Well I've left... yep gone... flown the nest..... left on a jet plane and don't know when I'll be back again. But before I left I packed. Not the easiest task, you don't realise exactly how much you can fit in to a back pack till you try! I'm sure I've got too much but, as my Mum says, pack for every eventuality and you will be fine!  | | Claire's bags - packed and ready to go |
Saying goodbye wasn't easy, especially when I'm not exactly sure when I'll be back. It seems really strange to think it could be a whole year till I see people again. I'll miss my brother and mum (who's gonna do all my cleaning and washing and who will I argue with?) I caught the QF2 flight from Heathrow and endured a ten hour flight to Bangkok. I say endured because believe me it felt like some sort of endurance race. After the first four hours I felt like I had just run a marathon and probably looked like I had too. It wasn't pretty but with Harry Potter 3 and repeats of Friends to get me through I survived to arrive in Thailand a bit worse for wear, in desperate need for some sleep but happy to be finally on my way. Thailand is a massive culture shock, so much going on and everyone in a rush, it's like rush hour on York's inner ring road even in the small hours of the morning and everyone wants to sell you something! Admittedly it is cheap but I'm well aware of how heavy my back pack is and really don't want to be adding to the weight right now with a possible 12 months of travel ahead of me! I've never been to Asia before and had no idea what to expect so I have been totally over awed by Thailand, a land full of culture so different to our own. Poverty is everywhere and even temples stand next to slums, the likes of which I have never seen anywhere. I haven't explored much yet, my body clock is all to boot, but I hope to be seeing the Golden Buddha and Grand Palace in the next couple of days. It's a busy country with loads to see, I haven't got long here so I'm keen to fit everything in whilst I can. Koe Sann Road (also known as the road from the Beach book / film) is a top priority so is the Palace where the King and I is set! So much to see and absorb so I'm gonna get off!
Claire M Could you be a student diarist?
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