I can't remember what happened Monday 19th to Wednesday 21st, so I'll just start with the 22nd, my sister's official birthday! She turned the big 21, and is now officially Very Old.
Dad was at work, so she only opened the presents from me and family friends. I got her the Lion King on dvd (big win for me there!), a nice fancy bracelet and something else that I can't remember, but being me, it was probably very nice :)
I had traded shifts with another girl at the garage, so I worked the afternoon. This meant that I had the evening free to chill before we all headed out to some pubs in a neighbouring town to celebrate my sister's birth and watch her play Pool, which she's very good at. She plays for around three pubs, and even plays for the county :) I even learned how to use a jukebox there :') It was a sweet moment in my life. Not sure what her Pool friends thought of it (It was stuff like 3oh!3 ft Katy Perry, Anastasia, H 'two' O...) but I was quite happily dancing in my chair. Then one of her Pool friends talked to me about Australia, because he'd been when he was 37. I don't know how old he is now, but he sure doesn't look any older than 25! He was very nice... *ahem*
He was able to talk to me about hostels, and recommended one called Noah's, in Sydney, which he says is his favourite place to go and he made it his 'base' whilst he was out there. He also told me that I really did want to find someone to 'buddy up' with, as being a girl and all, things might be less intimidating if I had someone to share it with.
Being a typical girl, I think he was implying more that I wouldn't be able to handle myself out there. I suppose I would get lonely, and I was already going to try and find a fellow traveller to stick with, so it really was my idea all along. Yes.
Friday was the day that I met up with all my old college friends for bowling and pizza :) (Yes, it was decided that Pizza Hut was more favourable than Nandos, thankfully). Bestie, Maddy, Beth and I were going to meet up for a bit beforehand and exchange presents with each other, which was lovely :) We met at Starbucks and had a nice mocha, and then gave gifts. I got a fab Build-a-Bear from Bestie, named Merlin (fancy that), in the shape of a fennec fox. He even came complete with a santa hat :) very very cute.
From Maddy, I got a lovely necklace and some Southampton Uni fudge, which I haven't eaten yet but am very much looking forward to. From Beth, I got a Rapunzel mug with moving hearts and glitter in it :D Also, some Rapunzel sticklers :') My friends know me so well. I was very lucky with what I got, and very thankful too.
We stayed till around two, then nipped to McDonalds for some munchies, and then to a garden centre where I picked up some last minute Christmas presents for my grandparents. We met the rest of the crew at the bowling place, and had a fab two games of sheer bowling skill. I have undiscovered semi-raw talent when it comes to bowling, it would seem. I got three strikes in my first game and beat all the guys on my team by a hell of a lot of points. It was goooood. In the second game I came second from last, but we won't dwell on that.
After that we had some time to kill before our table was ready at Pizza Hut, so the guys went and played pool to try and look manly (they all failed spectacularly), and I decided to have a go on the DDR machine nearby. It was good fun, but I expelled a lot of energy on that thing, especially after Mal challenged me to another round after I'd finished. I had such a stitch afterwards it was unreal.
We then went to Pizza Hut in two cars (there wasn't enough room for everyone so Alex ran to it), and had a lovely pizza meal. Lots of photos were taken, some of which will go in my purse to Oz with me, and it was a really nice day.
The day after that was Christmas Eve and I just worked. The fun began the day after, as you can imagine ;) some people text me and woke me up at around eight, which was annoying, but I got up anyways and at around nine we started opening presents. I got stuff for Oz, such as pyjamas, travel scales, a torch, wash bags and shower essentials. I got other stuffs too, like dvds, $70 for my trip, a calender, Pony gear (including a dvd, a Pinkie Pie, and a tiny table and chairs set meant for three year olds...). All in all, it was a very good day, and again I was very lucky.
My grandparents came over at lunchtime, and stayed for a fab roast dinner that my mum made. We spent the evening playing board games and having chats, and didn't turn the TV on for the entire day, which was such a lovely change. They left at nine, and that was when I started my new book I got from them. 500 pages later, at two am, it was finished :) I enjoyed it very much.
