28 Days Later...

As of today, I have exactly four weeks left in the United Kingdom. Scary much?

A lot, a lot a lot, has happened since I last blogged. I'm a fiend for leaving it so long.


Firstly, my passport came through! And I'm happy to report the new photo is at least six times better than the old one. Huzzah! I can definitely live with this new photo for ten years. Which, you know, is a good thing, cause I have no choice in the matter.Whatever happens to me in the next ten years; that photograph shall accompany me through it all. Like a ghost, or a poltergeist ... except I'd be haunting myself? Would that be breaking the fourth wall? I don't know any more. Pinkie Pie.


Once I got my passport through, it was time to start thinking Visa. I already knew I was going to get a working holiday visa, because I need to be able to support myself financially whilst I'm out there. OF course I'm taking a substantial amount with me, but I'd also get rather bored (six months, remember) just being a tourist for half a year. Being the eager-beaver that I am, I didn't pause to consider which website would offer the best deal for a visa. Stupidly, I googled 'working holiday visa australia', and clicked on the very first one that came up.
The keenness cost me an extra 90GBP. I didn't go via the Australian Government House, or Embassy, or whatever official Australian place there is in the UK. I went via the Visa Bureau, a private company. And because they are private, they cost more. About 90GBP more. Boo hiss... 


Well, I only have myself to blame. I shall learn from this mistake and shop around for things in the future. But I mean honestly, how was I supposed to know you could shop around for Visas? I'm only 18 for Heaven's sake...


Right, so eventually I phoned the real Australian Embassy, and they confirmed that the Visa has been added onto my passport. Huzzah again! My parents had been worried that I'd been conned out of 270GBP (sorry to have to write GBP all the time, but my laptop doesn't actually have a 'pounds' sign. Stupid, eh? It's got a dollar one ~.~), but I haven't. Good news :)

So, by this point in November I have only just been paid. I have to move money from my savings account to my bank account to have enough for the flight, which I was quoted at around 1250GBP. To do that, I need to fill out a form. To do that, I need to get the form.And to do that... TO THE POST OFFICE! 
So I filled this form out, took it back and it takes quite a while to come back. Like, two weeks. And due to working/not having enough time/wanting to book it when Bestie was there, I wasn't able to book my flight until this past Friday, the 9th of December. Three weeks after I was quoted.
In that three weeks, the price had risen by 113GBP. I'm not even joking. My flight to Oz cost me 1363GBP, which does include all my taxes. I just can't believe that it went up so much. Oh, and I got ten pound off for booking it through the Co-Op cause I'm a staff member. Boo yah!
At first, the travel guy's computer was down, so he phoned his company and did it on the phone, which took about fifteen minutes alone. He then quoted me 1480GBP or something, and I was like Woah, woah, what's going on here?! That flight was with Singapore Airlines, and according to this guy, was the cheapest one he had. That didn't sit right with me, as on every flight website I'd been on, and every travel agents I'd been in, Malaysian Air had been the cheapest. So, naturally, I objected. Said 'What about Malaysian?' and five minutes later the guy told me that particular company didn't do Malaysian Air flights.
Well, that utter tosh, as I went into that very same branch of the Co-Op Travel three weeks prior and was quoted the 1250GBP with them, with Malaysian Air. And so, I told him that was rubbish, and how could they quote me Malaysian previously if they don't deal with them?
The guy then said that maybe it was with their other company that they deal with. So, he phoned them too. Went through the same details, and ten-fifteen minutes later come up with the figure of 1373GBP. It was more than I had wanted to pay, but I had to book the flight that day, and at least I got ten pound off... :P


Oh, and all the while I was nervously fidgeting in my chair about all this money I hadn't expected on spending, Bestie was going through holiday books for Italy.We're planning another holiday when I haven't even started my great big six-months-backpackers-adventure yet. Go figure.


So, I've been buying lots of clothes and stuff. Mainly tank tops and essential underclothes, and I also bought a pair of high-waisted denim hot pants. Ohh yes ;) I was feeling brave at the time... Not sure how I'm feeling now though! 
I also wasn't tremendously sure of what shoes to wear out there... I mean, I'll be in shorts practically all the time, I should imagine, so I needed something that will look good but still be comfortable and support my ankles and whatnot. I eventually got these little babies, and oh my stars aren't they brilliant?! I'm wearing them constantly! (Even to work today, but shhh!) My excuse is that I'm 'breaking them in'. Mm, yeah. Pretty sure they're broken in by now... but I love them, so my parents don't need to know that just yet.
Oh, and I bought the cutest jumper ever. Literally, it's so cute. It sort of looks like this one, but it's a dark navy blue, and there's no knot at the front. I don't understand why it's not on TopShop's website, considering that's where I bought it from, but there you go... Anyways, I love it, and it's not too thick, so I could definitely use it in Oz. I'm 'breaking that in' too.

In addition to a very large rucksack (which has a special function in that it arches inwards to stop me from getting a perspiratory back) which I'll be carting all over the continent, I have also bought a suitcase. This is to put my rucksack in, as I don't want to risk my stuff getting damaged with the baggage handlers chucking it around on the aeroplane's cargo hold. If it's in that suitcase it'll be tonnes more durable. I don't intend on lugging a suitcase around Oz though, so hopefully I'll be able to leave that in a garage or something at my friend's house.


Other than that, all I have to do now is get travel insurance, which is around 100GBP. I'll be doing that sometime this week, I should think. It's starting to sink in how close I am to going... I think I have ten shifts left at work - I had to hand in my letter of resignation at the beginning of the month. We're all gonna go to the pub the day before New Years Eve to say goodbye to those of us who are leaving - there is me and two others moving on.


Oz stuff aside, since I last blogged my life has been full of work, Christmas shopping, my grandparents and seeing Bestie. I guess me hammering on about 'We should spend lots of time now because I won't be here for half a year' to her is paying off because I suddenly feel quite popular with her! We're headed to London next Friday, and the only thing I'm not looking forward to is contending with the Christmas crowds. But we're going to a famous toy store (Hamleys? Harrods? It begins with an H) so I am absolutely not complaining. We were meant to be going to an art exhibition but Bestie's decided she doesn't want to go anymore. I am suspicious that's because of what happened last time we went to an art gallery in London, but she said it wasn't. That doesn't stop me from being suspicious though!


Something exciting is also happening next Tuesday, but I'm not allowed to say what. I'm not sure who of my friends reads this and I don't want to give anything away. It's gonna be great though :D


What else happened? Dad invited me to get a coffee with him in town during his lunch hour... I've taken Nan into town shopping once or twice, stealed round to her house more than once for lunch... Been keeping up to date with my Ponies, thoroughly enjoying that at the moment... Oh, and I don't know if I mentioned it, but Bestie invited me to a New Years masquerade ball! How extremely lush is that?! Mega excited. I can't afford to buy a totally new dress, so I'm going to wear the one I had for my high school prom (hopefully it still fits, I'll have to try it on again soon) and buy a mask for it. So so excited :) I've never really been to a proper New Years party before so this seems like the best way to have your first one :D


Oh, and it's my sister's 21st birthday soon and she's having a fancy dress party at a pool/snooker bar/club/thing in town which I have to dress up for. I will get back to you on that and let you know how things turn out. *Still needs to find an appropriate costume*


Well, I can't think of anything else at the moment. If it crops up I'll pop it in my next blog :) Adios, people!