Independence

It's Saturday, and definitely didn't want to stay cooped up in my apartment all day. So, I decided to pack up my backpack and hightail it to Ao Nang to spend a day. This tourist-laden city is gorgeous: limestone mountains covered in green vegetation emerging from the ground and from the sea, multi-toned colors of the body of the sea, and an all-around chill vibe since it's monsoon season. It's not raining today, thank goodness. But I have a feeling that even if it was storming here, it wouldn't take away from this coastal town's beauty. 

I rode into Ao Nang by song-tao with two awesome couples from Spain and Ireland, respectively. We all exchanged stories about our extensive travels in Thailand: the ins and outs of guesthouses, how to get to certain islands, where we have been, etc. I can't emphasize enough what a comfort it is to talk to people who speak English. I'm automatically relieved when I fall into the presence of English speakers--it's like a security blanket. I no longer feel like a dumb tourist who doesn't know her way. 

It's funny that I keep running into couples, and the men I've met who I've even had the slightest interest in will not give me the time of day. I know it's because my heart is bound to another. And I did think of him when I was talking with these couples, thinking of how awesome it would be to share this whole experience with him--cherishing these moments together. But in that same moment, I felt very independent and brave to be travelling on my own. I take pride in knowing that these moments are not diluted because my attention is divided. These moments are mine, forever. The impressions are being planted like little germinating seeds in the fertile grooves of my mind. Consequently, my heart expands to make room for all of this experience--the awesome, the dull, and everything in between. I am not the same. OM.