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Back Walking on Sunshine Save as PDF
Chapters (46)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. By the same author
  4. Dedication
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. Three Months Later
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. Epilogue – Five Years Later
  44. Acknowledgements
  45. An extra note from me …
  46. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING

‘Yes!’ we all shout.

‘Then let’s go.’

I wave to my new friends as we head off in the same direction as the Sherpas and donkeys, although they’ve already sped off into the distance, used to taking on this walk.

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23

Vicky

I pull my phone out of my fleece pocket and check it again. No signal, just as it’s been for the last few hours. Scott warned us this would be the case so I snuck in a quick call with Nick and the kids as we started walking – they were about to head to the park for ice creams so all rather giddy, but now there’s no chance of phoning home and speaking to them. I take a deep breath to calm myself but I can’t break the unease that I feel. These visceral feelings have been deepening since I got here, the worry of the unknown, that maternal pull that seems so real it’s almost physical. A tug on my gut that tells me I’m not where I should be. I’ve only spent one night away from them both since Chloe was born, and that was for a friend’s wedding which was only an hour and a half up the M40. I would never have considered travelling so far away from them this time last year, and the reality of that distance is really hitting home now. What if something were to happen to one of them while I’m up in the mountains and unable to get to them or I didn’t find out until afterwards? What if something happens to me and I never get to go home to them?

I take a deep breath and concentrate on my feet as they walk one in front of the other, the repetitive action of my boots hitting the dusty ground giving a steady beat for me to concentrate on. I’m here now and have to make the most of the adventure. I have to park those worries until I have a reason to have them. I have to use my missing them as some sort of fuel to keep me going and see it as part of this challenge, otherwise what’s the point of even being here?

There’s been a tightness in my chest for most of the morning. I was worried it was because I have become incredibly unfit (running around after the family is the only working out I manage to fit in these days), but it turns out we’ve all been feeling it. We’ve travelled a long way already, and with that has come an increase in altitude, which affects the oxygen in the air. Our lungs are having to work harder. I find myself occasionally having to take a deep breath just to top myself up. I’ve never experienced anything like it before.