Final Thoughts… At Journeys End.
It has been a year since we met....I truly wish I could use our real names here. May’s name is fitting and cute for her. However, I know May is a conservative person and I will respect her modesty.
Believe it or not, but my blog has always been about the journey, finding one’s way, and finding one’s courage to do the unthinkable. I was very fortunate to have met May along my journey to find myself. Some might say it was meant to be and others would toss it aside as pure luck. Call it what you will, but I am a different person today because of her and for that, I am most grateful.
The weather had changed, there was frost on the grass that last morning, and it was cold in Phonsavan. We boarded the 7 AM bus to Vientiane. All my aunts and uncles came to say good bye that cold morning and each family handed us a small bag with a chicken and some rice. I could not help but wonder if this will be the last time I will ever see them again. I wonder if I will ever pass this way again. I gave everyone a hug as the last call to board was announced.
May and I spoke very little during the 9 hour ride from Phonsavan to Vientiane. 9 hours might seem long, but when you’re handed what seemed like a death sentence, it was a very fast trip indeed. We arrived at the bus station in Vientiane a little after 4 PM and then it was a quick Tuk-Tuk ride to our hotel, the very same hotel I had checked in a few weeks earlier.
We decided to have dinner down by the river, in an Indian restaurant near the Night Market. I have never seen her so down and sad looking. Her usually laughter and infectious smile was gone. Her glow that I have come so accustomed to seeing was nowhere to be found. I could only imagine the pain she must have felt. I could only wish to find the words to comfort and sooth her, but sometimes there’s just not enough words in this world.
Morning came very early as it always does when you least wants it to. With my 2 luggage stuffed and zipped, we headed towards Wattay Airport. We arrived at the airport a little before noon, part of my plan to have lunch with May and my cousins at the all-you-can-eat buffet inside Wattay Airport. My plane leaves at 2:30 PM, which should give us plenty of time to eat. For 80,000 kips or about 10 USD per person, you get a western style all you can eat buffet. The Buffet itself was not very good and the food selection was somewhat limited by US standards. The main course was fried chicken and grilled pork and small strips of very tough steak. However, they did have a made to order papaya salad station and a soda fountain. I ate very little.
2:00 came and it was time to board my plane. Standing there, in front of the immigration clerk, while holding May, I felt the most unbearable pain of my life. Who knew I would come to love this person so much. Every memory of every hour of the past four weeks came rushing in… I held and kissed May as the last boarding call was announced. “Don’t go too long”, May whispered again. “I love you”, I shouted back… and then she was gone.
My story crosses the expanse of 2 years. For some, 2 years is a drop of water in the deep blue sea, for others, 2 years is a lifetime. I have always hope for the best, putting my thoughts on paper for you, however sometimes there are no words that can explain what is supposed to come naturally. I created this blog as a message in a bottle and throwing it into the vast ocean of the Internet. Perhaps it will touch someone and stir in them the same passion to travel as I have travelled. In any case, it has helped me personally to just write about my experiences. In some cases what was hoped to be something great did not always go well and God knows there are still many more challenges ahead for me. I begin with the journey taken, and at the end there are questions yet to be answered. Only time will tell if it was worth it.
One ending is just the next step in a new beginning. It is time to go on with your own journey; you must seek your dreams too. You have waited long enough for something that isn’t going to be more.
Until next time… to all my friends, take care. I will be busy for awhile and will not be updating this blog any longer. For those that have my personal email, you can always find me there.
Happy Travels,
LHG
Topic: Going to Laos... For Dummies (Like Me) (Read 226672 times)