While many spend their twenties chasing passport stamps and travel memories, one Malaysian man took a very different path without even realising it.
At 27 years old, he admitted that he has never travelled overseas on his own, but that same choice helped him save nearly RM100,000.
The man recently went viral on Threads after opening up about his lifestyle and travel inexperience, sparking a discussion on whether travelling is really a must in your twenties.
Only travelled once & it was for work
In his post, the man shared that the only time he had ever been overseas was when his company sent him to India for training.
According to him, everything was arranged by his employer, from flights to accommodation leaving him with little exposure to planning or navigating a trip on his own.
Is it normal to be 27 years old but have never travelled overseas? If you ask me to take a flight, I don’t even know how to buy a ticket or where to go for boarding.”
He added that the India trip felt very different as a colleague was with him throughout the journey, and he did not need to handle any logistics himself.
“That one time I went to India was because the company sent me. They handled everything…flights, hotels, all of it.”
‘Feels like a waste to make a passport’
Reflecting on his situation, the man admitted that he sometimes feels conflicted about having a passport he barely uses.
“It feels like a waste to make a passport if I don’t even use it,” he shared.
Despite this, he acknowledged that not spending money on overseas travel allowed him to focus on building his savings instead.
Nearly RM100,000 in savings by his mid-20s
According to the man, avoiding travel expenses helped him save aggressively during his early working years.
Because I don’t really know how to travel, I managed to save almost RM100,000 by the time I was 26. I feel like that’s something good.”
His admission struck a chord with many online, especially those who feel pressured to travel just because it is commonly associated with success or “living life”.
Travelling isn’t a life benchmark
In the comment section, many Threads users reassured him that travelling is a personal choice, not a life milestone that everyone must hit by a certain age.
One netizen shared: ‘My husband only took his first flight when he was 28.’
Others pointed out that income level does not always determine travel habits, with one writing: ‘Some people have T20-level savings but never travel. Some love travelling but have B40-level savings.’
Another commenter added: ‘I have friends who wear luxury items but don’t travel at all. It’s really about lifestyle and personal interests.’
Overall, netizens agreed that there is no ‘right’ way to live your twenties, whether that means collecting travel memories or quietly building financial security.
At the end of the day, not travelling doesn’t mean missing out. Sometimes, it just means choosing a different priority.
