Wlingi. A small town I used to pass through only with my parents. This time, I went without them—just me and a friend. It felt like a quiet step toward independence. I’d always traveled with family before, and I often got car sick, which made it hard to enjoy the journey. So, this time, I chose the train.
I booked the ticket through the Access by KAI app and picked the local train—the cheapest one. It took longer to arrive since it stopped at many stations, but I didn’t mind. It felt like part of the experience.
My friend in Wlingi had been craving my homemade donuts. I’d promised to make them for her, but we hadn’t had a chance to meet. So, I started making them at 2 a.m on d-day. I’m not sure if this counts as a tragedy, but my mixer broke—so I had no choice but to knead the dough by hand. I swear my right arm grew stronger that night. Somewhere in the middle of the process, I paused to pray Subuh. Honestly, it doubled as a much-needed break from kneading.
By 6 a.m., the dough was ready to fry. I was racing against time—my train ticket was for 7:30 a.m., and I needed to drop off at my friend’s house by 6:30. Somehow, I made it.
I arrived at her house around 7:05 a.m., ready to text her that I’d arrived… and then—lalalaaa—I realized I’d left my phone at home. So estupido, haha. The worst part? My ticket was an e-ticket, and I needed my phone to scan it. I nearly cried. I thought we’d have to cancel the whole mini trip.
But we found a way. We bought a new ticket—more expensive, but it saved the day. The "Local" ticket was only 12k rupiah, but the "Inter City" ticket cost 60k and departed at 8:25 a.m. Before that, I rushed back home to grab my phone. I mean… I can’t survive without it, haha.
We rode to the station by motorbike. Just a little tip: you can park your motorbike at the train station for more than 24 hours, and the fee is surprisingly affordable.
Long story short, we arrived at Malang Station at 8:15 a.m. We rushed to scan our tickets, almost breaking into a run to catch the train. And somehow—miraculously—we made it.
The moment we sat down, we burst into laughter. It felt unreal. After all the chaos, the donuts, the forgotten phone, and the last-minute ticket change… we were finally on the train, seats secured, hearts still racing.
Kertanegara Economi Malang (ML) - Wlingi (WG)
The train ride took about an hour, so we arrived at Wlingi Station around 9:30 a.m. During the journey, I felt both excited and sleepy at the same time—probably because I’d been up since 2 a.m. making donuts and had to go back and forth between home to retrieve the phone I’d forgotten. My body was tired, but my heart was light—carried by the rhythm of the train and the promise of a small reunion.
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