Visas are in

Scott and I put our visa applications in today. We ran around getting money orders and last minute (ahem) passport photos at lunch time. But we got it all sorted, and the travel agent has a monitoring service so that we can check up on the state of the visa application. Fingers crossed hey?

Also paid some more money off the Contiki tour. Still a fair way to go yet, but we've got 6 weeks or so to pay that off. (It sounds way to close when I say it like that!!)

Stupid Work

I spoke to the boss at work today. I had made enquiries about taking a leave of absence from work while Scott and I are overseas. It came back from HR with a no. I have been with the company 8 years, and they give me this? So speaking to the boss, he basically said I have two options. Resign, or apply for 6 months leave, and if I like it too much when I am over there, then resign from Europe. Well, I don't like either option, quite frankly, as they both involve resigning. And I can't, not yet.

So I am going to go to casual status, rather than permanent part-time, as they won't give me any hours anyway, as I am way too expensive as a casual.

So there you have it, you give 8 years of loyal service to one company, and they give you the proverbial finger.

Some Systems Go

We have the ticket paid for, as well as the 6 months insurance. There are still major purchases to be made, but I guess the most important one (the flight away from home) is done. We fly out of Brisbane on the 27th October 2004 on a one way ticket. This does not mean that we are not coming back, it just may be a while, that's all. :-)

I still need to find a backpack. this is stressing me a little, but I still have three months to find one. Scott has his, so we're not even, just yet!

Visa application goes in this week. We spoke to a representative of the British consulate on Monday night at the YHA info evening, who told us that the working visa can be post-dated three months. So i can apply for it now, and they will date the visa from the day beofre we enter the country. Scott is lucky enough to be going on an Ancestry Visa. Lucky thing, as it's valid for four years, not two!

Just because I can

I really don't have all that much to say. I have nothing to report, apart from

IT'S 101 DAYS UNTIL WE LEAVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:-)

Well, Scott and I have basically booked the major things for our trip. Flights? Check. Tour? Check. Insurance? Check.

What we still have to do: Pay everything off! Book accommodation for when we arrive in London. And some other stuff too. But I am happy, as I was a little stressed out about the tour and not getting a place on it! But it's all worked out just fine. Yay!

Not much really

I am online, so I thought I would write something in this here journal thingy.

Scott and I headed along to the STA travel information night at the Hilton. It was smaller than I thought it would be, but useful nonetheless. We spoke to a chick from Contiki who answered our questions. And I decided which travel alarm clock I want to buy - yes, a big decision was made tonight! It's funky and it has a thermometer! Yay!

Plans for this week:

Go to YHA travel and join YHA and book Contiki tour!

Worried...

In the lead up to the trip, I am starting to get a little stressed out about stuff. Like:

What if I am rejected for a visa?

What if there are no places left on the Contiki tour we want to go on?

What if we can't get accommodation in London?

What if we don't get jobs over there?

Arrrrrrgggghh!!!

STRESS!!!!!!!

The Story So Far.....

It's been a while since I have updated, so I thought I would update whoever reads this as to what I have been doing. I feel that I should be writing only stuff in this journal that is relevant to our trip, but I guess most things in my life are at the moment.

So far, it feels as though I have looked at every backpack in Brisbane. I am sure that's not the case, but nothing feels 100%. I sometimes feel that I am being too fussy, then I think that I will have to lug this thing around with me for the next year, so I have to be happy with it!

On the upside, I have found a pair of boots. Not quite what I had thought I would be buying, but I think they are awesome boots, and they are sooooo comfy! They'd better be for the $ I spent on them! But they are worth it. Scott bought his boots today too, from the same place I bought mine. It feels more like we are going now. We bought the boots together, so it feels a bit more like OUR trip.

The ticket is booked, and we are paying it off. There are plenty of things we still have to do, but it's all acheiveable. It doesn't seem quite as daunting now though.

=)