Stupidity Tries

Yesterday was my Mum's birthday and so my Mum, my sister, Mike and I went to some open gardens in Pebworth - a little village just outside Stratford-Upon-Avon. I thought that this would be the perfect time to get a base tan before I go away because it was so sunny and hot! On went the shorts, the vest top, sandals and sun cream. Perfect.

We drove for just over half an hour to get there and when we finally found our way to the carpark, we were ushered into a space by a 12 year old boy - clearly bribed into helping out by his garden-loving mother with an ice cold Irn-Bru.

We had a really nice day nosing around in other people's gardens and stroking their pets, followed by a cold beer in a lovely country pub garden. It was especially nice because, for once, Mum allowed me to be the map reader (see below).

When we were in the car home, singing along as loud as we possibly could to our summer mix tape (thanks Mike!) I noticed a tingling sensation on my left arm. Looking down, I could see that my right arm was full on glowing red.

When I got home I tried to assess the damage: one am burnt red, the other still ghostly white; awful tan/burn lines on one shoulder and a single burnt knee. Seems as though I'll be going to Bali looking like a sun-burnt zebra. Not quite the look I was going for..

19 days until departure.

If I Go, I'm Goin'

Things are (very) slowly starting to take shape for this Bali trip! Today I had my injections - Typhoid, Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B which thankfully weren't painful at all. I did still treat myself to a Starbucks afterwards though - I'm going to miss coffee frappuccinos a lot.

The pharmacist who did my jabs for me today was very nice but did mention travelers' diarrhea at least 10 times during our rather brief appointment. It actually became a bit uncomfortable just how many times he brought it up. So, I bought myself a nice Carex moisturising hand sanitiser to keep away all the germs that the little kiddies might be harbouring!

Other things I have bought:
#1. Mosquito repellent: I now have a lifetime supply of mosquito repellent. In fact, I have so much of the stuff I don't know how I'm going to pack my clothes into my bag as well! I'm terrified of Japanese Encephalitis, Dengue Fever and any other diseases those little beasts might give me so figured it was best to stock up.

#2. Phone card: My pay-as-you-go SIM card has arrived so I can take a phone with me just in case. The last time I took a trip without a phone my plane went down (had to put an oxygen mask on and everything!) and I was stranded in London for the night, terrified out of my mind and with no way to contact anyone. So, moral of the story is: always take a phone!

#3. A gap yahh t-shirt: No trip to South East Asia is complete without an awful t-shirt that screams "I'm here to find myself dahhling". I chose a baggy white one with VIBES written across the front. Pretentious much?

#4. A rucksack: Or, to be more precise, a travelpack. I think I caused myself a lot of stress when choosing my backpack because I didn't want one that loaded from the top. Instead, I wanted one that zipped all the way around so that I could actually get to all my things. However, finding what I wanted at a price I could afford/justify was a bit trickier than I imagined. Thank God for Ebay!

Next thing on my "to buy" list is a mosquito net - also more expensive than you would imagine.

24 days until departure.

Pistol Dreams

Right. Let's see how I got to this point.

#1. I graduated last summer with a degree in archaeology which definitely qualifies you for absolutely nothing. Shockingly, employers don't respond too well when "good trowelling technique" is listed as one of your key skills on your CV.

#2. I start a primary PGCE in September. I absolutely cannot wait to get started! I got my place a couple of days before Christmas and have been counting down the days until it begins.

#3. In order to pass the time (and to save up a bit of money) before #2 I have been working in a very popular high street shop which seems to be my own personal hell. The long hours, the constant pulling forward and the customers hurling abuse proved too much a few weeks ago and I decided that instead of using the money I've saved up for something useful like a new car or rent I thought I'd blow it on a trip to the other side of the world - Bali!

I knew I wanted to volunteer when I went away so I decided to apply to work with IVHQ. I travelled to Nepal with them for 3 months when I was 19 and, because I had such a good time before, I thought I'd go with them again. I'm going to be volunteering in a kindergarten so my backpack will be loaded up with crayons, colouring books, skipping ropes and anything else fun I can think of to take for the children.


27 days until departure.