More than This.
The year was coming to an end; it was getting warmer and warmer every day and with each warm day we found ourselves on the warm sand by the North beach of our city. Classes were over and we had officially finished our first course in university, we had the whole Christmas holidays to ourselves before we had to settle down in the New Year to figure our lives out. I would have been stressed if I had thought too much about job prospects or even living situations, but the warm sun on my back made it impossible to think further then now.
Rose was at my side, my best friend since year eight, we were an A-team, a dream team. I was spontaneous and very often reckless, while she was more careful and planned things, it was how we worked but somehow we managed to fit together well. She rolled over onto her stomach and brushed her long red hair off her back.
"I can't believe how warm it is today, If I wasn't so tired I'd be complaining"
I nodded in my dreamy state, my mind a million miles from here. The thought of months back at home was something I had been looking forward too, but knew that it would be an isolated holiday away from friends and I had always promised myself to travel overseas after finishing University. I rolled onto my back and rested on my elbows, blinking to adjust my eyes to the bright sun that blasted onto the sand.
"Remember all those times I said that I was going to travel overseas?" I reminded
She groaned a yes to me "I'm sick of saying things and never doing it…I don't want to be that person. I want to stick to my word this time" She sat upon her elbows; it must have been the seriousness in my voice that caught her attention.
"You know what? I actually had a feeling you were going to say something about that…"
We laughed at each other but the thought was still nagging at the back of my brain.
"Why don't we though…."
"Why don't we what?"
"Let's go overseas together…we both have money saved up"
Rose frowned but then her face burst into a big grin, there was something mischievous about it. I couldn't help but smile back, the excitement was built up in my stomach already.
"Where will we go? We always said America…" She traced patterns in the sand as we talked
"I know…but you've been there and I can't help but feel that Europe is calling us" I laughed "Plus we can stay with your sister for a little bit and I have some family there…it will save us a tonne of money"
_'s sister was living in London and had been for nearly two years. It was an easy accommodation, and I know that they had been missing each other since she left. There was a silence between us, a thoughtful one where you forget to speak because your mind wanders thinking over the conversation, the waves crashed behind us a few times before we knocked ourselves out of it.
"Alright…I'm in if you are" Rose said, She had thought this one through quicker than any other plan before.
"Really?" I said, my face almost ripping from smiling so much "I mean…really, really?"
She nodded and beamed at me "We'll go to a travel agent this afternoon find a good deal and pick a date" My stomach started crawling I was so excited.
"I can't believe we are actually going to England!" I said loudly flipping myself over and sitting up.
Rose sat up next to me and we watched the beach thoughtfully.
Within the week we had set a date, booked the tickets, organised travel from the airport and even a place to stay with Rose's sister and started packing. We had decided sooner rather than later so we didn't back out. It was now the night before and my parents were still uncertain but I had been working solidly for two years saving up for something I wasn't even sure of and it had a purpose. My mum was chatting on the phone to me, making sure I had been packing everything I needed.
"You have to ring your uncle and find out where his family is…you can stay with them for a while I'm sure"
"yeah mum, don't worry about it. I'll make sure I ring later or something. Should I pack my swimmers? I mean its England….and its winter… but hot tubs are popular there right?"
"Darling just make sure you pack a good jacket, you know how easily you get sick"
I rolled my eyes, trust mum to think of that, my mind was more focussed on making room for duty free Jack Daniels and Vodka.
"I gotta go mum; I'll ring you tomorrow before we go to the airport okay?"
We said goodbyes and I hung up throwing my phone onto the bed. My suitcase was almost packed, I was definitely more of a 'just in case' packer, and after three re-packs I had sorted my clothes down to the bare necessities. Rose knocked on my door lightly; she had been packing in her room next door.
"Loti" My full name was Charlotte, but I'd somehow managed to shorten it through the years. Rose held up two floral skirts "I know I can't take both…so which one?"
I pointed to the right, it was always a favourite of mine, high wasted and flattering in all the right places. She sat down at my desk and looked at my clothes "I think I may have over packed" She said checking my suitcase.
"I had to weed out so much just so I can fit in some duty free things"
"Well we leave tomorrow so make sure you're up early" She was always on top of her plans, I bet she had everything written down in a little journal too "And please don't forget your passport" She said standing up and making her way to the doorI held it up and sarcastically waved it at her back and chucked it into my carryon bag.
"Oh man Imagine if we met someone famous" I called out to her in the next room
"It better be someone good!" She called back to me.
That night I couldn't sleep, at all. My heart was beating at the thought of flying over tomorrow, I had only been on a plane once in my life and it wasn't anything major, just to Brisbane, an hour flight from Sydney. Rose on the other hand was quite experienced, and I know that she would be good company for a long flight like this. My mind drifted but never fully to sleep or so I thought until there was a loud banging on my door and my name being yelled across the house.
"WAKE UP WE HAVE TO LEAVE, YOU OVER SLEPT. DID YOU EVEN SET AN ALARM? C'MON WE WILL BE LATE!"
I shot up in my bed and checked the clock, it was 5am. Our plane wasn't until 11am and it was only a short trip to the airport. I managed to get myself out of bed and dressed before Rose came by and punched me or something. My heart was nearly leaping out of my throat.
This was really happening….I was really going to get there….I looked into the mirror and smiled at my very tired self, England here we come!