A Family Journey Begins with a Long Drive and Meatballs

Our journey began on Friday, August 14, 2026. At around 8:30 a.m., we left our home in Mutiara Indah Complex, Lhokseumawe. There was nothing particularly extraordinary about that morning. Just a car, a few pieces of luggage, and six family members ready to spend some time together.

Yet, as with most family journeys, the simplest moments often become the stories we remember the longest.

From Lhokseumawe, we headed toward Medan via the Pangkalan Brandan–Helvetia Toll Road. The drive took approximately seven hours. Fortunately, the relatively smooth road made the long journey much easier.

Along the way, we talked, laughed, watched the scenery passing behind the car windows, and stopped occasionally to stretch our legs and take a short break.

By late afternoon, we finally arrived in Medan.

Our first destination was our brother-in-law's house in the Pinang Baris Complex, Sunggal. After spending almost the entire day on the road, we planned to rest for a while.

But that afternoon, we still had one important mission.

I had to pick up my eldest daughter, who was arriving from Kuala Lumpur.

We soon headed to Kualanamu International Airport. She was scheduled to arrive at around 3:15 p.m. on a Firefly Malaysia flight.

There is a special kind of happiness in waiting at an airport for someone you love. After her journey from Kuala Lumpur, the moment finally came when she walked through the arrival gate and joined us again.

Her luggage was loaded into the car, and we left the airport together.

But our day was not over yet.

My daughter had brought along a simple request—one that, apparently, she had been thinking about for quite some time while she was in Kuala Lumpur.

She wanted meatballs.

Not just any meatballs. She had been imagining a bowl of Medan-style meatballs even before leaving Kuala Lumpur.

So, after leaving Kualanamu, we headed straight toward the Ring Road area of Medan.

Our destination was Bakso Mas Manda, located at 101 Ring Road, Tanjung Rejo, Medan Selayang.

The restaurant is fairly well known among meatball lovers in Medan. Once we arrived, my daughter did not hesitate for long. She immediately ordered the meatballs served with a large beef marrow bone.

Soon, the order arrived.

A generous bowl of meatballs, accompanied by a beef marrow bone, was placed in front of us. The portion was substantial, and the aroma alone was enough to make us hungry again after the long drive.

The price was certainly not the cheapest.

But after the first few bites, we felt that every rupiah had been worth it.

The meatballs were wonderfully springy, with a rich, unmistakable beef flavor. What stood out most was the taste of the meat itself. They did not have the flour-heavy texture that can sometimes dominate ordinary meatballs. Instead, the beef flavor was deep, savory, and satisfying.

We ate slowly, enjoying the food and the relaxed atmosphere around the table.

After a long journey from Lhokseumawe, followed by a trip to the airport to pick up our daughter, a bowl of meatballs turned out to be the perfect way to end the day.

My daughter looked genuinely happy.

The simple craving she had carried with her all the way from Kuala Lumpur had finally been satisfied.

With our stomachs full and the day finally winding down, we returned to the house in Pinang Baris.

There were no more plans that night. We were tired after being on the road since morning, so we simply rested.

And just like that, the first day of our family journey came to an end in Medan.

There were no famous tourist attractions that day. No spectacular landscapes. No breathtaking destinations to photograph.

And yet, perhaps that was what made the first day special.

Our journey had begun with something wonderfully ordinary: leaving home, driving for hours, meeting family, picking up a daughter at the airport, and ending the day over a bowl of meatballs she had been longing for.

It reminded us that happiness during a family journey does not always come from distant places or extraordinary destinations.

Sometimes, happiness is found in the journey itself—in the conversations inside a car, the excitement of meeting someone we love, and a simple bowl of food shared around a table.

And sometimes, the most memorable adventures begin with nothing more than a full tank of fuel, a car packed with family, and a craving for meatballs.