Saturday, January 29, 2005

The countdown is now on.....just 2 weeks to go!!
I had a nice day yesterday, I went to see Elaine (who was married to Dad). We haven't seen each other for ages so we had a lot to catch up on. I also met Katie, her 15 month old granddaughter for the first time...she is such a sweet little thing. Tania came around later on for dinner, it was good to see her, we had quite a nice talk about Dad amongst her wedding plans and other things!
Just went to Poole today and met a few of Mum's work colleagues at the pub, one of them is leaving to go travelling for 10 months too, so we had a chat about that. Might go and meet them again later this evening.

Thursday, January 27, 2005

I’m feeling really good today, Mum and I had a really productive day at the shops. I managed to pick up my travel tickets (all 11 of them!), I booked hotels and bus transfers for my stays in Singapore and Bangkok, £50 for 3 nights accommodation…not bad! (I’m actually staying at the hotel in Bangkok that my brother stayed in in 1997, I hope it’s not gone downhill since then). Then I hit the shops buying my rucksack and all the essential things I need for my travels, like a travel hairdryer…I know I’m useless!! But really I did get most of the things I will need, I spent an absolute fortune too, this is definitely not a cheap thing to do. I was chuffed cos I managed to pick up a really good rucksack in the sale, it seems a bit complicated to get all the strap settings right as there are so many of them, but I think once I’ve set it up it should be ok.
I got a bit homesick again today…on the way home we stopped off at Lidl and of course all the products are German…I gave Mum a few lessons though…she was really impressed! There were even some German students in the shop so I felt a bit like I’d never left Munich ;o)
So I have to go now and cross the things off my list that I bought today…and to watch Desperate Housewives….yes I’m getting addicted to the T.V. since I’ve been back!!

Just back quickly…I’ve been checking properly how much room there is in my rucksack…how on earth I’m going to fit everything in I don’t know…arrrgh!!

Wednesday, January 26, 2005

I'm absolutely shattered today. I've just got back from getting my India visa from the India High Commission in London. I had to get up at 2am to get the 3am coach as I was told it gets really really busy and people start queuing up really early....and now I'm glad I did, I got into London about 6am and by the time I'd had a cup of tea and found the place there were already about 50 people queuing outside and that was 1hr before it even opened! Anyway, in the end it took about 2 hours which wasn't too bad. I even managed to squeeze a couple of hours shopping in afterwards...well all I bought was a sun hat!! It was all I could do to stop myself buying all the lovely clothes, bags and shoes I saw. I really tested my willpower today and I'm quite proud of myself for resisting....I love the clothes shops here!!! I tried to look for a camping type shop to have a look at the rucksacks, but in the end I gave up cos I was so tired.
London is so different to Munich, it's really really busy and I didn't feel so safe there. The underground stations and trains are so old as well...it was funny cos I kept expecting the announcements to be in German. I'm finding it quite weird getting used to everyone speaking English all around me, I keep hearing it and thinking oh theres someone English...then I realise where I am!!! Also, it's a good job that there are signs on the pavement telling you which way to look first when you are crossing the road...otherwise I would probably have got run over a million times from looking the wrong way!!

Anyway, I've got the visa done now so that's one less thing to worry about. Mum has the day off tomorrow so we're going into town to pick up my tickets ;o)

Tuesday, January 25, 2005

I've just spent my first weekend in the UK since I've moved from Munich. I phoned Chris and Martina on Friday night as they were having their engagement party, I wanted to tell them that I'd bought my flight tickets. I was quite sad after cos I heard everyone in the background having a really good time, and it felt weird that I wasn't there with them :-(
I went to Bournemouth with Rob, his sister Sarah and brother Gary and a few others on Saturday night. I had a really nice time as I hadn't seen them for over a year. I must admit it was strange being in a bar in Bournemouth cos I hadn't been into town for ages...I don't really miss it as it's all a bit prententious....plus I even felt a bit old...now thats scary!! Anyway, we had fun and it was great to see them again. Sarah was in Australia for a year last year so she's going to give me some tips this week for my trip.
It still hasn't really sunk in yet that I'm going, I don't think it will hit me until I'm actually on the plane. I still have lots to do and I need to go shopping to get my rucksack etc. I am going to London tomorrow to get my visa for India, it means I have to get the coach at 5am tomorrow as I have to be there before it opens at 8.30....so it's going to be a long day.

