Resigned.

I quit my job of 5 and a half years this week and although I was freakin' the hell out, I left my boss with a big fat smile on my face. I handed in my letter of resignation with 4 weeks notice and I feel awesome.

{cue some more pre-recorded cheering and whooping}

^^^^How I feel right now

 

In completely unrelated news I've quit smoking, say WUT! 3 particularly grumpy weeks today!

Gurl got some will power after all :)

Lx

Legs of Steel

I love cyclists. Cyclists are so friendly, we all wave and say hello and warn each other of roadworks and slug invasions and hideous hills.

One man today actually stopped to warn me about an awkward tree {A TREE!!} and shouted "BE SAFE" when he cycled off.

I have a guardian angel that cycles.

When I was about 5, my family{all 6 of us, Von-Trapp style} went for a cycle along this 12 mile route in the middle of nowhere. We're all having a great time and then thunder and lightening happens.

Then my asthma happens. Nobody knew I had asthma so it came as a bit of a shock, no more so than to my {cute as hell} 5 year old self.

Anyways, this man turns up out of nowhere and happens to have an asthma inhaler, what a guy, saved my life and I've never seen him since!

I am SO so so excited to get to Vancouver and wap my cycling gear out and get on those separated bike lanes!

Can't wait for some of these.

Lx

Hallelujah!

About a year ago I discovered these ah-mazing online travel photography and travel writing courses by MatadorU {they're endorsed by NatGeo so you know they're the shiz}. Anyways, I decided against it and started saving for travelling instead, thinking I'd get more from travelling.

I didn't feel like I'd have the time to fully commit anyway.

Then I discovered they are also an independent travel publisher with constantly updated travel journalism with articles on everything to do with travelling, places, people, culture etc and an online community of networking travellers!

{They also write articles on things like drinking, food and the best places to party ;) yeuuh}

Well if you read my post yesterday you can only imagine my excitement when I found this article! And this one! Maybe I'll survive after all.

Should I pack two pairs or should I break the rules and maybe suffer the consequences?

In other news, I've been strictly ORDERED to watch Gone With The Wind before we jet off, NO excuses.  Don't know if it's worth it???
{Hyello Clark Gable ;)}

Lx

hurrah!

I applied for my US VISA, ladies and gentleman {cue cheering and clapping}!!

Thank you very much.

One more cross on my ever-growing list of things to do before you go travelling!

Since this is our first time travelling we booked through a company called BUNAC {to ease the stress... like that helped} which specialise in student travel, working holidays, backpacking etc.
 They provide help before you go and once you're there, helping you get your bank account sorted, getting a job, accommodation and social events ;) They also offer extensive travel insurance policies specifically designed for backpackers, and group flights.
 We decided to book our own flights as the BUNAC flights were really expensive and leave from Gatwick or someplace in London. As you know we got ours for £288 through Air Transat!
 B***h is goo-hoood at finding bargains!
But anyways, they're really good for the money {so far} so if you're heading away you should
 check them out.

{photos from pinterest} 

Also, I've really been struggling recently with the concept of only taking two pairs of shoes away with me...
for a year.
I've looked on various websites and everyone says 'no more than two!' and that apparently includes sandals...WHAT?
So what you're telling me is, come rain or shine, 4 seasons, and a years worth of activities I can only wear either boots or flip flops?

Lx

TO DO.

I'm selling all my stuff, well as much of it as possible.

I don't need to sell my home or anything {it's my mum and dad's so that'd be illegal I'm sure} but I've got tons of books and clothes, a guitar and other stuff that's clogging up my room.

When I come home I'll hopefully have a "plan" and that'll involve moving back out my parents house. I don't want to be bogged down with all this STUFF.

There's this car-boot sale every Sunday in Edinburgh under the Omni Centre so I'm gunna check dat s**t out.

Nothings changed on the planning front, I didn't get any less lazy yesterday but I've gotta feeling today's the day I'll maybe put a cross on that pesky list.
I had the best sleep last night despite beng at work and it's put me in an awesome mood so I went for a cycle {even better mood} and now I'm ready to get down to business.
Thank you brain.

Lx

PROCRASTINATION.

Today I'm supposed to be sorting out my room, and looking up how to get a friggin' US visa but as you can see I've failed and chose to gawk at pretty pictures instead.

{photos from pinterest}

{Whistler} 

I've never done a winter sport in my life but  I would liken skiing to cycling down a steep hill with no brakes (something I do quite regularly but only to see how far I can get before I hit the brakes, and also because I don't want to be outdone by my crazy mother).

'Skiing' and 'death' are synonymous to me but part of travelling is trying things you've never tried before so never say never.

{photos from pinterest}

{The Deep South}Maybe I watch too much TV but when I think of the southern states I see flapper dresses and pearls and dancing and other pretty things. Although I'm fully aware that in reality people actually ride around on horses, run through corn fields, finish every sentence with "y'all" and 'Sweet Home Alabama' is played on repeat err-where.

 I hope my stereotypes are right because I have a couple plaid shirts I'd like to put to good use.

Lx

PLAN.

{photos from pinterest}

We booked our flights from Glasgow to Toronto 10 weeks in advance with Air Transat for £288. For that price I couldn't care less if we're sardines. At 5ft 10 my height could be a small problem but what's a little leg and back ache gunna do.

I've not told Paula how economy economy is on Air Transat.

We also booked our first hostel :)...the Canadian Backpackers Inn. This will be one of few luxuries on our trip. Although it is a hostel so it'll be luxury in quotation marks {if ya know what I mean}.

The plan is to start in Toronto and head south...follow the weather as much as possible to Charleston. We ideally want to to avoid the chaos of full scale winter in NYC {as much as I'd love to see New York under snow}.

We'll see. After Charleston we'll fly north to Chicago and then again to the Rockies.

We don't really have a plan for the rest of the trip {just a rough route which starts in Toronto and ends in Vancouver} which makes me pre-tty apprehensive when I think about what could go wrong. EVERYTHING probably.

But I think that's also the most exciting part...we'll just see where life takes us :)

The best part about going to North America is that we don't need to learn a new language and spend good eating time miming out sentences to angry strangers. Or worse, talking in SLOW-motion.  I don't need to worry about jags either but visas are becoming the bane. of. my. life. Canadians apparently take security VERY seriously, I can't wait to cross a border :(

Lx

whoaa.

With only 2 months left till I leave on my travels, the next year will undoubtedly mark some massive changes in my life.

I've never been away from my friends and family for more than 2 weeks so I'm kinda panicking inside. On the plus side...I'm going to be travelling :)

Something I've been waiting for since FOREVER.

This blog will be my journey to nirvana, ecstasy, paradise, whatever you wanna call it, packed into a disproportionately small rucksack.

Jokes, it's more of a pretty pictures meets drunken memoir kind of blog to make my friends jealous.

Joking aside, I suppose that's what everyone thinks they're going to get when they go travelling...nirvana, their own version of 'Eat, Pray, Love'. I'm an optimist so I will be expecting my Javier Bardem within the first month.

{photo from pinterest}

{photo from pinterest}

{photo from pinterest}

{photo from pinterest}

[Seriously excited] 

Lx

welcome.

Hello all. I'm Louise and this is Paula.

We met at uni four years ago and this year decided to go travelling together.
She says I invited myself but no such thing happened.

 I still maintain she'd be clueless without me.

[SO] the plan goes a little like this...

...and as much of the surrounding areas as possible.

Simply...

Two pals

1 year

1 camera

1 blog

Looking forward to sharing everything wit' ya'll.

Lx


<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3869537/postcards-from-america?claim=cdakud6y6nn">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>