Dear Me,
You’re sitting in Heathrow Airport, boarding pass in one hand, coffee in the other, trying to convince yourself that you’re ready to fly halfway across the world leaving everything you’ve ever known.
Before you even arrive, you will leave a mark.
You’ll think about the carbon emissions from the flight more than you realised. There is an uncomfortable irony in travelling thousands of miles to become a more responsible global citizen, while knowing the first step of that journey creates an environmental cost.
You cannot avoid that contradiction, but you can choose not to ignore it. Let it remind you that travelling responsibly isn’t about pretending the impact doesn’t exist – it’s about accepting responsibility for it. Use carbon calculators [1] to understand the impact of this opportunity, then make the flight count. Go help the Orangutans. Make your footprints smaller. Reflecting SDG 13 not by pretending our impact disappears: by acting on it.
Soon, Kuala Lumpur won’t just be a place on the map.
You’ll quickly discover that the city never really stops moving. Highways twist like spaghetti, packed with cars from the golden sunrises until long after the pink-soaked sunsets. You’ll learn its rhythm through crowded MRT [2] platforms instead of the backseat of a Grab [3]. Embracing SDG 11 in recognising the future of cities depend on cleaner, more accessible ways for people to move. Even small decisions – walking, taking the train, carrying reusable bottles – will become part of a much bigger picture.
Your happiest memories won’t come from lecture theatres. They’ll happen sitting on a hawker stall’s stool, tasting recipes passed down through generations rather than products down supply chains. You’ll see how responsible consumption set by SDG 12 protects culture as much as the planet
Komune [4] will become more than accommodation,
Shared kitchens and communal spaces will teach you that sustainability is not only environmental. It is human, and social. Sharing resources and amenities can reduce waste, but sharing spaces with others fosters genuine connection. You’ll arrive with a suitcase full of things you thought you needed, only to discover the most important things cannot be packed: friendships, conversations and a sense of belonging.
And then there will be the Orangutans.
Standing in Sarawak, looking into the eyes of an animal that has lost so much due to man, the words conservation and biodiversity will stop sounding like textbook concepts. They’ll become heartbreakingly real. You won’t save the rainforest, but you’ll discover with Volunteerworld [5] that making a difference was never about changing the whole world. It’s about refusing to believe your small actions don’t matter.
When you finally come home, you’ll realise Malaysia didn’t just teach you engineering. It taught you to travel with humility. To leave every place better than you found it.
So, board the plane,
Not because journeys leaves no footprint, but because you’ve promised yourself to make your mark one worth leaving.
Love,
You.
References:
[1]: https://icec.icao.int/calculator
[2]: https://www.mymrt.com.my/projects/travel-with-mrt/
[3]: https://www.grab.com/my/
[4]: https://bangsarsouth.komuneliving.com/
[5]: https://www.volunteerworld.com/en/volunteer-program/orangutan-wildlife-center-in-malaysia-sarawak
