Destination Thailand. Katy Colins

and she began tapping at a clunky keyboard.

      ‘Let me see… I think all my popular Thailand tours are booked up as it’s so last-minute. Looking at your dates of travel and discounting geriatric retirees, the only one I could book you on is this one.’ Her printer spluttered into life, acting as if it had always been so efficient. ‘It’s a family-owned business and will hopefully open your eyes to the world.’

      The itinerary consisted of Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Kanchanaburi, and island-hopping, with organised visits to temples, street markets, cooking classes, language school and paradise beaches. ‘It sounds perfect,’ I breathed, noticing the uneasy look on Trisha’s face as she chewed her bottom lip. ‘What’s wrong with it?’

      ‘Nothing, nothing. The accommodation isn’t going to be 5-star luxury and at times it may feel far from home, especially after everything you’ve told me you’ve been through. My advice would be to keep your mind open and if it all gets too much then you must head to the Blue Butterfly Huts on this island here.’ She pointed to an ant-sized speck in the ocean off the larger Koh Phangan island called Koh Lanta. ‘They’ll look after you.’

      An hour, nearly a full pack of biscuits and a few more cups of tea later, we had everything finalised; I was booked onto the six-week tour leaving in ten days! I didn’t want to worry about what I’d do once that was over and I was back here again. Stop trying to make plans for the future and just, for once, go with the flow. Trisha helped me apply for a fast-tracked Thai visa, sorted my travel insurance, booked me in for a few immunisations and gave me a list of all the things I needed to buy and pack. My cheeks were hurting from smiling; there was no going back now.

      OM effing G! Georgia Green was going travelling.