Sri Lanka Bound!

Morning started with a cup of coffee and, once I realized I had enough time, I put on my suit, ran thru town, and dove right into the sea. One last beautiful swim before leaving the country. Me showing up to my flights, sandy and salty, seems to be a trend. And I'm digging it. I packed my bag and then Max gave me a lift to the Coolangatta airport. I am flying AirAsia, and for the first time ever, I had to pay to check my backpack. $140 AUD because it costs $70 per flight and I have a connection in Malaysia. Oh well, ya win some ya lose some. At least I didn't have one hangover in the entire 4 weeks I spent in Aus! Anyways, went thru security and then realized that there is a second security area for international flights.

I boarded my flight right on time and found myself in an aisle seat with no one seated in the middle. That was nice, especially considering AirAsia isn't very comfortable- no TVs or meals, little legroom, and not very comfy seats, but I had no problem sleeping! First though, I did some writing in my journal. I sincerely love having my pen in hand. There were heaps of kids on the flight, a lot of people coughing too, so I chucked on my headphones, put Explosions in the Sky on repeat, and passed outx for about 7 hours. The total flight time is 8 hours and 40 minutes from Gold Coast Aus to Kuala Lumpar Malaysia. I didn't get up once! I just did my writing, sleeping, and a bit of crying as an emotional release as I did my reflections.

We landed in Malaysia, got off the plane, and I began running thru the airport. Basically, my friend who started as my home host in Bali in 2017, Chiko, happens to be in Malaysia and said she'd meet me at the airport during my 3 hour layover. Definitely cutting it close because I had to go thru customs but no visa was needed! I got the stamp in my passport, made it thru, and ran into Chiko's arms. We had tears of joy flowing from our eyes as our faces beamed with a smile. Wow, this journey just gets better and better. And to think this is now 3 years in a row that I have seen Chiko- first in 2017 during my yoga training, last year in Bali for my birthday, and now this year as I make my way to Sri Lanka.

We bought some beer and I had a lotus sesame puff while we sat catching up. I honestly can say that Chiko is one of my dearest friends, and though we had no intention of seeing each other up until 2 days ago, we have been in constant contact since I have been in Aus because the timezone is more similar to that in Bali. This meetup was insane, so spontaneous and intuitive. I love Chiko so much and as I move along to catch my flight to Colombo Sri Lanka, I realize my path continues to light up with deep connections and strong roots.

The flight to Sri Lanka was 3 hours and 40 minutes. I met a girl at the terminal who happened to be seated next to me on the flight. She is going to Sri Lanka for a Vipassana meditation retreat, just like the one Axel has been telling me all about! Connectivity! I slept the entire flight to Colombo. Upon landing, I didn't know what to except. But then I saw all the airport signs were actually written in English and was full of tourists of all races. Immigration took no time at all and once I was thru with my backpack, my driver was seated there holding a sign with my name on it. I exchanged currency because the driver nor the hostel accepts credit card, I purchased a SIM card right there for 1300 Rupee ($7.19 USD), and then hopped in the car and drove 5 minutes to the hostel.

I am staying at Hostel First Colombo Airport, mostly because I didn't land until 10 PM and didn't want to be on the roads late at night for long. And the transportation cost me 1800 Rupee ($9.96 USD). Hidesh, the hostel worker, is absolutely incredible. He sat down with me for a bit and mapped out a plan for me for the 6 days I have here in Sri Lanka. Then he lead me to my room for the night. I am the only guest at the hostel, which I was expecting honestly. I chose the hostel for conveniency and safety of it. And Hidesh has been incredible, plus his English is very good, which makes it even more comfortable. And the hostel is super clean! I highly recommend it.