Letters to Darby - Goodbye Mauritius.. Hello ENGLAND!!

Dear Darby,

Missing you like crazy but its been so nice to hear your cheeky voice over the phone this week... Mum tries really really hard to keep it together but when I hear your voice I cant help but tear up! Its in my DNA to think about you all the time.. and there have been moments where I wish you have seen something or shared something with me.. but all in good time.. one day I will take you to these amazing places and we can have our own adventures together! 

Dad is doing such a great job of looking after you.. and he has been telling me how good you have been which I am so happy to hear! 

I promise you monkey, when I get back I will have a feast of presents... 

Well I have farewelled Mauritus for now.. The last couple of days were spent sunning myself on the beach... I haven't relaxed like that in as long as I can remember.. it was all in preparation for my long haul flight to London! 

We left the Bungalow at 6.40am in the morning and drove the hour long drive down to the Mauritius international airport! I farewelled Elisha and Lindley and set about checking in and getting through customs... 

I checked my bag in and walked through security, as I was walking in a security guard asked me if I had a Violet case, I replied yes.. but started getting worried as to why he had been watching me... I went through the usual airport stuff and of course today was the  day for my hip to go off when I walked through the scanners...  I was ushered to be patted down by a lovely security guard.. and then a scary looking security guard asked me if I could follow him.. he took me behind those doors with mirror on the outside (always a bit of a worry!!), down some stairs and dark corridors until I was lead out to the loading bay for the luggage... There was my case sitting all by itself! I started to panic wondering if someone had tampered with it! Luckily they were just doing a routine  security check.. but they had to go through all of my stuff looking for god knows what... much to my horror... they were ruining my precise packing! There was so much in the case and the zip had been bulging from the pressure at the sides that I thought any moment it could burst.. 

Of course they didn't find anything and I had to quickly pack it up again.. the zips just closed! Luckily! 

Once we were on board I relaxed.. I just wanted to get on my way.. The flight was going to be 12 hours long and I was mentally preparing myself for it! 

I was seated near the back with a group of British rugby players, they were very rowdy, but were very sweet , helping me with my overhead luggage and offering me food! 

I waited impatiently until we took off... I always get nervous with our take off... I grip the seat and my knuckles go white!!  I'm getting slightly better at it! Ill be a pro by the time I get back! 

About 30 mins into the flight, some flight attendants began running to the front of the plane.. I was alarmed and panicked already... They called over the speaker if there was a Doctor on board... eek this wasn't looking good!!

It was when the Pilot began to speak that I had a sinking feeling of what we were in for! He asked for us to remain calm... but there was so much panic in his voice it was almost impossible to do so, a medical emergency on board meant it was a  turnaround and back to Mauritius for us! We made a safe landing with blaring firetrucks awaiting us! The passenger was ok, but left the plane with the ambulance .. we then refuelled and waited and waited and waited... It was more than an hour until we took off again.. I knew then it was going to be a long long flight!! 

And it was... All of the decent movies I had watched on the way over.. So I listened to relaxing music and tried to sleep... I nodded off for a couple of hours, but time was dragging! I clock watched the whole time.. Which was like watching paint dry! FINALLY after over 15 hours on the plane we arrived at Heathrow!

I couldn't contain my excitement! I was here.. I was in London! I was ready for my trip!

It took me awhile to get through customs and to the other terminal where I needed to catch the bus to Oxford! Adrenalin helped to keep me going...And got me onto that bus, once I was on I started to relax.. On my 40 minute journey I decided to only listen to music by UK artists, so I played a bit of Robbie Williams and Adele, George Michael and the Beatles. It felt intrinsic to be listening to British pop, and classics.. I was so so tired but I wanted to cry with happiness excitement and heartache...

I was picked up at Oxford by Stuart and we were in the car for the short drive to Charlbury to where I was staying! I couldn't really see anything as it was dark.. but it was so nice to be driving through the forests and winding roads! 

It was amazing to finally get to Sharon and Stuarts at just on 12am in Hixet Wood ...I was exhausted and fell into bed... a long day, but I was so happy to be in the UK..... 

Missing you heaps Darbs

Love Mum xxxx