Sunday, January 23, 2005

I'm really excited today...I finally bought my flight tickets yesterday ;o) I've still got butterflies now!! I was in the travel agents for about 2 hours and when I came out I was walking round the shops grinning like a fool. It's quite hard to believe that I've actually done it, how things are happening so quickly is very scary.
I'm leaving UK on 11th Feb... here are my destinations (just to make you jealous!!)
First stop is Singapore for one night, I think I'll treat myself to a posh hotel as they're pretty cheap there! Then I'm flying to Bangalore, India to stay with Gavin. After approx a week there I will get the train to Chennai (Madras) where I'm hoping to stay with a friends' sister for a few days. From there I'll fly to Bangkok and hopefully meet up with Ric and Nats. I have 3 weeks travelling around Thailand and then I fly off 'down under' to Sydney for approx 10 months. I have some family living there and they said I can stay with them for a little while. I will try and get some work more or less straight away, save up a bit more money then I will travel up the East coast for a while. Hopefully Mum will come over for Christmas and then we'll fly to New Zealand together to visit some more family that live there. After 3 weeks there I'm going to Fiji (I just had to go there!!) then I'm flying to LA to hopefully visit my Grandad who lives there....and then travelling to San Francisco for a few days from where I'll fly back to London.
I hope you're all suitably jealous now ;o)
ok, I'm off now to find out more info on my destinations!!

Thursday, January 20, 2005

Had a really busy day again yesterday, was on the internet all day sorting out my bits and pieces. It looks like I’m going to have to go to London to get my India visa, which is a real pain, I'll probably do that next week.

I went out last night to meet the girls down the pub…was great to see them again. Sarah and Lisa were telling me about their wedding plans, and Mar and Claire are going to Thailand in 5 weeks, so we were talking about hopefully meeting up in Bangkok.

Off to the cinema tonight with Mum.

Wednesday, January 19, 2005

Mum took the day off today, so we spent the whole day unpacking my stuff and getting all the boxes in the attic. She had a bit of a panic when I arrived and she saw all the boxes!! It was quite a big job, but most of it’s done now so I can carry on with all my travel arrangements.
I got my Australian visa approved last week, I applied for it on Wednesday and I had an answer the next day…didn’t expect it to be that quick and I didn’t even have to prove my financial status…probably a good job! I’m actually having a panic at the moment as I haven’t yet sorted out my visa for India, it’s supposed to take at least 15 days by post, or another option is to travel up to London to get it done (which I don’t really fancy), but as I want to leave the UK in 3-4 weeks it may be the best way….don’t want to be losing my passport in the post at this stage!!
I can’t believe how much stuff I still have to sort out…even though I haven’t worked for the last 3 weeks, I haven’t really relaxed once. Also there are so many people I want to catch up with at home before I go…there’s just not enough hours in the day!!

Tuesday, January 18, 2005

So I arrived back in rainy old England on Sunday night after 16.5 hours on the road in a van coming from Munich. What a long and tiring day! Thanks to Simon and Mark for helping me get all my stuff back to Mum’s, I don’t know what I’d have done without them. I think they had a good (but short) time in Munich, we all got to hear some schooldays gossip about my brother Chris which is always amusing!
I had a fantastic last couple of weeks in Munich…loads of leaving parties and meals with all my friends. I’m so sad to leave everyone behind, especially Chris (I could never have managed without him!!) It was a really difficult decision…but I must get on with this new part of my life now!!