Location: Koh Samui, Thailand

Because today is my last full day in Thailand I woke up feeling a lot of pressure to not waste time and make sure I had a big day filled with ‘all the things.’

Whatever that means.

I decided to do exactly the opposite as a bit of a middle finger to that feeling. Relaxing is just as valuable a way to spend my time as touristing! Plus the whole bar being on fire for a party thing meant that the hostel was pretty loud last night and I didn’t sleep a whole lot.

I walked aimlessly down the main road in the Chaweng district where I’m staying, and eventually landed at café for breakfast. I ordered a crispy pork rice dish and an iced lemon tea which I devoured while reading my book. Eventually I poked my head back out into the sun and right across the street was a nice looking massage parlour. Well well don’t mind if. I. Do.

So I haven’t said this explicitly but I had not yet gotten an actual Thai massage. This whole time I’ve just been getting foot or neck massages because I’m not usually a fan of full body massages. I can never actually relax enough to enjoy it! But I heard my Dads words in my head from before I left basically telling me to suck it up and just do it. I am in Thailand and it feels like a shame to leave without trying it and it’s a massage. Like what do I actually have to complain about here.

Well it was definitely an experience. This lady had me twisted into so many knots and weird positions as she yanked my limbs this way and that way and pushed my muscles around in ways I didn’t even know they would go. She was walking on my legs at one point, shortly before putting her knee on my spine and pulling my entire body against it with my own arms. I have never in my entire life heard my back crack the way it did and I’m pretty sure I left there looking like I had just gotten beaten up.

Disheveled hair, wide eyes, a bit of a hunch. You’re telling me this isn’t how you’re supposed to look after a massage??

I’m glad I tried it but I sure needed a lay down afterwards! I went back to the hostel pool and laid on a chair in the sun for the next couple of hours, continuing the ‘just relax’ theme of the day.

Eventually I caught a taxi back towards Fisherman’s Village to check out the market… and while it was open today I actually didn’t feel like I had missed much! It was very expensive and touristy, with most of the fare being extremely western leaning. Almost everyone there was a white tourist wearing some version of a ‘I heart Thailand’ t-shirt. I settled for a Thai pancake to tide me over for another hour as I was intent on having my second massage at the same place that I had a foot massage yesterday. I mean there’s a little river inside the parlour and you walk over a teeny tiny wooden bridge. The walls are decorated in plants. There’s lanterns! If that doesn’t have Savanna written all over it I don’t know what does.

I tuk tuk’d back to Chaweng and grabbed a table at a restaurant that basically could have been anywhere in Thailand, which is exactly what I wanted. Nothing fancy. Locals around. Metal and wooden tables. Homemade food. There was even Ed Sheeran covers playing over the radio and I could hear the bartender singing along under his breath.

Sitting in a place like this that feels pretty representative of a lot of my nights in Thailand was the perfect way to end my last full day. The only reason I’m not full on crying into my cashew chicken about it is because I have a half day left tomorrow. Deniaallll.

Thank goodness.

Sav