Age is just a number: 60-year-old woman's solo travel adventure proves it's never too late!
- Replies 4
Here at the SDC, we're firm believers in the fact that age is nothing but a number. Don't let anyone tell you that your dreams have an expiry date.
Meet Nooraini Mydin, a 60-year-old woman from Malaysia who refused to let her age stop her from embarking on a seven-week solo journey from London to Kuala Lumpur.
Are you ready to be inspired? Join us as we take a closer look at how she broke through the barriers of fear and age to live out the adventure of a lifetime!
Nooraini's 50th birthday passed without much of a marker, so she was determined to do something memorable for her 60th.
She always thought travel by the Trans-Siberian railway would be a memorable experience and decided that she would up the ante by taking the train from London all the way to Kuala Lumpur.
However, despite her enthusiasm, Nooraini admits she was a bit scared of travelling alone, as she often felt lonely on her own. She recalled: 'I am such a chicken, or I was at that time. I used to get very lonely when I travelled alone.'
With nothing but a laptop to document her journey and a few packets of instant ramen noodles for both comfort and budgeting, Nooraini Mydin set off in August 2016 on a seven-week solo journey with only two suitcases in tow.
She was determined to prove that age is just a number and that it's never too late to chase your dreams. Her bags may have been small, but her spirit was larger than life as she embarked on the adventure of a lifetime.
It was a varied journey for Nooraini, as she spent three nights in cities across Europe before hopping on the Trans-Siberian train from Moscow to Irkutsk, where she later made many friends.
'On the first leg, there was a doll-maker and a paediatrician. And then a Russian dancer who was planning to settle in Thailand or Vietnam. Then, slowly, they all went off, and I was left with a grumpy Russian woman who hated foreigners – I think skin colour might have been a factor.'
She also visited the beautiful Lake Baikal (one of the world's largest lakes!) and stayed in Mongolia for a time. 'The sun came out, and everything was blue, and it was like paradise. That was the best bit for me,' she remembered.
But, as is the case with any epic journey, Nooraini's adventure was not without its bumps in the road. In Beijing, she was charmed by a young business student who invited her for tea, only to be hit with a steep bill at the end.
Though some may have called her naive, Nooraini embraces her innocence as one of her greatest assets. She believes it's this characteristic that allowed her to experience the world in a unique and unencumbered way, making her journey all the more enriching and memorable.
She says: 'I trust people, and I was giving people my business card with my address on it. It's like everyone I met was a potential friend.'
With her journey far from over, Nooraini pushed on through Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. Her adventure was building momentum with each step, and by the time she arrived in Malaysia, interest in her solo travel had reached a fever pitch.
With her story capturing the hearts and minds of many, Nooraini found herself on national television, sharing her incredible journey with the world. And this was just the beginning, as she would go on to pen a bestselling book about her journey.
Nooraini's solo journey was a transformative experience that gave her a newfound sense of confidence and courage. 'Having completed it, I felt I could do anything,' she said.
It was a journey that not only helped her overcome her fear of loneliness but also sparked a love for solo travel. She went on to say, 'Now, I hate travelling with anybody. I have to travel alone. I know I'll be happy in my own company.'
But as with any journey of personal growth, progress is not always linear. Mydin found herself facing moments of self-doubt even after her successful trip. But she knows what she needs to do; she is now planning to take on a new adventure, this time travelling by rail to Turkey.
Nooraini's story is a powerful reminder that age is just a number, and it's never too late to chase your dreams. Her solo journey is a testament to the fact that no matter what age you are, you have the power to take risks and make a difference in your life.
As you read her story, we hope you are inspired to break through the barriers of age and fear and to live out the adventure of a lifetime!
So, what are your thoughts, folks? Do you also have a dream you've been longing to follow? Or perhaps something that you were too scared to try before but feel more confident to tackle now? Share them with us in the comments!
We wish Nooraini the best of luck in her travels, and we wish the same for you as well, members!
Meet Nooraini Mydin, a 60-year-old woman from Malaysia who refused to let her age stop her from embarking on a seven-week solo journey from London to Kuala Lumpur.
