While my spur of the moment decision to switch locations had brought me new motivation and excitement, it was not without its inconveniences also. Most notably was the fact that the course I was now enrolled in had started a week previously. This meant that not only did I find myself a week behind on the material, but also I was responsible for getting there and settled within the next 12 hours. By that time the ferries had all left so I decided to do it the local way and take a cheap, un-airconditioned bus. Apparently I was the only Farang (foreigner) that thought this a feasible plan because I found myself surrounded by a full bus of Thai locals, pet birds, flowers, plants, and the like; all of whom seemed enchanted by the unusually tall farang with the funny hair. Needless to say I was watched the entire 3 hours like a movie on an airplane.
Now many people have told me to be safe in Thailand but I must say the only danger I have encountered thus far was on this bus ride, and it wasn’t really a danger to my health as much as it was a danger to my pride. As I’ve said, my fellow commuters found me a fascinating sight so as I stood and walked to the back of the bus where the restroom was, 20 sets of eyes followed me the entire way. I had been suppressing my need to pee for 2 hours in a desperate effort to avoid this moment, but inevitably it had come. As I stepped into the tiny bathroom that was swaying with every turn (and there were many), I had the sinking realization that the bathroom door had no mechanism to hold it closed. I can do this I thought, so I held the door closed with one hand and turned just in time to see the lid I had just put up slam down with a loud SLAP! After several more failed attempts to prop it up I realized that this was going not going to be difficult, it was going to be IMPOSSIBLE. I braced myself and mustered all the natural human ingenuity and athleticism I could, then I went about my task. With back against the wall and one hand pulling the door handle in against the opposing centrifugal force, I balanced on my left foot and held the lid up with my right… let me tell you if I encounter anything that difficult again I think I may just turn around and go home, but, I did it, and for the rest of my trip I sat with a smile. I wondered if any of these commuters turned people watchers had any idea just how close they’d come to seeing a truly disastrous series of events.
Several lost taxis, one trip to a town that no longer held a language school, and 30 minutes of backpacking through the streets of Patong later, I was standing at the front desk of my language school gathering my materials and trying to conceal a smile that was threatening to split my face from ear to ear. Every step so far has been an adventure and I had just taken a big one without knowing much of what to expect, but this felt right and I knew immediately, I’d found the path I needed to be on.
-Tommy
“Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.” -Emerson
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