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“Don’t stay up too long. We’ve got an early start. And your flight’s long.”
“Okay.” I hear the door close, but I don’t stop what I’m doing.
Sleep is impossible. The smell of the wax reminds me of Cornwall and Zennor and grounds me in a way I doubt anything else ever will. My stomach is in knots. I don’t know if it’s guilt about how I left Zee or nerves about finally going. But I do know that I’m about to start the dream that I’ve always wanted, and I’m struggling to feel excited about it.
All because of a girl who owns a piece of my soul on a beach in Cornwall.
“You’ve got everything?” Mum’s done nothing but fuss all morning.
“Yes, Mum.” I roll my eyes.
“Oh, I’ll miss that cheeky boy who I’d let get away with anything.” She ruffles my hair, and I back away from her.
“Sorry. I’m fine. Just nerves.”
“It’s a big adventure.”
“I’ll be in touch when I can.” I look up at the departures board and read the gate.
Mum pulls me in for a hug, and Dad gives me an awkward pat on the back. I follow the signs through to security and check my passport is still in my pocket.
Twenty or so hours, and I’ll be on the other side of the world and starting my dream.
Maybe I just need to get there.
Sweat drenches my shirt. My heart’s still pounding in my chest from the fear the airline had lost my board, but I am here, in Bali, at the hostel near the beach, and in one piece.
As much as I want to head out and explore, I’m wiped from the hideous flight, so I decide to grab whatever food I can at the hostel, which is the safest option for me right now, rest up, and hit the waves tomorrow.
The room is for four, but the bunks are empty. I cram everything in and slump onto the mattress and pull the makeshift curtain across.
Lights out.
I wake up, and it takes a few minutes to remember where I am. I’m in a bunk bed with a wooden ladder at the foot of the bed.The hostel.
Luckily, there’s nobody else in the room with me for now. I use the facilities, grab my board, shove the rest of my stuff in the locker provided and make my way down to the desk.
“Can you tell me the quickest way to the beach?”
The guy smiles at me, grabs a map from behind the counter, points at a little square, and then runs his finger down a couple of straight rows until he reaches the blue.
“Thank you.” I shove it in my shorts and head out, going over the instructions in my head. After about five minutes, I check the map, carry on, double-check again, and finally make it to the beach about ten minutes later.
It’s beautiful.
The ocean looks like every shade of blue I’ve dreamt of, and I race down the shore to reach it.
Unlike the UK, it’s warm like bathwater. I chuckle to myself as I think about Zennor’s face, as she hated the cold water in Cornwall. I paddle out, noting the darker blotches as I swim over coral and deeper water to find a small break someway off the beach where there are some small waves.
It’s a calm day. The sun is hot, and the water only just cools me down, but the surf doesn’t really do it for me.
I try not to feel disappointed as I leave the water and trudge back towards the hostel. The same guy is behind the counter, and so I approach, wanting to find a better beach.
“Bigger!” I gesture with my arms, and he nods this time.
“You want to go to Padang Padang. Not too far.”
“I can walk?”
