Today was my friend's last day in Thailand. This did not come as a surprise, since I knew this was coming. However, the full weight of it did not hit until I woke up this morning. Since it was her last day, she determined our activities. We started off the morning with a chill farang breakfast near the hostel. As in buttermilk pancakes with syrup. The place was really relaxed, beautiful and just cool. Since we all had a heavy breakfast, we sat on the plush seats while we digested. And what happens when you stick a whole bunch of intelligent, happy, farang together in a relaxed setting? We come up with a scavenger hunt list for my friend to complete during her 11 hour layover in Korea. It is a fantastic list and we will require photo proof. Some examples (since I do not want to ruin the surprise too much) are the woman inappropriately dressed for a flight, the backpacker who looks like he/she has not taken a shower in a month, an Asian person taking a picture of something mundane, a European taking a picture of something mundane and the mother traveling with too many children. Some of the unnamed ones are really hilarious and we are looking forward to the pictures. So yes, this is what my friends and I do over breakfast.
After breakfast, we want to go to an art museum but then are unable to find it. Instead we hit up a different kind of mall than the typical Central Plaza and walk around for a bit and see what there is. My friend wanted ice cream so ice cream was had. Then mani pedies were requested and mani pedies were had. I felt a little bad for the woman doing my feet. She did a good job and by that I mean she did not try to rub off my bones because she thought they were callouses and she did a great job painting my big toes which are not 100% normal looking since the work I had on them in May (they are really close though). But why I felt bad for her is that I was falling asleep after she gave me a partial leg massage. Twice I woke up with a jerk and she smeared nail polish on my toe proper. She was more prepared the second time and it was with the clear top coat, but she gave me the "not cool" look.
After our girl time, we walk back and chill for an hour before going to a barbeque at the hostel adult playground (as I call it in my head. I am referring to the same one from the last post). From there we grabbed a suntow to the airport. At the airport I was good. We took a number of pictures, being silly and passing the time. My friend forgot to post a status about leaving Thailand so we wrote down some things together that would memorialize Thailand and posted it on her wall for her. Things really got serious up the stairs at the departure gate. I waited to be the last one to say goodbye. We had talked previous and I told her no tears, but she said she probably would. It was one of those goodbyes with no words. I had so many words that I had planned all day to say but they dissipated. Everything I needed to say was communicated without words. Our friendship is so strong, none were needed. No tears fell, with effort, though when it came time for her to make the last few steps to the gate she hesitated, reluctant to leave our strong band of friends. I put an arm around her to push her on, though ended up in another hug. Figures, not that I am complaining.
So we left, headed back to the hostel. Some people are at the market, others went back to the barbeque. I am still at the hostel. I have no more strength in me to walk around for any more hours and the festivities at the barbeque do not match my current mood. So instead, I am uploading a million photos, listening to the playlist my friend and I put together over a year ago back when we were both in the states. Here in the hostel, I am barely containing tears, even though I know she is still in the country waiting to board her plane. She was a good friend, stationed nearby, a great travel companion and a common and close friend for everything Thailand. I think back to all the traveling and experiences we have had together. We figured out the maze that was the Frankfurt airport together. She woke me up the night of the fire. She ate her first tentacles with me. She was there when I told someone to float while I was still learning Thai. She was the one I called after my motorbike accident when they were wheeling me into the hospital. She was right behind me when I almost fell off the mountain. She has pulled me out of traffic a few times and skyped with me when I thought I would lose my mind from not speaking English. We have trekked mountains together and been on traditional Thai boats floating down the river together. She was there when we went to the worse bathroom in all of Thailand and when we rode for an hour in the back of a truck laying on mosquito netting. She was there for my first time in Chiang Mai and for my amazing tiger experience. Recently, she was there beside me as we both experienced the bar on wheels. We have both sang and laughed together. She has made me laugh until I could not stop streams of mirthy tears from flowing abundantly down my cheeks. In fact, that happened just a few hours ago. She has given me counsel and hugged me as I cried. She knows the importance of a hug or even a hand squeeze. She knows me like no one but a close sister would. Girlie, thank you for the memories. I really am going to miss your companionship in the upcoming months. And remember our deal: skittles and cheez its. That is all.
No comments:
Post a Comment