Morning light spilled through the wooden shutters, painting the room in soft gold. Natasha woke to the sound of bells from a nearby temple — not alarm-clock bells, but the slow, melodic kind that seem to echo from another lifetime.
Downstairs, the hotel breakfast terrace was alive with quiet chatter and the scent of roasted coffee. That’s where she met Mark and Linda, an American couple in their early forties, sipping tea and studying a tourist map upside down. They’d smiled at her the evening before, and this morning, conversation bloomed easily — travel plans, near misses with lost luggage, shared laughter about getting hopelessly lost in Bangkok’s markets.
When they invited her to join them for the day’s sightseeing, she said yes without hesitation. It felt good to be included, to have company that expected nothing more than good humor and shared wonder.
Path of the Enlightened
The three of them spent the day wandering Chiang Mai’s old city — Wat Chedi Luang’s towering ruins glowing in the sunlight, the delicate silverwork in Wat Sri Suphan catching their reflections. Linda was an amateur photographer and insisted on taking pictures of Natasha framed against temple arches, giggling about how she could be a “travel influencer.” Natasha only smiled — if only Linda knew.
They stopped for coconut ice cream served in little bamboo cups and later, for a late lunch in a hidden garden café draped in bougainvillea. Mark told stories about his years as a chef in Seattle, while Linda teased him about burning toast. Natasha listened, enjoying their playful ease — it reminded her that connection didn’t always have to come with complication.
After the Sun Sets
As the sun dipped low, they followed the glow of paper lanterns to the Night Bazaar. Music and laughter filled the air, stalls glittering with silk scarves and carved elephants. Natasha bought a small silver bracelet, more for the memory than the metal.
As they said goodnight, Linda hugged Natasha and whispered in her ear, “You’re beautiful, and you excite the heck out of me.” Natasha was unsure how to interpret Linda’s words, so she turned and walked away with promises to meet up again for breakfast. Back in her room, Natasha stood at the window. As she was watching the lanterns drift upward like tiny stars escaping gravity, her mind took her back to Linda’s hug and whispered words. Natasha shook her head and canceled the thought.
Her journal entry that night was simple:
“Sometimes the universe gives you strangers to remind you that you’re not alone, even when you’re unsure of their intentions.”
