Kindness of Strangers and Good Karma

As I sat in the departure lounge, waiting for my flight to Bangkok, all I wanted was an iced mocha/coffee. Normally I pay about 30-40 baht for one. At the airport, they were 80 baht. This made me sad. After walking upto the coffee place twice debating my purchase, I decided, out loud to my travel companions, that I could not justify spending that much on it.

Out of nowhere a lady walked up and said she couldn't help overhearing my debate on whether to buy an iced coffee and she wanted to buy me one. She said she remembered traveling on a budget and not being able to afford little things. She held out 100 baht. I said I could not accept it. But she insisted, saying it would make her happy. So I took the bill and went and got an iced coffee.

I went back to her with the change, which she would not accept. But she told me how she was from the states and lived in India with her husband and daughter, who were with her. He works, she enjoys life. She told me to spend the change on my friends. So Megan bought a water, which she also did not buy previously due to the high mark up.

As we boarded the plane, Nicole and Nick had been seated together. Megan and I were told we could not be seated together, so we were 2 rows apart. Although we were told it was full, Megan had an empty seat beside her. She offered for me to come back and sit middle seat beside her. I chose to stay put at my window seat, and as luck would have it, I had all 3 seats to myself. So I stretched out and enjoyed my flight. Then on my flight from Bangkok to Phuket, I had 2 seats to myself. Not a bad way to start my trip.