Are you ready to be inspired? Join us as we take a closer look at how she broke through the barriers of fear and age to live out the adventure of a lifetime!
Nooraini's 50th birthday passed without much of a marker, so she was determined to do something memorable for her 60th.
She always thought travel by the Trans-Siberian railway would be a memorable experience and decided that she would up the ante by taking the train from London all the way to Kuala Lumpur.
However, despite her enthusiasm, Nooraini admits she was a bit scared of travelling alone, as she often felt lonely on her own. She recalled: 'I am such a chicken, or I was at that time. I used to get very lonely when I travelled alone.'
Mydin was always determined to make her dream a reality. However, she was a 'chicken', worried about the loneliness of travelling alone. Credit: Twitter/NoorainiMydin.
With nothing but a laptop to document her journey and a few packets of instant ramen noodles for both comfort and budgeting, Nooraini Mydin set off in August 2016 on a seven-week solo journey with only two suitcases in tow.
She was determined to prove that age is just a number and that it's never too late to chase your dreams. Her bags may have been small, but her spirit was larger than life as she embarked on the adventure of a lifetime.
It was a varied journey for Nooraini, as she spent three nights in cities across Europe before hopping on the Trans-Siberian train from Moscow to Irkutsk, where she later made many friends.
'On the first leg, there was a doll-maker and a paediatrician. And then a Russian dancer who was planning to settle in Thailand or Vietnam. Then, slowly, they all went off, and I was left with a grumpy Russian woman who hated foreigners – I think skin colour might have been a factor.'
She also visited the beautiful Lake Baikal (one of the world's largest lakes!) and stayed in Mongolia for a time. 'The sun came out, and everything was blue, and it was like paradise. That was the best bit for me,' she remembered.
This photograph was taken by Nooraini in Uskudar, Istanbul, during the evening sunset. Credit: Twitter/NoorainiMydin.
But, as is the case with any epic journey, Nooraini's adventure was not without its bumps in the road. In Beijing, she was charmed by a young business student who invited her for tea, only to be hit with a steep bill at the end.
Though some may have called her naive, Nooraini embraces her innocence as one of her greatest assets. She believes it's this characteristic that allowed her to experience the world in a unique and unencumbered way, making her journey all the more enriching and memorable.
She says: 'I trust people, and I was giving people my business card with my address on it. It's like everyone I met was a potential friend.'
With her journey far from over, Nooraini pushed on through Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. Her adventure was building momentum with each step, and by the time she arrived in Malaysia, interest in her solo travel had reached a fever pitch.
With her story capturing the hearts and minds of many, Nooraini found herself on national television, sharing her incredible journey with the world. And this was just the beginning, as she would go on to pen a bestselling book about her journey.
Nooraini wrote about her experiences in the book titled Aini's Railway Odyssey. Credit: Twitter/NoorainiMydin.
Nooraini's solo journey was a transformative experience that gave her a newfound sense of confidence and courage. 'Having completed it, I felt I could do anything,' she said.
It was a journey that not only helped her overcome her fear of loneliness but also sparked a love for solo travel. She went on to say, 'Now, I hate travelling with anybody. I have to travel alone. I know I'll be happy in my own company.'
But as with any journey of personal growth, progress is not always linear. Mydin found herself facing moments of self-doubt even after her successful trip. But she knows what she needs to do; she is now planning to take on a new adventure, this time travelling by rail to Turkey.
Nooraini's story is a powerful reminder that age is just a number, and it's never too late to chase your dreams. Her solo journey is a testament to the fact that no matter what age you are, you have the power to take risks and make a difference in your life.
As you read her story, we hope you are inspired to break through the barriers of age and fear and to live out the adventure of a lifetime!
As the saying goes, 'age is just a number,' so there's no time like the present to go on the trip of a lifetime. Credit: Pexels/Kampus Production.
So, what are your thoughts, folks? Do you also have a dream you've been longing to follow? Or perhaps something that you were too scared to try before but feel more confident to tackle now? Share them with us in the comments!
We wish Nooraini the best of luck in her travels, and we wish the same for you as well, members!
.png){kind=icon}
