Lucky stars

I came back from Thailand almost a week ago now. I came back healthy, feeling good and more importantly alive. I received a bit of a shock when people started asking me if I had heard about the tourist from the UK that was raped and killed on Lamai beach on New Year's Eve. In fact, I hadn't heard one thing. I don't know if that was because they found her body on the 2nd and I left the island on the 3rd, but at any rate just the thought of it gave me chills.

I stayed on Lamai beach, it being the 2nd most popular beach on Koh Samui and wanted to go out desperately on New Year's Eve. I got dressed in a nice dress I had bought in Bangkok, put make-up on, did my hair, put some snazzy earrings on and I thought I looked pretty nice. A friend of mine even took pictures, which I have up in my Thailand pictures. I went down to the beach where there were parties up and down the shore.

The party at my resort was kind of more family-esque and I wanted to go dancing, so I walked along the beach by myself for a while looking for something going on. I was still fasting and couldn't drink either but I just wanted to be out. Most areas around the beach were pretty quiet. I walked in the dark in bits but I didn't mind. I remember seeing a bunch of birds flying, which I thought was strange because it was night and all, and I felt uneasy after that and went back to my part of the beach. I talked with some people and most of the people I had become friends with were staying in and calling it an early night. One of them said, you look so nice, you should go out to the clubs on Lamai.

I had considered it but changed my mind for three reasons. One, I had to move resorts the next day and needed to pack-up my stuff and two, I didn't want to pay for a taxi to go there and was a bit afraid to walk on the main road at night (It was about a 15 min walk) and three, I got really tired because I had been waking up at 6:30 everyday. Hearing all that happened to the girl that night really freaked me out because it wasn't so much the case she was drinking as she was just talking to her mom on the phone.

It's just dumb luck isn't it? It makes me really thank God that I didn't go. I feel really sad for the girl and her family, but I can't help but feel oddly lucky and grateful for turning in and having a normal night with no excitement. It also made me angry that this news wasn't posted all over Lamai. I understand how the locals wouldn't want people to leave, but I feel like this kind of news should have been given out to everyone ASAP. I guess it'll make me think twice before going out on my lonesome.