Boxing day our cousins came down for a buffet lunch thing, and didn't leave till late. After lunch I was on the computer looking at netbook prices, and then I spent the evening watching Ponies, and reading Ponies, and drawing Ponies... :) I like Ponies :D
Tuesday, the washing machine died. Goodbye, my lovely washing machine. You have served us well... so, mum, dad and I went and had a look at places around town which sell them. Whilst they looked at washers, I went and mooched around the netbook section. I found a very swish one that I really liked, which had ten hours battery life, 320GB hard-drive, webcam, and good looks to boot. Was this fate? Obviously not, as I left the store without it.
The next day, mum and dad had made a decision about which machine to buy, we went back into town, and then they changed their minds. I'd gone up in my car, and they went up in theirs. They bought one in a little shop in town, and I'd gone to a retail park outside town to meet them there. Well, mum dropped dad off after they bought this new machine, and then we decided that, yes. It was fate. I bought that fabulous little netbook, and that is what I'm typing this blog on right now! :D It's a great little thing. I love it so much, and it's how I'll be keeping you lot updated when I'm in Oz. I also got a sleeve/cover thing for it, with (of course) the union jack on it.
Dad and I then went into town to buy mum some birthday presents, as her birthday is one the second of January. It's an expensive time of year for me, with dad's birthday in November, my sister's in December, then Christmas, and then my mum's birthday. But then again, as someone pointed out to me, the rest of the year is very cheap for me!
Thursday, Bestie came over pretty early. She was meant to come to my sister's night at the pub, but was ill so couldn't make it, so this was to make up for that. We chatted for ages, catching up and having a laugh. Eventually, we started painting my suitcase :) It was just a grey thing, and now half of it is painted with Oz-filled things by Bestie, such as Uluru, the Australian flag and a hot air balloon with OZ on it, and then there's mine which consists of pokeballs, a triforce, Link, and pony Cutie marks.
Maddy is sleeping over on Thursday, and we're gonna paint the other half when she's here :)
Thursday evening Bestie and I both had work, and it was my last shift at the garage, which was kind of surreal. Everyone that I'd worked with there had signed a card for me, and bought me a lovely box of chocolates as a parting-present, which was so lovely of them considering I'd only worked there two months.
Friday my mum and I tried to sort out my travel money, but that failed abysmally. The travel agents would charge a hell of a lot to pay via credit card, which is what we'd have to do. The woman from the Visa Bureau told me I'd need the equivalent of £2,200 in order to get into Australia when I landed. I got an email a few days before Friday telling me that actually, I needed £3,600. So that was a right pain, and very stressful too as I'd have to find this extra money from somewhere. Mum and Dad agreed to sub me as long as I would pay them back after I returned, so I owe them quite a lot - literally and figuratively.
That night a group of my work friends went to a pub in the town to celebrate myself and another's leaving. It was a fab night, and one guy spent £135 on drinks for everyone! Insane, if I had £135 I don't think I'd spend it on alcohol! But I appreciated all the shots and drinks, and came home a bit intoxicated.
My last day at the store was Saturday. That was peculiar - even more so than my last day at the garage. I was telling my regular customers that it was my last day, and got hugs, kisses on the cheek, hand shakes and even a 'Sorry you're leaving' card. I felt truly loved. And, if that wasn't enough, my colleagues had gotten together and signed a card for me with lovely good luck messages, and they'd also put in a donation, and bought me a lovely charm bracelet from H Samuels. I felt very humbled and touched, and I'm going to miss everyone quite a lot.
After work I hurried home, and then made my way to Bestie's house. We were heading to a bar in a nearby town for New Years, and Maddy and Beth were also going and were already at Bestie's by the time I arrived. We got ready and were driven to the bar where we met Bestie's work friends. Truthfully, I was too tired to have a fabulous time, and spent most of the night falling asleep at the table or swaying from side to side on the dance floor with my friends attempting to make me dance, but I did enjoy welcoming in the new year with my closest friends, which I haven't done before :) Next year, the party will be held at my house, with decent music :P
Today I drove back from Bestie's house, stopping off at Maddy's to return her debit card to her, and then promptly got lost trying to get out of her estate. Thankfully I made it home in one piece after roaring down the A12 at 80miles an hour. Yay!
My grandparents are over at the moment, and mum made me my final roast dinner that I'd have in England. Gosh how I will miss those. When in Oz I'll be living off of instant noodles and potato waffles, I should imagine :P
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