South it is!

Warren and Betsy are adamant: "Dude, you have to come with us. Say you'll come with us."

We're all standing out front, where a taxi is waiting to take them to the train station for a trip south to the notorious Full Moon Party on the island of Koh Phangan. After that, they'll meet up with other classmates near Phuket. I only came down to see them off.

But already there's a problem: neither Warren nor Betsy knows the Thai phrase for "train station," and repeating these English words slowly and clearly to the cab driver is not helping. By coincidence I have already translated "train station" into written Thai script for a different rail excursion I was planning. So I run up to my room, grab the slip of paper and bring it back down to the driver. His face brightens and he nods and smiles. "Hualamphong," we both say at once, which is the name of the main station. Betsy takes my intervention as an omen.

"O.K., now you really do have to come," she insists. "We need you there. Promise me you'll come. Promise." She makes me shake on it. So, uh, I guess I'm going to a Full Moon Party. Read all about it here. And then try to picture me in the midst of it.