I asked some friends if they'd ever run away from home as kids, curious to know what they all packed away seeing as I had never been interested in running away. Here's what they said.
Anna - Even though I had a lush childhood, I actually used to fantasise about running away, kind of like an adventure. I had planned out which tree I was going to live in (it was really high up, I don't know how I thought I would get up there). I think I once packed a little rucksack with a rug, some fruit and a jumper. I got on my bike but I never made it to the tree. Probably got hungry. Anna -
Sian W - The thought never entered my head sorry. I had quite chilled parents.
Charlotte - I wrote a detailed plan about how I was going to stand on my red early learning table and take the bolt off the front door at midnight. I packed my mickey mouse bag with white ted and er, nothing else. Seeing as I'd written out my intentions quite clearly in crayon my plan was duly foiled. On other occasions I rode around the block on my bike for an hour only to find no-one had noticed I had gone, those times I took satsumas.
Hollie - I did used to make some pretty awesome tree dens though which I would drag all my barbies too. I'm pretty sure that if I did run away I would have taken multiple barbies and my rabbit Blinky Pinky-they were the only ones who understood me.
Maud - I used to run away down our lane and plan to go and sit in an old abandoned shepards hut that was by the road about ten minutes walk away. But I was so terrified to go in I used to walk back to my house after about 5 minutes, sit behind the big hedge so no one could see me. Mum would later shout that supper was ready and I would proudly walk up the garden back to the house pretending I had run away for about 4 hours. It was always met with indifference as it happened so often! All I would take was my teddy and a book. I did run away properly once as I disagreed about moving to Oxford so when we first moved there I got on my bike with food, books and money (about a £1) and cycled to the train station. I then realised this was stupid and cycled back home. My parents thought I had been in my room the whole time!
Danielle - Yeah I did. I believe I tried the stick & handkerchief thing first and another time I had one of my 'handbags' (old handbags that female relatives had chucked out/given me to play with). Don't remember what I packed. Probably a handful of toys, books and pencils/paper ... maybe even some food from our garden (we grew fruit and veg). I really can't recall exactly. I think I also packed up but did not actually leave ... or maybe I left once but hid in the laneway next to our place. I know I used to think about running away all the time though. My parents (mostly Mum) were very strict and we generally weren't allowed out of our yard (which was fenced and the gate had a bolt on it) which meant even playing with the neighbourhood kids required 'escaping' (I jumped over the fence into the backyards of neighbours a couple of times and got into big trouble when I got caught. I did not take a bag any of those times :P).
Aiden - I never even thought about it, sorry!
Kerstin - I tried to run away twice actually. When I was about 5 or 6 I packed my bag and took my favourite toys (Barbie!), a bag of "Gummibärchen", tissues, my little notebook and some pens with me. I only made it as far as to our garage which is actually right next to our house. I hid behind some flowers next to the garage door. I remember that I was too scared to really leave the home zone... Mum told me about the other details several times... LOL.
The second time I was a bit older and I didn't take anything with me. Mum found me at the school yard (which is 2 minute walk from home). I guess I just needed a break from it all.
Louise - Yes I ran away once, I think I was 4 and I had thoughts about living in the big bush just at the end of the road. I didn't get further than 15 metres away from my house. If I remember rightly I think my great plan was that a family doing the school run might take pitty on me and take me in! In my bag I packed my favourite toys and that was it. I didn't think about food but I remember thinking I should of packed a blanket to sit on.
I think I fell asleep in the bush for about an hour and then went home. I don't even think my mum new i'd ran away.
Paul - I was well behaved child I am afraid. Mom's cooking was just too good.
Sian H - Yes I did used to run away from home, but I'd never go that far, I'd mostly go and hide in the big bushes at Western and I doubt my mum noticed most of the time. When you're a child, you probably think you're gone for ages, but in reality you won't be gone for that long at all! I was never organised enough to take food or anything with me. I'd always just take really random bits. I remember once taking my hippy crystal collection!
I used to take little toys and probably a book or two with me - whatever the latest plaything was for me! I didn't have a backpack, I would have probably taken a carrier bag or schoolbag (so budget.)
