Day ten

Day Ten

Although today was the first day we could actually have a lie in, I still found myself wide awake at 5am. I lay there for a bit, hoping that I didn’t need to go in my case for anything …I’d had to sit on it to get it shut again! Then, around eight, Gina and I headed down for a leisurely breakfast with some of the other girls. Sitting out on the patio with croissants and tea in the morning sunshine was absolutely blissful and it was slightly disappointing when we decided we really did have to make a move before we missed our flights.

We said a sad farewell to Henk and our wonderful drivers at Departures and then headed through to check in. I’d only been in the bloody building for five minutes when airport security decided to rope me in for one of their random luggage checks. I’m sure they thought that the look of panic that spread across my face just had to be because I was carrying something dodgy, but in reality it was because I knew that opening my case meant that a weeks worth of sweaty, dirty washing would instantly catapult across the airport, finally freed! There’s nothing more embarrassing than some bloke rifling through your riffy smalls!!!

After they had decided I wasn’t an international coke smuggler, they let me carry on through to check in. If you think Heathrow security is a pain in the arse, wait until you go to Kenya. You have to have a photo, have your finger prints taken, sign a form to say you’re leaving the country, scan your bags, go through to another room and scan your bags again, take your shoes off, scan those, put your shoes back on, scan your bags again…..nightmare!!!

We got on the plane and found our seats…finally….and just before take off the cabin crew announced that we were on the plane and that we had raised over £1.5 million for cancer charities. Everybody clapped and cheered…..we were like proper celebrities!!!! Throughout the long flight home, they kept announcing that we were on the plane and congratulating us for our efforts, before about halfway through they brought a bottle of champagne down the cabin for Ann for organising the event and a collection from the airline staff. It was really nice of them to recognise her hard work.

We got back to Britain slightly early. I knew that this bit would be the hardest part!! I hate saying goodbyes. I’m crap at all the hugging and knowing what to say and I’d really enjoyed my week with these wonderful women. Thank-you Facebook, that’s all I can say!!

It was nice to see my dad though in arrivals, especially when he told me I’d lost weight!!! Vain or what!!! I talked his ears off the whole way home and have continued to do the same to both parents ever since! Mom and Cass were waiting at the door when we arrived back in Stourton. It was all over and yet it had only just begun!!!