Yesterday I landed in New York and was officially admitted into the US on a working visa :)

It took me 7 hours to get here, no delays and I was out of the airport in just 20 minutes! Case was there waiting for me straight away. Lucky..

Decided to grab the airtrain and subway into Brooklyn to save me a nifty $35! And I met Soph over in Brooklyn to check into our hotel. The area is quite quiet tbh, very rural and not much going on but the hotel (Hotel BPM) Is a 4* and brand new so it sticks out. We get free wifi and free buffet breakfast so it’s worth staying over there just to save on that.

So so far we’ve been to the worlds largest Apple Bee’s in Times Square, taken a lot of photos in Times Square, got myself a duffy bear from the Disney Store (Which i’ve renamed Stuffy so I can carry Stu around with me everywhere lol). We also visited the 9/11 memorial today..

It was quite sad, seeing the size of the towers and how many names there were of people that died.

I should add for all you people stuck in sunny England.. it’s 28 degrees!! The forecast was supposed to be rain and lightning but we’ve had nothing but heat! (It’s about 82 in farenheit) Tomorrow is supposed to be 34, I think I might boil to death!

Anyway, about to head off to do a boat cruise up to Brooklyn Bridge and visit China Town :)

Speak soon x

I think it’s a good thing i’ve kept a blog, i’ll look back on this one day and be like woahhh what was going on! 

Anyway… I GOT A JOB!

The day before I’m due to leave!

I’m so happyyyyyy. And I’m going to CHICAGO!

So i’m going to be working in Wisconsin, a state i’ve never been to before but it looks fascinating! I’m going to be located right by Lake Michigan in an adorable little town that just looks so cute <3

The people are so welcoming and the whole place just has so much culture, I can’t wait to experience it.

And more of the plus side, I don’t have to change any of my flights or itinary and I will now be earning money to fund my travels afterwards! And I still get to go to all the same amazing places as listed on my last post.

I’m going to be living in a cottage this summer <3 awww wow. Chuffed.

So I’m testing out my new iPad to see if I can get the hang of blogging on this thing. I bought it so i can write to my friends and family all in one go :)

My friend Sophie leaves in the morning for New York! It has come around so fast :o I’m meeting her on Monday :) right now I’m just getting my hands and feet polished before I head out next week!

So a few updates, and major ones at that..

I lost my job! That is right.. Alongside the stress of final year I have found myself with no employment in America.. It’s a long story basically to do with the change in state law but I have no job..

I was pretty miffed but I’ve come to terms with it and now I’m pretty excited tbh. I have such an amazing trip planned that I think even if I can’t find work whilst out there I will be fine coming home early cos I’ll see so much :D

Some of the highlights I have already booked…

A cruise around Manhattan, a limo ride down Sunset Blvd, pub crawls and Beverly Hills tours in LA, seeing one of my favourite singers perform on a beach in LA, meeting friends I’ve made in Long Beach, a trip to Disneyland to meet mermaids! Lol, Sightseeing in San Diego, a trip to Mexico! And finally seeing San Francisco and all it has to offer <3 Highlights include Alcatraz, Yosemite and Muir woods.

So yeh.. Not too much.

And on top of that I still have my bus tour to take around Washington D.C, Canada and Boston! Wowzers..

It’s a good job I’ve been saving all year for this! Lol

Anyway, family post coming up next so just ignore this if you’re a follower :)

I bought lots of stuff today, I think I almost have everything :P

I’m so excited, I can’t wait to see NYC again and also land in LA for the first time.. that’ll be exciting :P

Not long to go now :)

I’ve even started doing a little bit of packing.. Added the few bits and bobs to my case every so often.

Can’t believe I only have 4 more weeks of being a student.. I think that’s more exciting cos when I get back I can start doing more and actually find a career! :D

This week has been a bit of a stressful one, everything seemed to go wrong but eventually got it sorted and I’m buying my IPAD on Wednesday :P Also, got a travel appointment at the doctors on Thursday where I’ll find out if I need anything doing before I go…

I need to start getting some dollars soon anyway but it seems like the rates are so low! Should I get a cashcard? Hmm not sure what to go for.. Thinking maybe a STA mastercard? :)

I got my passport back today!! It’s armed with a US visa and a lovely M.. Which means I’m allowed to leave the US and re-enter the country anytime whilst i’m over there. That means my trip to Canada is confirmed and if I fancy it, I can even visit Mexico :P

In other news.. What else is going on?

