I was invited to attend HarperCollins in London last week for HarperImpulse's 1 Year celebration. Being a country mouse, I was grateful to team up with a friend and fellow colleague, Georgia Hill, and we headed off together.
We met at Hereford station and took the train to Birmingham, where we changed for a train to Euston and I was immediately corrupted by the production of two little bottles of bubbly. Blame her! By one o'clock, having failed to eat any breakfast, I could no longer feel my face, but by two o'clock, I was sober again, and we took a taxi through the city.
So there we were, with a sea of faces looking at us, and it was lovely. It was great to finally meet everyone you spend so much time interacting with on the internet, putting a real face, and a voice, to the names.
After a little Q&A we adjourned downstairs to head off to the pub. (Should I mention that by now, the tuna sandwich I had brought with me on the train, that had been rejected because it smelled so bad, was still languishing in my bag, pungent and uneaten?) So I decided, having only had a few biscuits and one cupcake all day, not to partake of any more alcohol.
We changed at Birmingham for Hereford and fresh air revived me. The last train was open and cool and by the time we arrived back home, I was human again.
And now I am back to the rolling green fields and views of the countryside. It was great to be there; to feel part of the team; to see yourself as something other than wife and mother for a while, but it's also good to be home.