There’s something bittersweet about the final day of a family holiday. You know you’ve squeezed the juice out of the week, but you’re also aware that the clock is ticking down. Today was less about big adventures and more about soaking up the last drops of Samui sunshine.

We all surfaced a little later, knowing there were no plans, no deadlines, just a day of truly nothing, except for the promise of masseuses arriving at 10 a.m. Four of us were keen to indulge in a villa massage, so we lazily soaked up the view while the ladies set up. Haylie and Jamei went first, and this time I played DJ, connecting the best “massage/spa” playlist I could find. Not that it was really needed, the setting itself was the soundtrack. The peace, the breeze, and that endless view were already doing all the work.

When it was my turn, I made sure the lady knew the assignment: NO STRETCHING. I thought I was being clear, but apparently I should have added a clause about not trying to detach my head from my body. With the number of knots I had, it was still a little uncomfortable, but nothing prepared me for the moment she slid her tiny fingers under the base of my skull and lifted. You know that feeling when you’re supposed to be relaxing, but suddenly you’re wondering if you’ve accidentally signed up for an exorcism? That was me. One second I was enjoying the breeze, the next I was convinced she was trying to pop my head off like the lid of a jam jar.

With our massages done, we turned to the fridge, still bulging with food and drink. Bek worked her magic, pulling together a tasting board and popping our last bottle of bubbles. The chatter stretched longer than usual, drifting easily as everyone found their own rhythm – a swim here, a stroll there, a quiet read in the shade.

It wasn’t about ticking boxes anymore. It was about holding onto the feeling. The peace of the villa, the laughter that bubbled up without effort, the sense that we were exactly where we were meant to be.

For our finale, I’d planned dinner at a beach restaurant complete with a fire show. It was spectacular, flames slicing through the night sky while cocktails arrived in pineapples, watermelons, and coconuts (oh my).

We toasted the week we’d had: the elephants, the laughter, the jet skis, the pranks, the surprises, the calm. Every moment stitched together into something bigger than the sum of its parts.

Not quite ready to call it a night, we squeezed in one last market wander before heading home. Everyone else drifted off to bed, but I stayed up, half‑watching the Socceroos in the World Cup, half‑sorting out flights after a cancellation notice landed just as the game kicked off. It ain’t so simple to negotiate a 7 person flight change, onto one flight when there is a whole plane trying to do the same. It wasn’t the restful finale I’d imagined, but somehow it felt fitting: a holiday that gave us spectacle, sweetness, and a few curveballs right to the end.

Thanks for coming along for the ride, hope you’ve enjoyed joining us for our family holiday. See you back in Australia!

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