Well, i’m still studying Japanese and I love it :D I really want to continue it in October but i’m just not sure whether I should.. It’s so hard thinking ahead as i’ll be a graduate and I might be in work or have relocated..

I’m also not sure whether to change to learning Chinese instead before it’s too late. I know that sounds a bit crazy but i’m not sure whether it will be more beneficial for me when I have such an interest in visiting the place. At the same time though, i’m probably more likely to teach in Japan if I can make it onto the JET program..hmm, decisions!

I went to a study abroad fair the other day and it was so useful! Made some really good connections and i’m now in the progress of securing an internship in China! I just can’t commit to doing it yet because i’m so busy and have no idea what month I wanna go in next year! I’m thinking October so I can be over there when the Chinese New Year begins, what do you think? :)

Just realised this blog entry is turning into an essay.. haha 2 more things before I go:

I’ve not missed the deadline for the TUI graduate scheme but I have missed the start date :/ Meaning I can apply but I can’t be back in time to start on it.. So there’s really no point in applying yet! I can imagine it’s really really competitive to get on as most graduate schemes are.. If you’ve ever done it, let me know. So yeh, I’ll have to apply for that next year I guess to start the following year.. We’ll see though, it’s something I really wanna do but as it’s in England I need to make sure i’m done with all my international opportunities before I go for it!

And finally, I have an interview on Friday :D It’s to volunteer in Asia, I really really want it so fingers crossed it goes well!

I feel like I literally caught the travel bug a few years ago but after a talk with my dad the other day, I found out a few things I never knew before.. My grandad used to travel everywhere for his job, he worked in Iran and the middle east and was never in England :o Then my dad worked in Israel! Never knew that.. Always knew my mum worked in Spain and my gran has been travelling for as long as I can remember.. But overall, i’m now not surprised that I get such a rush out of exploring.. Even just sitting on a coach for 5hrs is a treat for me.. I like to look out of the window -_- ha.

So yeh, that is it for now :P The next time I do an update I can imagine will be when I’m in packing stage for America.

I leave in 5 weeks on Monday!!

This week I had my visa appointment. It was pretty hectic with them rejecting my photograph :/ And with me not having another option I was running around like a crazy horse trying to get hold of some cash to pay for some new ones.. but never mind I got accepted!

And so now, my flights are all booked and confirmed :D I’ve got all my hotels booked for my holiday in NYC and LA and…

officially SO EXCITED :D 

It hasn’t really sank in yet because I have so much Uni work to do, with graduation this summer: I’m not just wandering off to America but i’m also entering the life of not being a student.. Which is a pretty big thing for someone who’s been a student for 18+ years..

One update though: I won’t be returning mid October anymore, i’ll be returning October 2nd :( Still a long time but 2 weeks less than before because the embassy say we can’t work until 30th September anymore but September 15th instead.. Still cool though :)

Been plotting a trip to O.C for my birthday.. that would be amazing! But we’ll see..=P

I’ve been planning the routes i’m going to take after I finish working in California this summer. Got a few things booked but a lot of it is flexible so i’m open to ideas.

At the moment, I have one route that I’m all booked and ready to adventure on in October :D So here it is:

I think it might only be 3 US states in total, but i’ll passing through a few along the way and two Canadian provinces :)

I’m really excited about it. Mostly visiting Canada excites me the most but I’ve also always wanted to visit Washington D.C and see Niagra Falls aswell so i’m so excited for these trips!

On top of this adventure, I have a few days to spend in California before flying back to New York..

I was thinking of doing this route..

After finishing work on Avalon i’ll then get the ferry over to Long Beach. From here i’ll go to Anaheim for my first stop - DISNEYLAND :D Then i’ll head up through Hollywood to San Francisco and stay there for a few days before getting on the plane :) I really wanna visit Alcatraz Island and see the golden gate bridge, so I think this could be a pretty cool option.. Haven’t booked any of this yet but I have noticed how cheap it is on the bus from Hollywood to SF :o Can’t wait! 

A bit of news.. I’ve booked my visa appointment!

Looks like i’ll be heading over to London on April 2nd to apply for my visa. I’m actually really nervous and I’ve even been before! I don’t know why.. I think it’s cos it’s so close to May and i’m worried i’ll get a paper cut and it will ruin my life, haha.

But other than that i’m quite excited. Can’t really concentrate on getting any work done at all at Uni.. I’m so far behind and with me being in 3rd year it’s such a disaster. All I can think about is travelling.. lol Speaking of travelling..

