Here I'm again. Tomorrow morning, I'm leaving a place that at first seemed distant, but which really grew on me over time. I remember the moments when I arrived as if it was just yesterday. It's funny how back then, looking ahead on these two months felt like it will be a really long time. Now, looking back at it, it feels like just a few blinks of the eyes. I'm genuinely baffled by where the time went.
I have this uncanny feeling that in a way, people at the final stages of life feel very similar about the entire lifespan. These experiences of living in a place for a few months provide me a peek, a glimpse into the harsh reality of what's likely waiting for all of us. It's a huge reminder that time really does fly by, and it's foolish to waste it. It's also foolish not to pursue your truest calling, whatever that might be. It's underscoring for me the huge importance of living true to myself, never turning back on my ideals - holding onto them for dear life. It's definitely not always easy or clear to know what should I do next, but I believe that if I will keep following the whisper inside, the gut feeling, it will guide me through life and I'll be fine.
Lastly, it's also a reminder for me not to wait around for things to change. Sometimes that means to follow through with tough decisions.
It's so weird to think about it, that everything that I got used to here will just become a memory. Maybe I'm too sentimental, but I think I'll probably never get used to it (leaving places). It will always make me emotional and a bit sad.
Since I'm really tired and I haven't even started packing (I'm leaving tomorrow morning), I'll probably make this post shorter and try to follow up tomorrow with some more polished way of expressing the ideas. But I'd at least like to share the things that I will miss the most:
1) The people here. At first, I actually struggled with increasing my social circle here. I met a few Czech guys the very first day, and that was kind of an excuse for me to not make much of an effort to meet others. I was lazy. But after a few weeks, I got to know a few more people, and the 'circle' kept growing. To everyone whom I met here: thank you!
2) The weather. The heat here is significantly higher than in Chiang Mai. Combined with the humidity, it was quite tough at the beginning. But then I really got used to it and found it actually quite comfortable. The usual was: sunny, with over 30 degrees. We also had a few weeks with daily storms + rain in the late afternoon, but that was actually a welcomed change.
3) Beautiful sunsets. If you've read the post from a few days ago, you probably know why. I now wish I started sooner with the everyday effort to go out and see it.
4) KoHub. At first, I wasn't that impressed with this coworking either. Mostly because the chairs there aren't that good, and I wasn't able to be productive because of a bad sitting position (on small chair that had three pillows on it to increase the sitting height). But lately I managed most of the days to have one of the two office chairs that weren't broken, and that made all the difference - it felt like an environment where I can be productive. Also, big kudos for not going crazy with the AC - the room where I worked from had usually around 27 or 28 degrees. Which is really comfortable compared to the humid 33 degrees outside.
5) The island in general. Clean air, not very touristy. A lot of family-owned restaurants. Tons of green (palms, trees, etc.). Sand beaches.
6) Scooter! Yes, this is a big one. It's so convenient to be able to just hop on it and get everywhere fast. It's also a lot of fun to drive it. I honestly don't know what I will do without it.
These are the top ones. Obviously, there are a lot of small things. Not everything was great, obviously, but for the most part, it really was that good. I'd recommend anyone who has the chance to go here as well. It isn't as cheap as Chiang Mai, but still manageable (and most likely cheaper than your home country).
Ko Lanta, you will be missed dearly. And please forgive me for not appreciating you at the beginning. It did take me some time to fully realize how amazing you are. It kind of breaks my heart to be leaving you now, but sadly that's just the way it goes. Thank you so much, I'll never forget! 💙