Constant Nomad: Last Stop: Kuala Lumpur

Going from Melaka to Kuala Lumpur is like time travel. Two hours of of bus ride takes me out of the quaint and twisting lanes of Melaka and dumps me straight into the snarling afternoon rush hour in KL that would make an Angeleno proud. If I weren't here to visit Andrea, my friend from high school whom I haven't seen in quite a few years, I think I would buy the next bus ticket to somewhere, anywhere.

Andrea is teaching at an international school in KL. Anyone who is a teacher ought to give this teaching abroad gig some serious consideration. I never knew any teacher who could afford the kind of lifestyle these ones have: an apartment with an office and a guest bedroom, cleaned weekly by a maid; the ability to support various habits, whether it's shopping or fine dining; and generally living large. It is such a contrast to the usually overworked and underpaid profession the world over. It seems that the international teaching circuit consists of a pretty small group of teachers. Maybe the thought of living in a different country is enough to deter most people? That is something I will never understand.

KL is the last stop on this trip. It is such a young city compared to Melaka, there is not a lot of historic sites to see. And it suits me just fine. Items on the agenda for these few days: sleep in, catch up with Andrea, walk around town, and eat street food.

Well, the trip is almost over. I will fly back to Brisbane in two days. It has been a lot of fun, exactly what I needed to end last year and start this one. I feel like I have given my mind sufficient rest and am now ready to tackle the challenges that await me this year. Whatever may lie ahead in Year Three of medical school...