Tonight i’m going to STA’s ‘Big Travel Event’ for people who are planning a big trip. I don’t know what it’ll be like but listening to people offer advice and talk about travelling is exactly what i’m in the mood for :D

A few more exciting things going on at the moment..

I start Japanese classes tomorrow! I wasn’t going to start until October but they had some cancellations and I got a place to start this month for free! So why not :) Least if I can’t grasp it, I haven’t wasted any dosh..

アメリカ

And I have my hotel for my New York trip booked! :D Me and my friend are staying in Brooklyn (Never been before so it’s rather cool).. It’s a posh hotel with free wifi & hot breakfast which means.. no bedbugs! (Hopefully)

I also have my travel plans for after my program almost set.. I need some advice though so i’m going to post a bit about that in a separate entry when I have time :)

So, keep the messages coming guys if you have any questions about the process or get in touch if you are working on Catalina Island this summer. I’ve managed to find one guy already and we’re already discussing partying in Tijuana haha. So, more Mexican buddies will be brilliant!

12 more weeks to go ;)

So I can start getting excited and counting down the days. A few more hotels to book and internal flights but then i’ll be completely set.

So here’s what happened…

I know we’re supposed to wait until we get the visa. But realistically  that’s leaving it a bit late and sacrificing the chance to get good deals.

If I don’t get a visa for some reason then luckily i’ll be able to use my multi-flex pass to change the returning journey to June and just fly out there for a holiday anyway :) (But that’s the last resort)

The plan:

After a weekend with Sophie, we came up with all our travel plans for New York. And after a trip to STA on a rainy day in Manchester, a flight was booked :P

I’m flying over to NYC in May and staying in Manhattan, NY for 5 days with Soph before jetting off to Los Angeles, CA for a further 4 days. Then i’m finally grabbing a ferry and scooting over to Catalina Island for another 3 days before finally starting work. A nice holiday before (hopefully) an amazing Summer!

I’m looking forward to visiting all the NY attractions that I didn’t see last time and visiting California for the first time ever :D Can’t wait to see Hollywood!

So for anyone who doesn’t know where Catalina Island is..

It’s just an hour away from LA and you have to take the ferry or helicopter over :)

Feels like it’s been ages since I last updated but I’ve been so busy!

This week I’ve been in Scotland, for the first time ever. I absolutely loved it! I could seriously consider moving up to Edinburgh if it wasn’t so cold in the winter. Really enjoyed myself.

Got the pleasure of seeing Cats at the theatre on Valentines Day so that was amazing. I love to fit a few shows in with my travelling, always makes the experience even more memorable.

I think the city is just so beautiful with historical buildings, even the travelodge was in-keeping with the castles :P

Me infront of Edinburgh Castle

This week has been a really great one, besides finding out I got the job in California, I also had an employability week at Uni.

So basically all week i’ve been attending international events about working abroad, learning new languages, becoming involved with international events and even volunteering. It’s been so great, kudos Leeds Met!

This week has really opened up my eyes to a lot of opportunities I wasn’t aware of before. I’m so excited to graduate and just get stuck in there now that I know what’s out there :P

I know I have a lot of crazy ideas and i’m extremely ambitious but it’s just part of who I am. I don’t feel complete if i’m not aiming for something beyond the norm so just leave me to it and if it doesn’t happen I’ll find something else just as exciting to do..

So, this blog post is just going to be about a few of the opportunities I’ve learnt about this week and am now seriously considering. So excited!

International mentoring
So I went to this class without really knowing what an international mentor was. I’m already a student ambassador and an international mentor is actually a very similar role but even more interesting in my eyes. It involves greeting new students who have come from international countries to study at Leeds Met. Apparently as a mentor you attend events, run events and hang out with internationals introducing them to the country and life in Leeds. It’s a chance to meet people from all over the World including locations like Australia, America, Asia and all over Europe <3 I have an event next week where i’ll get to be a mentor and see what it’s like, so we’ll see how that goes! It’s also a good opportunity to be involved with volunteering.

