The Backpacking Housewife: Escape around the world with this feel good novel about second chances!. Janice Horton

my hand looks without it.

      I realise it’s the first time I’ve ever removed it.

      I raise my arm in the air and I throw the ring as far as I can into the sea.

      I watch it twirl in the air, catching the golden light, until it disappears … and is gone forever.

       Chapter 5

       Koh Lanta

      The next morning, I wake up from a lovely dream to hear movement in our room. I realise it’s still dark. In alarm, I put on the bedside light, to find Summer trying to get dressed.

      ‘Oh, Lori. I’m so sorry. I was trying so hard not to wake you,’ she whispers.

      ‘It’s okay. What time is it? Where are you going?’

      ‘I’m going to the beach to practice my surya namaskara.’

      ‘Practice your what?’

      ‘My sun salutation. It’s almost dawn. You wanna come?’

      ‘No thanks. It’s way too early for me.’

      I pull the sheet back over my head grumbling something about it having been a late night.

      ‘Oh, come on Lori, let’s go and do yoga together while the sun is coming up on one of the most beautiful beaches in Thailand. I promise you’ll be so happy you made the effort!’

      And there was that word again – happy – and the actual promise of it.

      My sleepy head reminds me that if I don’t open my heart, I’ll never receive the sign that will lead me to my place of happiness, and who knows if that place isn’t in yoga?

      Summer always has a serene look about her, not to mention really great posture, so it works for her.

      To my surprise, we aren’t the only ones on East Beach ready to do yoga just before the sun begins to rise. We start off standing in what Summer says is Mountain Pose in honour of the tall rocks around us. Then, in the moments before the actual sun comes peeping over the horizon, we hold our palms together at chest level and we focus on our inner sun.

      We inhale noisily; this rushing breath is important and called ujjayi or ‘ocean breath,’ taking in great gulps of warm, humid morning air, sweeping our arms to the sky and stretching our bodies up while gazing at our thumbs. Then we fold our bodies down again before going into a lunge with our palms and soles pressing into the sand for the Downward Dog pose.

      I struggle with the next couple of poses – a sort of planking that Summer calls Chaturanga and then we rise up into Upward Facing Dog followed by yet another downward one. I find it quite exhausting trying to keep the flow of movement, but I follow Summer and when we come back to the standing pose again with our palms together as if we’re praying, I find myself silently thanking the sun for coming up this morning.

      And I do indeed feel very happy.

      After a hastily bought and quickly eaten store-bought breakfast of tinned iced tea, a carton of yogurt and a banana – all for the price of just a few baht – Summer and I head back out into the already blazing hot morning sun onto West Beach where, with our backpacks and lots of other people, including the lads, we must wait to be taken by long-tail boats out to the ferries.