Try 2 (In more ways than one)

This is my second attempt at writing this new entry. The first, written over the past two days, came from a pretty low place. This trip didn't start that well...

I'm currently sitting in a little hostel on the outskirts of San Jose Costa Rica. It's almost as far away from Thailand as you can be and not where I expected to be right now, but after a year of false starts and cancellations, I'm very happy to be here.

Here's my room, my bed with the laptop that I'm writing this on. This picture has it all!

So why was I so pissed off over the past few days? Mostly because about 20 mins before Jane kindly picked me up to take me to the airport, I had a massive pain shoot up my spine that got progressively worse over 48 hours until I was forced to go to a chiropractor yesterday!! I'm still not entirely sure he did anything much, but I feel a lot better today.

Secondly, I don't like to travel. This may sound strange coming from someone who's (a) writing a travel blog and (b) done nothing but whine like a schoolgirl with a grazed knee for the past year that I wasn't allowed to travel, but let me clarify. I love to travel, I hate the travelling part. Mostly just flying really. I'm not worried by it, but flying is pretty much the worst way to travel. Dragging yourself through an airport filled with idiots to spend 14 hours sat in the world's most uncomfortable seat in a metal tube with nothing to see out the window but ocean is not great. At least on a train or bus you can see the world go by...

Although sometimes the views aren't all that bad

The journey wasn't actually as bad as it could have been. Travelling in the age of Covid is pretty great. Half empty airport then a plane filled at about 40% capacity I'd say, with no one sat next to me. It's one of the greatest and rarest of pleasures having a row of seats to yourself on a plane. I've only had it a few times. It would ended perfectly as I zoomed through an empty San Jose airport only to be stuck at customs because of a badly written piece of English in my travel insurance which made them think I wasn't covered for Coronavirus (I am). It took 30 mins to fix.

Finally and much to my surprised, whilst being quarantined for the past year I actually got used to spending time with a person. The past year with Mum was pretty great, which probably surprised both of us. I'm not generally the most sociable of people when I live with them. My last flatmate Julie once went away for a week and I didn't realise that she was gone for 4 days. Being in a tiny flat with anyone, especially someone who farts as much as Mum, could have been a recipe for disaster, but worked perfectly, and it was lovely getting to spend that time with her. I'm very grateful for that. So there was more than a tinge of loneliness at first here. The same goes for my friends, some who I barely saw, or didn't see at all over the past year. What a waste this bloody year has been.

But today things have turned a corner. The back feels better, I was able to walk into the city and back (about 10km), I had a tiny conversation in Spanish this morning that I wouldn't have been able to have a few days ago, the weather is pretty lovely this afternoon and tomorrow I get to go here:

Arenal Volcano from La Fortuna

So yeah, things are getting there. I'm excited about what comes next, although I have no real idea where I'm going this time. I'm sure it'll be an experience.

And finally, the rumours that I just ended up here because I got the flags confused are a damn lie. This is the story I'm sticking to.

The Costa Rican and Thai flags, or the Thai and Costa Rican flags, I don't know or care which is which