Day 17 again!

I must quickly apologies for my spelling of abu dhabi! at bangkok now got to go time aboouut to  run out!

Day 17 From Abu Dabi airport

Here I am in Abu Dabi airport killing time until my flight to Bangkok.  The keyboard is strange so apologies for any typing mistakes.  Flight to here was ok just tired now as didnt get much sleep on plane and guess I need to stay awake now until I get to Dan! YAWN!! Food was quite nice but am just thursty now so off to find water and gate.  Sorry this will be a short post as I need to go sit by the gate to get on next plane, fingers crossed the tv works on the next one!  Thank goodness for iPods!

Day 16 leaving UK

Well I am in the car on the way to the airport! Sufficiently stressed about packing and convinced I have bought to many clothes but will just post them home if so or give them away when there! Amazingly the snow has all gone apart from the massive snowballs people have made. So no excuse for plane not to take off. I have my husky dog, st Christopher, and four leaf clover with me. Fingers crossed I have bogor everything I need it is very hard trying to pack for traveling/holiday time then conservation work too! Apparently you are supposed to be able to pack your bag in ten mins! Well hum we'll see!

Right well I am going to go for now and bud you all a farewell for now! Hope all are well and I shall be back on when I have access to the Internet which fingers crossed won't be to long!
Love to you all and take care! X

Day 15 Last day at home

Last day at home has finally arrived! Oh dear I am starting to panic a little!  However on the plus side my rucksack has been found by legand of a Mum!  Don't know what I would do with out her!  Also today I have booked on the a turtle conservation project on the island of Vanutu which is near Fiji.  Quite excited about it all and about seeing Dan in a couple of days (for me and tomorrow for him!)  I just need to make sure I don't forget anything important.  But I suppose I am not heading into the jungle or on to an island straight away so I can just buy anything I forget. 

I spent boxing day at my aunties and had an amazing meal with family.  We then competed in the annual family sports competition.  Pool, snooker, darts, cards, hoopla.  Young VS Olds and needless to say the youngs won! woohoo!  We did however have to make a quick exit as it began to snow so we had to dash off so as to not get snowed in! 

I realised the other day that I can wear braclets and rings and necklaces and a watch and don't have to remember to take it off to work or take nail varnish off!  I know this may seem strange to some people but some may understand. 

Right I need to sort out my iPod, memory cards and address book.  Oh one last thing before I go for today when I spoke to the travel agent today to book the turtle project, I asked about the airline I am flying with as i have not really heard of them before.  He said that they were pretty new only been around about 6-7 years and want to be the best airline so do all they can.  I have been on the website and taken a virtual tour of my seat and it looks nice and there is conection points for iPod, USB etc in each seat and the wine and dine you!  I did also look at the first class and oh if I won the lottery I would fly first class for at least one leg as it look amazing! flat bed seat, individual cabin, massager in the seat, 600 thread eygptian cotton sheets, duvet and full size pillows! Didn't look at prices didn't want to know as would be alot!!! Right people on that expensive note I must go for today and sort stuff out and get some sleep. 

I would like to just say rest in peace and god bless to a girl who went to my school who unfortnatly lost her very strong fight with leukemia.  Thoughts with her friends and family at this time of sadness. 

Day 13 Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to you all!! I hope you have all had a wonderful day where ever you are!  I have had a lovely day with family and a lovely 30min talk to Dan! Santa was very good to me, he gave me some summery clothes for my travels and other things to help with travels.  My little bro bought me a four leaf clover charm to give me luck while I am away and I must find my St Christopher to keep me safe also. Oh and find rucksack other wise anything I take will be hand Luggage!

Please let me take this opotunity to apologies for  my spelling, it's not my strong point! So sorry!

Anywho, my neighbour gave me a lovely little cushion for plane, train and automobile journeys! Hehe! I was only thinking the other day about the little black pillow I had when I was traveling years ago.  It was a small square black plush cushsion that had a little dog on it which I pulled off.  I got it in Singapore where there was stalls for various things, like coca - cola, samsung, nintendo, levis jeans.  We were at the nintendo stand and got some stickers and one of the boys (I forget which one at this moment) shouted that it was my birthday so i was given the cushsion as a present! It did come in handy on long coach journeys. 

Right party people I think as my eyes are getting heavy and I am tired that it may indeed be time for bed! Good night to you all! and Merry Christmas!!!!

Day 12 Christmas Eve!

