A piece of me

I woke up at 5 AM this morning, waiting in bed for the sky to turn on its lights.  I needed to go get the last swim on the island in before we return to Bangkok.  Yes, the last swim is a necessity, not just desire.

When I was in the ocean this morning, I intentionally looked at the mountains and its trees closer, observed their colors and forms.  I paid closer attention to the sun and how it radiates and illuminates the sky.  I listened more intently to the sound of tide splashing when it reaches the shore and the crackling noise within the ocean.  I took in deeper breath of air than I normally would have, I floated and observed the clouds longer than I have been, and I stopped myself from brushing salt water off my face as much as I could bear…  I made an effort to see, to listen, and to immerse myself for the last time on this vacation at this beach.  Realizing that the end of this wonderful vacation has finally arrived, I decided to make the effort to enjoy and soak in what was there to experience.  I saw more, heard more, and dunked my head in the water more…

The speedboat arrived as I was watching a father dive in the water to catch the Frisbee from his young son.  The way the father dove, put a smile on my face, but watching the Lima Coco staff off load other guests’ luggage made me a little melancholy knowing that it was our time to go…  As we walked out of the lobby / restaurant, we said goodbye to Noy and others, it was a sad moment knowing that the vacation at this magical place had to end, at that moment.  I stepped onto the speedboat as the Frisbee landed right next to the boat, I looked up and saw the smiles on all of their faces, I knew that they must be having just as much fun as I did over the past week.

Pathetically, we were the only two returning to the pier where Jok awaited.  Yes, I wish we took others with us – hey, misery loves company right?  As our speedboat chopped through the waves, the water beneath lifted up the boat and dropped it almost simultaneously as if we were going over the very uneven bumpy road to the other side of the island.  I looked back, we had already made the turn where the Ao Prao beach was no longer visible.  I saw only mountains, white caps, and the emerald green ocean.

As our licensed boat driver kept his course, I realized that you probably shouldn’t visit Koh Samed, soak in the sunset, enjoy the sea breeze, and get accustomed to its beautiful nature if you are not ready to leave a piece of you there.  The boat propelled forward with its noisy engine cutting the ocean behind it into a large triangle with the white caps falling and rippling into the ocean…  Underneath my straw hat with my hair flaunting in the air, I knew that I will always have a place for Ao Prao’s sunset and that I have left a piece of me somewhere on the beach…