Departure


It was hard to describe the emotions we felt as we sat on the rammed Manchester Airport train to head off on our adventure. Something that had been so long in the planning (almost to the point that I think some people thought we might never do it), and something that had so long been the subject of evening chats over a glass of wine after a hard day. From being something that felt like it was permanently on the horizon it was suddenly upon us. We had both had very intense periods of work in the run up (we’ve never really managed to do it any other way) with Becky submitting her public health portfolio and me handing over my role and confirming key decisions for the future of the school in my role as chair of governors. This gave us a sense of relief when the ‘end’ finally came, but also a realisation of how much needed to be done around the house and to pack in the week before our departure. The most frequently asked question in the week before we left was, ‘are you all packed up?’ to which the answer was always a definitive no, usually accompanied by our nervous laughter.


The weekend before our departure we headed to the deep south of Surrey/Sussex for the beautiful wedding of Nick and Josephine. It was great to be part of the event as best man and exciting to talk to old friends and new about our plans.



Most people were very excited, but there were a lot of questions about the kids and school. I’m pretty confident we’ve got that in hand, but I guess we’ll find out in a few weeks. A number of people talked to us about their own experiences of travelling in South America, all positive, with a lot of love for Colombia, Chile and Argentina.


After the long drive home it was time to pack up the house ready for our tenants to move in, while also hosting a variety of our relatives who wanted to wish us farewell. It’s amazing how much stuff you can acquire in 8 years and store away. Several trips to the charity shop donation centre, the tip and various recycling points later we just about had the house in a state for people to move in. All of our remaining stuff piled in the kids rooms ready for normal life to restart in Easter 2026.


Our final visitor, and driver to the train station was made particularly special by the gifts he brought. Kurt, our friend for as long as we have lived in Wakefield, had taken the time to hand make journals for me and the kids, included with inscriptions, stickers and with coloured cords selected to match our backpacks. It has immediately become a treasured possession for all of us and something that will serve as both a companion on our travels and a meaningful reminder of home.


The train from Dewsbury to Manchester Airport was a perfect example of a British train journey - completely overcrowded due to the train being half the size it should be, with absolutely nowhere for our bags to go. We crammed ourselves in and opened the last two cans of beer left in the house to toast our departure. 

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