Merry Christmas Eve to all!! I hope everyone is enjoying the day and not running round like headless chickens.  I however have been rushing round like said headless chicken! nothing wrapped, not finished buying this is so unlike me.  I think it is because there is so much going round in my head about going away and what needs packing and finding etc etc! But its christmas tomorrow and thats a day to not think about it all and to worry about it after christmas, even though I am flying 3 days after christmas! I have found a few things like my travel plug and camera diving case so you know the essentials! Sorry another short post but its late and I need to get to sleep so santa can come! hehe! Cos I have been a good girl this year! Night all hope christmas brings you all you want! xx

Day 11 Christmas Eve Eve!!

I can't beleive that it is actually christmas eve eve!  It has all come around a bit fast, this time next week I shall be in Thailand with Dan enjoying the sun and the beaches! I apologise to anyone who is reading daily (Susie!) as I fell asleep last night before writing on here.  I went to a pub quiz yesterday and we got 35/60! not to bad I guess.  I posted christmas presents yesterday too as I won't make it over to Hull and down to the hariyford(!) to deliver them myself, fingers crossed they get there.

I have visited my friend Jenny today and had a good catch up and played santa.  Still haven't wrapped any of the presents for my family and haven't hunted out my rucksack which maybe should be a priorty of tomorrow as I do at some point need to pack! starting to panic abit today and just have loads and loads of things going through my head about what i need to do and hoped to have done and finished by now.  For example a quilt for a friends baby, a cushion cover for a friend, a top Dan wants me to make him. aarrgghh!! I am asured by my Mum that it will all be ok and it will all be done.  Oh and bags Mum wanted me to sew for her and a doll she wants to make, see more things crop up every minute.

Tonight I shall be turning off the TV and listening to Stephen Fry reading Harry Potter as he has such a soothing voice that sends you to sleep.  In my opinion he should ready all books for audio CD's!

And on that note I shall do what I have said and am turning TV and computer off and go to sleep.
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas Eve!!!

Day 9 progress

More progress today boxes down to three!! And found a credit card that is free overseas woohoo so won't get got on charges! Put prescription in for malaria tablets too. Expensive all this infection prevention! Think so far with jabs and tablets we are nearly upto £250! But suppose in the long run that is cheaper then getting rabies or malaria hey?!

This is not to do with travels but really I am a big child and love Christmas so am very excited that the Christmas tree is up and decorated and when Mum finds the chocolates they will also go on! Hehe! I have introduced Mum to the amazing world of vacuum bags and we have condensed alot of bedding into one draw. Impressive I have to say makes me want to vacuum pack lots of things! But we need to buy more bags.

This is very geeky of me but I have to say I do love watching How it's made! Sorry very sad but useful at quizzes and when you just need a littke useless information to make to time pass quicker. Just learned how escalators, Kevlar canoes, goats cheese and disc music boxes are made. Right enough of my geek side and think I best get some sleep. Tomorrow I go in search of thai money and pick up tablets and am sure there is alot more! Oh and find rucksack!!

Day 8, A Day of Progress

Today I have made a decent amount of progress!! Woohoo finally!! Boxes are considrably reduced in number and size.  I also sorted out my flight from Bangkok to Phuket and that means I am sorted to get to Dan!! hehe!! Also sorted out insurance which helps and looked at differnet projects to take part in and tried to work out a plan for my time away.  A year is a long time but really no time at all! So many places I want to see!!

I did give my car a good run out today, my friend Susie and I attempted to meet up however due to the weather we decided it wasn't safe so we turned back.  Try again another day but i will have to post their presents tomorrow to be sure they get them before I go hopefully! I also discovered that trying to clean a freezing cold windscreen with a bottle of water is not the way to do it.  Can you guess what happened?! Yep a sheet of ice formed beautifully on my windscreen, but did mean I had to spend 20minutes trying to defrost it and as my windscreen wipers keep having off days when they only clear small parts. 

There are so many christmas cooking programmes on TV and it makes me want to bake and cook everything they do! I need a tv in the kitchen so can try and follow along with them. 

My apologies for the shortness of these posts but I don't want to bore people to much!

Day 6 sorting continues

Today has been bit slow on the sorting side as got up late and ran off to town with Dad to sort money stuff out. Also got distracted looking for camera! However have emptied two boxes and condensed a meduim one into a small one! So there are less boxes woohoo!!

Talked to Dan for maybe about two hours!! The wonders of the Internet!! He having a down day but did my best to cheer him up. Missing him lots!

