Going away with strangers can be a risky business. Especially in London where merely making eye contact, can unleash a world of awkwardness.
I’d signed the girls and myself up for KingsGate’s weekend Getaway to the Oast Houses in Kent, and I was dubious of a weekend spent in the company of strangers. But nothing ventured, nothing gained. I told the girls to brace themselves for an awfully big adventure.
We found a sandy beach and a medieval castle complete with a moat and archery lessons. We found a beautiful retreat in the heart of England’s greenest countryside and next door to the sauna, a heated swimming pool!
We found trestle tables laden with food and sitting alongside us, people from all walks of life: a pianist sat to my left, a social worker to my right, a single mum sat opposite and an athlete passed me the salt. A teenager poured my daughter a glass of water, while next to her, a father fed his three year old while sharing anecdotes with a teacher.
We talked and laughed and played and swam and explored and laughed some more.
We sipped wine in a walled garden as the sun set. We found horses and wild rabbits; we found fields of buttercups and dappled tunnels of trees. We found so much that weekend. We found friends. We found family. What we didn’t find, was a stranger. Not even one.
Thanks KingsGate for loving us so well!
If anyone is on the fence about high-tailing it off to the beautiful Oast Houses, can I encourage you to take a wild leap off the proverbial fence and give the Getaway a go. I can absolutely guarantee you won’t be disappointed. I just wish we did these weekends away more than once a year. Already my girls are begging to sign up for the next one. Do it.
After all, as someone once said: strangers are only friends you’ve yet to meet…