Oftentimes in literature, the weather foreshadows what is to come in the future or is a physical manifestation of a characters innermost thoughts and emotions. I woke up this morning with my bags packed for 2 years of service in the Peace Corps in Thailand. I found out I was accepted into the Peace Corps while I was on a backpacking trip in Central America. Costa Rica and Nicaragua to be exact. I had decided that I wanted to travel alone and was doing just that with a backpack and a little bit of courage. On my second day backpacking while on a bus headed to the rain forests of Costa Rica, I received the email that I was accepted into the Peace Corps Thailand. I was so excited that I wanted to scream, but when I looked around… I didn’t have anyone to share the exciting news with. Well, that is except for an Aussie woman I had just met and was sitting next to me on the bus. I shared the news with the Aussie, and coincidentally she had lived in Thailand for 6 months. She proceeded to draw a map of Thailand for me and delightfully told me all about her travels. It was sunny out.
When I returned from my adventure the plan was set in motion. It was 6 months before my departure. In 6 months I moved out of a room I was renting and onto an air mattress in my friend’s living room, moved out of there and into another friends living room, moved out of there and into another friends and then with just 8 days left before my departure, I moved again, this time with my boyfriend. Oh, I almost forgot to mention… in those six months I also sold nearly all of my belongings, gave away most of the rest, packed the remainder in 2 big suitcases, quit my job, and fell in love.
This morning I left it all behind for now, my home, my friends, my career, my lover… my life.
As I walked away from the car and away from the arms of my lover, it was dark and stormy and raining so hard the raindrops felt as if they would leave tiny little bruises all over my skin. But I did it. I walked away into the shelter and bright lights of the airport. As the plane took off I stared out of the window and watched as droplets of rain swirled and slammed against the windows as the sky covered the Earth in its tears.
They say the weather means something.
A Gypsy Soul in Thailand 