of the world. 

Here’s a great story: When we first arrived in Malaysia last March we went to Cameron Highlands (a hilly, tea-growing region) and met another traveling couple while locked down there.  And by pure coincidence they moved into our same apartment building in Penang several months later! It was great to have that unexpected reunion. Another silver lining is that we are spending a lot less money here. Our cost of living is more than half of what it was in the U.S.

So what are our plans for the future? We have no idea! The only thing we know now is that the Malaysian government is allowing us to stay in Malaysia until at least mid-April, and we plan to stay here as long as possible. We’ll be sure to send another update when we have something new to report.

We hope and pray that everyone is staying safe and healthy. We know that the disruption to our travel plans this past year is a minor inconvenience compared to those who are suffering as a result of this virus. Take care, and thanks for following us!

–Emily and Ryan