All roads lead to home. Or at least if you keep going, eventually you’ll get there – it just might take a lot longer than you expected. This is what we discovered on our final day in Balledent.
The morning started off well. We packed our bags and headed down to the village bar for some last drinks and conversation with the locals. Internet access may have been another reason for our visit, as the WiFi had gone down in our house and there was no data connection to be found. As my sister reminded us constantly throughout the trip, keeping Snapchat streaks alive was crucial – there was just no way to survive without internet for 24 hours!
We made our way slowly back to the house, greeting the sheep and the sheepdog on our way, both of which were enjoying a lazy morning. Then it was straight to the airport and onto the plane. We waved goodbye to France, at least for the moment.
From Stansted Airport, our journey home should have been simple. Just hop onto the National Express coach that would take us all the way to Brighton. Little did we know we’d encounter a blockage on the bridge, bringing us to a standstill for hours. When we were finally able to pass and arrive at London Victoria, we missed our connecting coach by a single minute.
Another hour’s delay and we were onboard for the final leg of the journey. We arrived in Brighton in the early hours of the morning, and collapsed into bed. I was up again not long after to go to work, throwing myself back into a boring everyday routine, longing for the next getaway. But I would never forget our amazing experience in the village of Balledent.