The Inevitable Goodbye

It was bound to happen. Despite our numerous extensions and flight changes to try to put off the inevitable, we knew there would come a time when we would have to say goodbye both to Thailand and to our friends here. We didn't want to have to do either.

After our late night Sunday, we spent a (surprise!) very chill morning/early afternoon yesterday on our bungalow overlooking the sea. We TRIED to get up to go into town to get one last massage, but we couldn't even muster the wherewithal to do that. So instead we spent our last morning together sitting around and, what else?, talking.

But at some point it had to be done: we had to pack up yet again and move on. Sarah, Danni and I had flights to catch in Bangkok today so we had to leave the island yesterday to begin the long trek back up north. Duncan has the luxury of more time here so he stayed on Koh Phangan, which is where we said our goodbyes to him.

I know it sounds odd to say that I was genuinely sad to leave someone I've only known for 3 weeks, but I really was. I've traveled a lot and I have met a lot of people while traveling, and lots of very fun people that I have greatly enjoyed getting to know, but never before have I met up with people with whom we just so instantly clicked and so totally enjoyed each others' company. So much so that plans were changed, plans were abandoned and new plans were made. For three straight weeks, we spent nearly every moment together (you'd think I was exaggerating and, yet, I'm not) talking, laughing, traveling, figuring out Thailand, making each other laugh til we cried and becoming genuinely good friends who cared about and looked out for each other.

And yet we had to leave Duncan behind on the island. It felt odd to be three now instead of four. Like we were abandoning him somehow. Our group had been broken. And yet it was time to move on as we're all traveling different directions to meet up with other friends. So we boarded the ferry and began the journey back to Bangkok. Again.

After the ferry, we took an overnight bus and got into Bangkok around 6 in the morning. The seats were tiny and miserable and my knees were pressed into the seat in front of me and I did NOT sleep almost at all. I was so tired and so cramped and so uncomfortable that I was literally mad. MAD. Around 4 am I finally gave up even trying to sleep but then was too out of sorts to do anything else. I was going to write my blog, but knew that anything I wrote in that frame of mind would not be publishable (nor appropriate for anyone under the age of 18). I was going to read, but there was no light. So instead I seethed as I spent the rest of the ride listening to the symphony of Snoring Guy and The Cougher. Overnight bus trips are one thing I will NOT miss about traveling.

We had the whole day to kill in Bangkok before our late night flight, which seemed like an eternity after a night of no sleep. We spent a last few hours with Danni before her flight (yet another goodbye, ugh) and then totally unexpectedly ran into Jenny, a girl we had met earlier on our trip, at the hostel. Quite a surprise. So we spent the afternoon with her, having lunch, shopping and seeing a movie.

We made it to the airport with plenty of time to spare (I swear!) but, long story short, still almost missed our flight. Had I not gotten out of the passport control line and gone back to the check-in desk and insisted on them giving us fast track cards, I don't think we would have made it. Serious tension. But at least we got upgraded to business class... SO nice. Amazing what just a little extra room and some real food will do. Now, if only I can figure out a way to get that to happen on my flight home from Sydney...