On Our Way

The Last Lift Before the World Tour

For weeks, the trip had been something we talked about, planned and imagined. Then, at last, it was time to go to Heathrow.

Keith kindly offered to drive us to the airport. It was a lovely thing to do. There was only one question we couldn’t quite settle: was he being wonderfully generous, or was he simply glad to see us on our way?

We decided not to ask.

The drive made the whole adventure feel real. Heathrow was no longer a place on our itinerary. It was where we would say goodbye to home and take the first step towards the other side of the world.

Then came the moment we had been trying not to think about.

At Heathrow, it was time to say goodbye to Keith. The crying started almost straight away. We had been excited about the trip, but excitement didn’t make leaving everyone behind any easier. For a little while, all the plans and places ahead of us seemed less important than the people we were leaving at the airport.

Keith had got us there safely, and now we had to let him go back without us.

It was a small goodbye at the start of a very big journey. We wiped our eyes, gathered ourselves and turned towards the airport, knowing that the next time we saw Keith, we would have a few stories to tell.

And, judging by the first hotel we had booked, it wouldn’t take long.