Learning a language 
I already knew I wanted to learn a language and I actually nearly signed up last year and the year before (Kind of regretting that I didn’t now..). But anyway, there’s no time like the present. This week was about discovering exactly which language I want to learn. So, I took 2hr classes in Spanish, French, Chinese and Japanese :) I always wanted to learn Spanish and thanks to this employability week I found out exactly which language I wanna take further. It’s Japanese!! Not what I was expecting at all since my main desire is to visit China <3 But I enjoyed the class so much. The tutor was very very good and I am so psyched about the thought of being taught by her. She also told me about possibilities to teach in Japan on the ‘JET program’ definitely something i’d consider if things went well. She even said one of her students did it after 2 years and she’s almost fluent in Japanese now, wow :o

TEFL
I actually only heard of this a few weeks ago. TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) has been mentioned in every class this week. I was considering it before this week but now i’m even more interested in it! It’s very cheap for a basic qualification and even after obtaining that you can top it up in the future. The course is 140 hours so I’d need to spend about 6 months taking it I’d say. If I got the qualification i’d be able to teach children English in almost every country, Asia especially. I’d also be able to teach English to International students during the summer in the UK. It really does open a lot of doors. I like the idea of teaching in Japan but also China. I know Disney do a ‘Teach English in China with Disney’ program but you do need 2 years teaching experience. That’d be amazing but obviously not something i’d be able to do for a long while.

Obviously, i’m not going to just jump into a career of teaching English abroad (I might hate it)I think a bit of experience would be beneficial, so that brings me to my next opportunity..

International volunteering
Whilst being a student at Leeds Met, I actually have the option of volunteering abroad with an added 30% discount. That’s impressive and I think it needs to be taken advantage of. The countries on offer and the amazing charities and causes you help out with are just unbelievable. This week I learnt about some of the causes and it’s so sad. I’d really like to volunteer and help out where I can. There’s only 1 program i’d be eligible for because i’m away all summer. Luckily it’s a program that i’m pretty sure would be my first choice anyway because of the location and the cause. 

It takes place in December 2013 and involves volunteering for 3 weeks in India. It would be a massive culture shock as I’ve never been to Asia but it would be a challenge I really want to face to be honest. I think i’m likely to come home with a whole new appreciation of life (I can imagine). The volunteering would also involve teaching English to children so perhaps good work experience for me too. There’s also the option to travel for a week with the group, definitely wouldn’t miss out on that!

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I think that’s about everything so far. This week, has literally shaped my next year. I know plans change and everything, but I like to follow an idea and see where it takes me. 

So far I have:

May - October - Working in USA
October - Level 1 Japenese P/T
December - Volunteering in India
January - TEFL 

I know people think i’m mental for planning so much but I actually can’t help it. The thing is, nowadays everything has to be applied for so far in advance. So even if I think I want to study Japanese and volunteer in India, I pretty much need to know for sure before March when applications open! We live in a very fast moving world.

But anyway, I guess we’ll see what happens :) I’ve applied for another internship I really want in America too though so I guess if I get that I’ve gotta rethink everything anyway! ha 

(Might I just add, I haven’t forgotten about the exciting trip i’m taking in February. Just seen an advert on TV for the country which reminds me I really need to get planning for that… eek)

Here’s to 2013!

Yes, that’s right.. I got a job!

And I’m soo pleased! I accepted straight away because it was my first choice and I wanted to work there more than anywhere else! After everything my interviewer told me in the interview she just sold me it even more <3

So that’s the application process done with now! Just the confirmation parts to go now, flights, dates, visa’s etc. etc!

It still hasn’t quite sunk in that i’m moving to California but i’m sure it will do when i’m sat in class tomorrow :P 

So if anyone else has just accepted their job offer to work on Catalina Island, please get in touch! I know there’s a few more of you out there ;)

The best part is, I really wanted to get my job before the end of January so I could start back at Uni without having to job hunt. I can just concentrate on getting all my work finished and then i’ll be jetting off :P (I don’t know how I will actually concentrate though really lol)

- I also find it really funny that i’ll be watching my own graduation and my friends graduate whilst i’m sat on a beach in California =’] -

And I really shouldn’t be this excited because I don’t even have the job yet! 

I think it’s a good sign though, it means I really want this :P

So after sending my application form off yesterday and finding out I could have up to 14 days to wait, I received a response today! Was really surprised when I opened my emails up today. I’ve responded and I have a Skype interview this week!

Actually really nervous, mostly because I really want it but also because I’m scared Skype will crash. My Internet is terrible and I hope I don’t get disconnected. I haven’t been on Skype since I used to call my boyfriend from Florida every day!

I have my fingers crossed that it goes well but I’ve gotta stay positive even if I don’t get the position, just gotta keep trying!