Eden.
I think I was there yesterday and today.
On the subject of luck again. From here on, a different perspective…
I spoke with two friends today.
The topic of luck came up in both conversations. I have my own views on this—views I’ve explored in posts such as “To be blessed by providence” or “About luck.”
Yet today, I found myself thinking that I am lucky. Perhaps I shouldn’t object to that term so strongly anymore?
With one friend, we discussed the health issues plaguing them. And—while I deeply empathize with their situation—I couldn’t help but feel lucky that I am currently spared such troubles.
My other friend put it this way regarding me: among the 8 or 9 billion people out there, I am one of the lucky few who have reached a point of happiness.
Maybe I shouldn’t resist the idea that I’m lucky quite so much… I think I’ll stop doing that now.
The Island
The large island is called Koh Rong, and the small one is Koh Rong Sanloem. I visited the smaller island. And you know what? I’m lucky enough to know from my life experiences that the word “Koh” means “island” in this part of the world.
Yesterday morning, I set off for the island by speedboat with someone especially dear to me.
We headed to the Eden Hotel. Well, if a hotel is named Eden, it’s not far from the truth to say the island itself is Eden, too—or at least a part of the Garden of Eden.
The sea—which I had already seen from Thailand, Vietnam, and other parts of Cambodia—revealed yet another side of itself. The radiance of the water… It was so different. When the sun hit the sea’s surface at just the right angle, I saw a shade of blue that could only be captured in a painting. That indescribable glow that seemed to write the word “luck” in sparkling letters against the blue of the sky.
As the boat’s bow turned from the mainland toward the island, it crossed my mind that if the vessel didn’t stop, I would eventually spot the island of Koh Samui—some 400 kilometers away. That beloved island. The one that will remain special to me for the rest of my life, because that is where I was lucky enough to begin my new life. So, there I was, suddenly finding myself in the Blue Lagoon. I scanned the scene, looking for Robinson Crusoe. I half-expected the pirates from Treasure Island to burst out from the trees, only for Tarzan to scare them off. For the past year, I’ve felt as though I were living in a dream—and yesterday was no exception.
Everything here is designed to make wandering travelers dream. Today, I saw a boat drop off two backpackers on the sand. My first thought was, “Sweet dreams, my friends.”
The hotel where we stayed was magical. Palm trees and broad-leafed shrubs transformed the surroundings into a jungle. Our room was exactly how one imagines a tropical room to be—the kind of place that makes you think, “I’d happily spend the rest of my life right here.”
In the evening, we strolled along the shore, guided at times by streetlights and at others by the glow of our phones. We waded through the warm sea and crossed romantic little bridges over streams. We listened to the nocturnal concert of insects. We listened to the music of the waves and savored the scent of the sea.
Today, we basked in the tropical sun. We enjoyed the sea’s warm embrace. We marveled at the blue—all over again. We did all this after a flawless breakfast, feeling thoroughly satisfied. And I think, as we savor the word “lucky,” I can still taste the pineapple, too.
When it was time to leave, a small boat took us to where our ship was departing. For twenty-four hours, nothing disturbed the peace. I began to understand a little better why an island might be called the “Island of Peace.”
In the afternoon, we returned to the mainland. I threw myself into my work. It is 10 p.m. now, and I am reflecting a bit on my life as I write this.
I will never again object to the word “lucky”…
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