40. Prepare to fly back home

In the last four days before flying back, I didn't work anymore. I cleared out everything I didn't plan to bring back to Thailand. The outfit I usually wore for gardening, which had become quite worn out after a year of work, was thrown into the trash without hesitation. I looked at it one last time, never imagining it would end up in this condition. I smiled wryly to myself, reflecting on the more than a year this jacket had been with me.

Many items that came with the car, I sold to a pawn shop. The blankets and bed linens that came with the car, as well as various equipment that would be useful for backpackers, I donated to the accommodation owner. I bought many souvenirs, mostly chocolates and exotic fruits that we don't have back home, to bring back for my family.

I withdrew all the cash from the bank and made a secret stash in the jacket that I would always wear. I sewed it securely inside the jacket. I thought, as an inexperienced person, that it would get a better exchange rate when exchanged in Thailand rather than transferring it directly through the bank from here. I figured that at least I would get an extra two or three thousand baht using this method, which could cover the travel cost from the airport back to my accommodation in Nakhon Pathom.

However, I didn't forget to keep the bank debit card to use for withdrawing money in Thailand from the tax refund that will occur next year. The government here will refund some money to those holding this visa, and we can submit the form online when the tax refund season arrives next year.

For this sleeper van, I had been contacted by several people. Even though I wanted to sell it, I still had some uneasy feelings. It's the issue of having to regularly top up the engine oil. Even though I had driven it for a while and know that its performance is perfectly fine, the fact that it has that flaw makes me not fully confident in selling it. I didn't want the buyer to feel bad about it or be disappointed. But then again, if I had prepared for negotiations early on without worrying too much about losses, I might not have to do what I'm about to explain next.

I thought about this for a long time until finally, I decided to give this car to someone I met on the Working Holiday NZ page. She is Dutch and was looking for a car that she could sleep in. In the end, I felt better giving it away rather than taking the money and making someone else feel bad later. To be honest, before reaching this point, I was quite picky without fully understanding my own situation. With my lack of experience and unrealistic expectations, it led to that decision (initially, I hoped to make a profit from selling this car, but in reality, an old car might not be the best option to meet that need. Just selling it with the least loss was already quite good). And the reason of having less and less time left was another factor.

I signed all the documents stating that I had handed over this car to the new owner, leaving the new owner's name blank. Then, I left all the documents along with the car keys with the backpacker owner, waiting for that Dutch person to pick up the car. Since the place she was staying at was quite far away, she said she and her boyfriend would take a bus to Hastings the next day, which would be the time I would be leaving the city to prepare for my flight at Wellington.

When everything was well-prepared and the suitcase was packed, after more than a year, carrying this big bag again made me feel how quickly time flies. I still vividly remember one afternoon a year ago when I walked into this Hastings Backpacker with this bag. And this morning, I was about to carry it again to walk out to the bus parking lot beside the railroad in the city center. I was grateful for all the experiences, whether they were heartwarming or worrisome at the time, because in the end, every moment seems enjoyable when looking back. Some events were fun because the events themselves were enjoyable, while others became fun when I looked back and asked myself, "How did you do that back then?"

That morning was a relaxed day like any other in Hastings. Normally, at this time in the morning, I would be getting ready for work, but today I was going home. My travel plan was to take a bus from Hastings in the morning to arrive at Wellington Airport in the evening. Then, I would wait at the airport to prepare for my flight the next morning. I was going to meet a friend in Singapore and stay with them for four days. Since this was a stopover on my way home, I thought it would be a good opportunity to see another country before returning to Thailand, and I had already booked the tickets in advance.