When we first planned this road trip, I imagined smooth drives, exciting stops, and a perfectly executed itinerary.
Reality had other plans.
Traffic delays, unexpected detours, and last-minute changes threw everything off balance. Yet, as we reached the final leg of our journey, I realized that this wasn’t just a vacation. It was a lesson.
A lesson in slowing down.
A lesson in appreciating the now.
A lesson in redefining success.
Success is about who you share your life with.
And this trip proved that, over and over again.
Melaka: More than just a historic city.
Melaka was our first stop. A city rich with history, culture, and of course, food.
As we walked through the old streets, I tried to picture what this place looked like centuries ago. Historians say that before the Portuguese invaded in 1511, Melaka was a booming trade center, attracting merchants from all over the world.
But today, there’s little left of that era. Time has erased most of it.
It made me think......what really lasts?
We chase wealth, status, achievements. But in the end, even great empires fade. What remains are the relationships we nurture and the memories we create.
And that was exactly what happened when I reconnected with an old friend, Razali, who lived in Melaka. We hadn’t spoken much in years, yet the moment we met, it felt like no time had passed.
Real connections last, they don’t fade.
You can achieve so much in life, but how much love you’ve given and received really counts.
Batu Pahat: Malaysia's capital of Nasi Biryani.
A lunch date my family had with a new friend, Tuan Zakaria, and his family at Batu Pahat. It proved that a great connection can be established within a short period of time too.
And that lesson stayed with me as we moved to our next stop.
Desaru: The beauty of simplicity.
After a long drive, we finally reached Desaru. A quiet beach town on the eastern coast of Johor.
No traffic jams. No skyscrapers. No rush.
Just the sound of waves, the salty breeze, and the laughter of my family as we set up our chairs on the sand.
For hours, we did nothing.
We watched the kids play. We soaked in the sunset. We talked about everything and nothing at all.
And in that moment, I felt something I hadn’t felt in a while.
Peace.
In our daily lives, we’re always running toward deadlines, promotions, financial goals. But here, on this quiet beach, I realized something.
We spend so much time chasing things that we forget to enjoy what we already have.
Success is the pause. Sometimes I felt that we were moving backward. We've become human doings instead of human beings.
It’s the ability to be present. To enjoy what’s in front of you, instead of constantly looking for what’s next.
I looked at my family, and it was clear. This was the kind of wealth money could never buy.
Johor Bahru: The other side of success.
Then came the final stop—Johor Bahru.
A stark contrast from Desaru.
Here, everything moved fast. Cars honked impatiently, people rushed past without a glance, and even in the apartment building where we stayed, no one held the elevator door for us.
It felt different. It felt… transactional.
Of course, JB is a thriving city. A place of opportunity. People are chasing financial success, climbing the ladder, trying to make it. These are good, I respect that.
But at what cost?
I’ve seen it too many times where people working endlessly, sacrificing their time, their health, their relationships, all in the name of success.
But is that really success?
Money is important. Let’s not be naive. It gives you comfort, security, and choices. But when you let it control you, when you make it your only goal, you end up losing something far more valuable.
Family. Peace. Happiness.
And this trip made me realize that more than ever.
What success really means.
As the road trip came to an end, we sent off our daughter, who was starting a new job across the border. It was bittersweet, knowing she was beginning her own journey.
And it reminded me of something important.
At the end of the day, success is about how much love you’ve given.
It’s measured in the relationships you build, the memories you create, and the people who will remember you when you’re gone.
This trip didn’t just take us to new places. It brought us closer as a family.
And that, to me, is the greatest success of all.
The Poolside Writer (afendiothman9@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
The User Content (as defined on Newswav Terms of Use) above including the views expressed and media (pictures, videos, citations etc) were submitted & posted by the author. Newswav is solely an aggregation platform that hosts the User Content. If you have any questions about the content, copyright or other issues of the work, please contact creator@newswav.com.