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

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