Most people return from a holiday with a tan, a hangover, or a suitcase full of laundry that smells faintly of regret. I however, returned with something far more inconvenient: emotions.
The Holiday I Didn’t Plan on Feeling Anything.
I didn’t go looking for them. I didn’t even pack space for them. But somewhere between the sunshine, the conversations, and the unexpected ease of being around her, I found myself becoming … fond. Yes. Me. Fond. I’m as shocked as you are. It wasn’t dramatic. No violins. No slow‑motion running on the beach. Just two people who got on far too well for the universe’s sense of humour.
And then, as holidays do, it ended.
The One That Slipped Back Into Real Life.
She went her way. I went mine. And now the odds of seeing her again are roughly equivalent to me winning the lottery without buying a ticket.
But here’s the thing: every so often, she pops back into my mind. Not in a tragic, heart‑wrenching way, more like a warm memory that taps you on the shoulder and says:
“Remember me? You fell for me big time ... you idiot.”
There’s something quietly sad about meeting someone who fits into your life so effortlessly … only for timing, geography, and general life nonsense to get in the way.
Bucket List Item: See Her Again Before I Die.
Let’s be clear: I’m not talking about rekindling some grand romance or rewriting destiny. I’m not planning a Hollywood reunion scene where we run into each other in an airport and declare undying love. (Although if that happens, I’ll take it.)
No, this is simpler. Human and honest.
I’d just like to see her again. Once more. Before I shuffle off this mortal coil and become a cautionary tale about sunscreen and missed opportunities.
Maybe we’d laugh. Maybe we’d talk about life. Maybe we’d pretend we haven’t aged a day.
Or maybe it would just be a small, gentle moment, the kind that reminds you that life still has surprises tucked away, even when you think you’ve seen most of them.
Why This Belongs on a Bucket List.
Bucket lists are supposed to be about the big things: skydiving, climbing mountains, swimming with dolphins, surviving a family Christmas without alcohol.
But sometimes the biggest things aren’t dramatic at all. Sometimes they’re just people, the ones who drift through your life briefly but leave a mark anyway.
She was one of those.
So yes, this is on the list. Not because it’s likely. Not because it’s sensible. But because some people deserve to be remembered, even if they were only ever meant to be a chapter, not the whole book.
Conclusion: A Soft Spot I Didn’t Expect.
Life is ridiculous. Beautiful. Unfair and occasionally, it hands you someone wonderful at exactly the wrong time.
If I never see her again, the memory will still be a good one, warm, surprising, and slightly annoying in its persistence.
But if I do?
Well… that would be a moment worth ticking off the bucket list.
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