Off to England

Brought forward for the Vintage Photos Theme Park theme of: LEAVE-TAKING
Deliriously happy.
First, we're ditching our parents for three weeks of freedom. Second, we're returning to England.
We'd been gone almost eight years.
It was 1972. Ruth and I had saved our money (mostly babysitting) and bought cheap student plane tickets and a BritRail Pass. We're seniors in High School but I was at a hippie school where I was told to "check out the women's movement in England" Ruth went to a regular school - I forget what she was supposed to do to "justify" 3 weeks off.
Our parents - not really the kind to worry (we're seventeen with no idea what we'll do for three weeks when we get over there except for a few nights at relatives) - sent us off in high spirits - lots of jokes and cracking each other up - general hilarity at the depot.
In contrast, the American girl that went with us was saying an emotional goodbye to her mom who was also teary and worried.
The really funny thing about this was that their reaction was so foreign to us I can remember saying in disbelief "Wait, you're not crying are you?" - not to be mean but astounded!