Who Needs a Bus When You Have Bad Decisions?

After 3 glorious days of pretending I don’t have a job, reality has come knocking... and let me tell you, I am not answering the door willingly. But hey, only 8 days left until my last day of work! (Cue the tiny violin and mild panic.)

Anyway! Yesterday, I did something for the very first time in my life—I walked from Johor Bahru to Singapore. Yep, walked. As in, on foot, like some kind of budget-friendly, modern-day explorer crossing international borders. Why? Because the bus queue looked like it was auditioning for a Black Friday sale. We probably wouldn’t have made it back to Singapore until 11 PM... or 2026.

Normally, we cross the border by bus or car, like sensible people. But yesterday we thought, “Why not experience the romance of an international trek?” (Spoiler alert: there was zero romance—only sweat.)

Google Maps said it was around 4 to 5 km, and we finished it in about 30 minutes. The first part was terrifying, because we were basically walking against traffic—yes, cars zooming straight at us. We were literally one sneeze away from becoming roadkill. And it wasn’t even on a proper walkway. Just us, the cars, and our questionable life decisions.

Then we reached the actual bridge that connects Malaysia and Singapore. Finally! A proper pedestrian path! Raised ground! Safety features! Civilization! From there, we could see the city lights twinkling on the river and the buildings of both countries—very aesthetic, 10/10 would recommend... if you’re not already dying inside from the first part.

The last part was in Singapore, and it was much more civilized. The road even had lanes for buses, cars, motorcycles—and us, the tired hobbits, dragging our sore feet to Mordor (aka Woodlands Checkpoint). We walked through a tunnel that eventually led us to the checkpoint, and fast-forward—I reached home around 10:20 PM. For context, if I had taken the bus, I’d usually get home around 10:30 PM. So yes, walking was technically faster... but at what cost?

My legs are sore. My thighs are yelling. I was basically a sweaty, limping mess by the time I got home. And let me say this once and for all: This was the first and last time I ever walk across the border.

To those brave souls on Xiaohongshu who say “walking is faster and easier”... I salute you. My weak-ass legs, however, respectfully decline to participate in your daily cardio challenge. I’ll take the long wait and the air-conditioned bus, thank you very much. I choose safety and comfort over trauma and thigh cramps.

Anyway, while typing this, I can literally feel my legs and shoulders going numb. Time to collapse into bed and regret all my life choices. Goodnight!