Keep thinking of packing like I am going on holiday for two weeks or so. For those who know me or have ever been anywhere with me will know that in the seven years since I was last travelling I seem to have lost the travel light gene!! Aarrgghh!! What am I going to do! I keep repeating in my head one pair of trousers, two pairs of shorts, small stuff! Am sure will all work out and fit in!

I keep watching cooking programmes and I want to make stuff now all sorts of Christmas goodies and stuff! But first I must sort!

Day 5

Today has been only slightly productive got quotes on travel insurance most expensive £3000!!! how stupid!!

Went to Liverpool with Gareth to help him book his flight and get his visa so he is nearly sorted. spoke to the travel advisor about my plans and that the girl in Nottingham has made me worried about the costs of my trip as because I booked the flight myself I have apprently ruined the whole trip! What she hadnt told me was that it all had to be booked with her inorder to get the flights as student fare cos under 25.  Oh well at least the way have done it i am not tied to dates and can go with the flow. Agent also had some good information on good places in Aus to visit.  The coral reef between Perth and Broome is apparently a place to go and it has less visitors than the great barrier.  So will be less like diver soup! I just feel there is so much to see and do and not enough time to do it all!

I have found a picture of me diving in Eygpt and have it as a wall paper on my phone as a reminder of what I am planning for, along with a picture of Dan to remind me what he looks like!

In the sorting today have found a couple more booklets about volenteering abroard which hopfully will give me more flexibility because the two projects I was interested in clash.  It is therefore back the drawing board with the project side of my travels. I am also going to find my world map tomorrow as it may be easier to plan a route with the map in front of me.

Best get off to sleep as got alot to do tomorrow which may also include offering to clear the runway and defrost the plane so that I am not one of the unfortunate people delayed or cancelled because of the snow. May also call Canada to see how they cope with the snow in winter because we do need some help!

Day 4 (only just)

Its end of day 4 of year off and bit of down day today.  I dont feel like I'm getting anywhere fast! there are 2 bin bags for charity shop and one for the bin and I can only just get into my bed room now! Which has a double hight bed in as there are 2 matresses on it! I am trying to be ruthless and not get all sentemental about the things I am finding in my room and bags and boxes but it is difficult!

Jobs still need to do is to book flight to Dan from Bangkok and get travel insurance! I have sorted out the money I think, well half sorted. Fingers crossed the postman keeps coming and the snow stays away.

Sorry for short post today but it is midnight and I keep having to retype things I have spelt wrong and that I am sure is a sign I need sleep!!

Fingers crossed tomorrow will be a better day!

The big sort!

Day 2 and day 3 have been all about sorting things out! I seem to accumulated ALOT of stuff! There is a pile of clothes in the door of my room that needs climbing in order to enter! This will be bagged up and taken to a charity shop and some of it put on eBay. Today I have felt nervous about the coming year and feel like I want to zip though all the sorting like a tazmainian devil so I can get on to the arranging and booking of the year. Nipped into a travel agents today about travel insurance, annual policies say youust return to the uk between countries! Madness!! And the agent in questions longest policy was for 50days therefore my quote for a years continuous travel was ....... Are you ready?! £3574!!! That's rediculous!! I shall now be googling travel insurance and will let you know when I find a company who understand a years travel!
Right tonight I am off to my guides Christmas party! (any excuse to act like the child that I am and play party games!) I will be applying for an international letter that will enable mento visit guide groups around the world! And to collect badges for my camp blanket! Right I beat get ready for the party!! Woohoo!!!

Day 1 Leaving Nottingham

It's the end of my first offical day of my career break.  I have left Nottingham and returned to my parents house, which has been taken over by all my boxes! (sorry guys!) its just over 2 weeks until I fly and there is alot to do! for one get rid of some of the boxes so Mum and Dad can have their house back! For two find my rucksac and begin to pack! I will have daily list to make sure I dont miss anything but am sure as soon as I get on the plane I will remember something that will be on the side at home! It was sad to leave Nottingham knowing I won't be back for a year!

I have Bondi Rescue on in the background so I can picture being on the beach! 

The rough plan as it stands today is thailand for 2 weeks sun, fun, diving with Dan (Boyfriend) then on to Perth in Australia for a week fun with Sarah (she is it planned).  From there it will be around Aus then on the New Zealand, Fiji, Vanuatu, then round the to South America.  Sound good? well so far I have booked upto landing in Perth! Oh well fingers crossed the wind will blow me in a direction that means I can get the most out of this time and oppotunity! 

Right thats it for the first day I best get some sleep and get ready for the big sort that begins tomorrow!