Jan. 27 & 28: Farewell, Airlie

My last two days in Airlie Beach were somewhat uneventful. I was feeling kinda low about leaving, and the hostel, as though to provide a suitable setting for my mood, was quiet. How thoughtful of it.

I did laundry, set the blog back to email posting, tried to eat all the rest of my food, wrote a card to thank Nicks parents (who were out of town), and packed. Man, I've accumulated some stuff.

I took my final swim in the hostel pool, floating on my back to dream up at the patches of bright sky through palm trees. That's been one of my favorite things here - blue sky through green leaves, or nighttimes diamond stars, whilst suspended, weightless, in that green salt-water pool.

With all the bon voyages lately, we've worn out the posh pub crawl, and there weren't really enough of us to do the crazy pub crawl, which no one was in the mood for anyway. We decided to have a low-key goodbye BBQ - Nick made burgers & grilled up sausages, and I made a sun-dried tomato pasta salad. We sat down by the hammocks & ate: Ian, Laura, Kate, Chris, Rémi, Nick and me. Stuffed our faces.

After eating, Nick & I got in one hammock and Ian & Laura got in another, and the stepping on each other & rocking & spilling beers & almost tipping over that ensued from such an endeavor had us giggling uncontrollably, long after we were comfortably settled. We all laid in the hammocks, swaying, looking at the stars, making shadow puppets with our feet, laughing. Laughing at nothing. Laughing in friendship. Laughing instead of saying goodbye.

I am so happy & grateful for:
~ clean clothes
~ hammocks & pools
~ time to move on

Xo! n.