A short stop in Dubai sees the last of the budget money spend on a couple of muffins. Dubai airport seems very posh after a month in Africa, very busy and full of smart well dressed people. More waiting, picking up the complementary (English!) papers as I get on the plane I'm reminded that my A level results came out yesterday.. a fair amount of discussion goes on between everyone with results out, especially Gareth, Jenna, and myself who have the A2 (finally year) results not just AS (first year).. this dies down as people start to doze around us, I get very little sleep what with the excitement of going home and the nervous energy for the results. We arrive at London Gatwick late, at around 8 and its half past by the time we get off the plane. It feels strange to be back home. Like the first few days in Africa I was much aware of the relative numbers of racial groups. Though passport control relatively quickly. We claim all the stuff from baggage split up the batik's that had been packed together, and pass through customs with hardly an official in sight. People are reunited with family who have come to greet them. Much excited banter. Hand over the group kit to the WCE person, collect the certificate (for Kilimanjaro). I get a lift home with Gareth and Simon (who spends part of the journey shouting down the phone to his parents who were meant to be picking him up (they were a little late or at the wrong terminal or some such thing) Gareth's Dad spends most of the journey teasing him with what his results are, as it turns out he's got into uni. Get home, to find results not as good as I had hoped but not disappointing, as yet no word from Swansea (my first choice) but my second choice (Heriot Watt in Edinburgh changed their offer to unconditional so I was happy to know I wasn't going though clearing). The clothes get washed, I finally get to have a bath (the first in what is now just over a month).
Spend the rest of the day telling stories that only make sense to me and others who were there at the time, talking to friends I haven't been in contact with for ages, and answering the flood of email that had built up
I hear from Swansea a day later, they accept me! The ideal end to an amazing summer!