I hadn’t really slept well all night tossing and turning in my big comfy bed. There were so many thoughts running through my head and my mind was in turmoil. Reminiscing of all what I had done in South America was actually quite painful as I had such an unbelievable adventure. I was proud to have done it all by myself, who would have thought I was brave enough to explore 3 countries, visited 23 cities, fly on 14 planes, travelled on 18 buses and sat floating in 22 canoes

When I first started out on this adventure I was clinging on to my fifties by my fingernails but then on 14th of October I step into a whole new decade, I was going home a sixty year old woman.

Leaving the sumptuous comfort of my huge bedroom, I went down to the buffet breakfast which was included in the price of the one night stay. There was such an enormous variety of good healthy food as well as the odd stodge and as usual I heaped my plate far too high. It’s the tea I love the most, it just hits the right spot in the morning.

Sitting beside the huge ceiling-to-floor pane of glass beside the infinite pool was just perfect, the warm rays of the sun were streaming in through the window and the twinkling reflections from the pool danced on the ceiling. It was 9:30 and check-out was at 12pm perfect timing for the airport whose check-in was at 1pm.

There’s no getting away from check-in queues, it’s something that just has to be tholed.

Waiting is just part of the journey of getting from A to B. A quick run round duty free and I was off the start the long necessary journey to get back home – three planes: Montevideo-Madrid, Madrid-London, London- Glasgow then I’m home. From takeoff in Montevideo to my final landing destination in Glasgow (including 9hrs connection waiting time between flights)!, it was going to be 23.5 hrs 😱

Montevideo to Madrid was a long flight – 11hrs and 50 mins. It is never easy nor comfortable in these bucket seats although I must say that instead of travelling back using British Airways the flight company was Iberian Airlines which was fab, modern, very attentive and professional staff.

The selection of media entertainment was amazing and I chose 1) A star Is born with Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga and 2) Bohemian Rhapsody with Rami Malek which passed almost four and a half hours and in the latter stages, after a wee nap listening to my playlist through my earphones, 3) a very informative documentary on climate change.

I hate eating on flights, you never move to get rid of the calories and I end up feeling bloated and stuffed. I eat it anyway because it’s something to do to pass the time then regret it!

The blinds were dropped at 3pm to get the passengers used to the time in the destination we were flying to which prolonged the journey. The chap next to me didn’t try to make conversation which suited me perfectly well.

Arriving in Madrid looking worse for wear I picked a random seat to wait out my 4 and a half hour wait for my flight to London Heathrow. I saw on the departures screen that there were three other flights going to Heathrow before mine and I did contemplate trying to change my flight but I couldn’t be bothered, I decided just to wait.

I am so exhausted, all I want to do is get home but I’ve just received an email from BA to say there is an industrial strike and my my flight might be cancelled 😱😱😱😩

I actually fell asleep on the chair waiting to board my plane and woke myself up snoring, how embarrassing, I tried to disguise it by coughing 🤣.

Well the the flight went ahead on time and I immediately fell asleep after fastening my seat belt and didn’t wake up for over an hour – not even for takeoff ✈️ so it was a fairly quick flight and I had just completed my penultimate flight. Just another 3 hr connection flight wait in Heathrow before my final destination flight to Glasgow 😍

I couldn’t bloody believe it. All I wanted was to take Rachel home some Pisco from Peru and I bought a beautiful Inca designed bottle in Uruguay, it was just perfect but when I got to Heathrow it was confiscated because the man in Duty free forgot to seal the bag. I pleaded with the security staff to let me keep it, even suggesting I decant the fluid and keep the bottle bit nope, they wouldn’t budge as threw it in the big plastic bin! Admittedly I sobbed right there in front of her because I was probably tired, emotionally and severely devastated that she would not budge in her decision.

I had had enough of airports, I was exhausted, it had been over 24hrs since I left my hotel. It was becoming painful trying keep my eyes open and I fell asleep while sitting waiting for the connection flight to Glasgow and woke myself up snoring – how embarrassing- I even tried to disguise it by pretending to be coughing which didn’t quite work 🤣

The approach into Glasgow was a beautiful sunset

But beneath the clouds it was raining, windy and cold – the complete opposite to where I had left behind.

This was the last of my fourteen flights of my incredible journey and the first time I can honestly say that I was excited to walk out into the sea of people waiting behind the arrival doors for I knew Rachel and Bill would be there waiting to welcome me home!

I had left Glasgow on 29th September 2019, it was now 7th December 2019, it’s amazing how quickly it all becomes a distant memory.

This chapter in my life is over 😢