where is the time going??

Another couple of crazy months have passed by. All of a sudden I’ve become one of the more senior CRPs in the pavilion, who only has 2 months left. I’m one of those that sees people in the merchandise shops and have no idea who they are, and who struggles to remember all of the new people on podium. Its so weird- I couldn’t ever imagine it happening but it has!

It’s been incredibly strange to see the pavilion completely change. Most of the people that I worked with on podium have now left, and not one person on podium currently worked with me, and its been like that now for a while. Everything looks different. Not necessarily better or worse though. In general I enjoy it, simply because I am so comfortable here now that I no longer feel shy speaking to people I don’t know, and I know where I am in the programme. I’m happy to see that there are a lot of nice people coming into the pavilion, and despite the fact that ill see them comparatively shortly on my programme id like to think we can still be friends. It’s nice to see them with their whole programme head of them, even though I don’t envy them at all as I am so happy to be where I am right now.

The last few months have been cracking. The job itself- serving- I love. I really do. Its challenging (or it feels so after podium) but yet not ridiculously hard. Theres a lot more scope to have fun with it and you generally work more independently, which I prefer as you’re not relying on other people. And it sounds cheesy but most of the time I genuinely enjoy speaking with my guests. Don’t get me wrong- some of them are dicks, but a lot of the time you meet genuinely nice people. I’ve even had about 5 separate families over the last few months give me their email addresses and say that if I ever need a place to stay when I’m in their city I’m welcome to stay with them. First time it happened I was dumbfounded. Whether I take them up on the offer or not (i’d like to think I would one day, but maybe it would be a bit weird) it is the thought behind the offers that count. And you never know, maybe one day I’ll tour America and run into all my guests again!

Sometimes at the end of the night I’ll have one table left, and want them to go so I can get home. But them I’ll begin talking to them and completely forget about wanting to go home because we get into a really interesting conversation. It sometimes still shocks me how genuinely interested people are in where I’m from, and how I’m enjoying my time over here. They ask loads of questions- if I’m quiet I’ll stand and speak all day to them. the only time this becomes a problem is when I’m really busy. The last month or so has been astoundingly quiet ( which has meant more time off-yay!). But it was busier when I first began and it was hard to find the time to talk when you have a million and one other things to do. Its strange how stressful serving seems while you’re working when its not really. The worst thing that could happen is someone sends their steak back, realistically, but catch any of us in the kitchen when its busy and we’re stressed to hell worrying that someone’s waited more than a minute for some more ketchup! Its funny actually. I certainly don’t worry in work as much as I used to, as I try and keep in mind what it is at the end of the day, serving food, nothing more serious so there is no point getting stressed. And now that I’m comfortable in the job I don’t feel weeded even when I’m busy- experience really does help you keep things under control. I’ve also had the chance to train food running now which I enjoyed, even though once I became a server I stopped enjoying food running by itself.

So, on to more exciting things that I’ve been doing. I went on my first trip outside of Florida which was pretty cool. Me Lydia and Will went to Atlanta for a few days and had a great time. We rented a car and was going to split the driving between us. Problem was I only passed my test a week before leaving here and hadn’t driven since. I spent a bit of time driving but I found it stressful and nearly went into the wrong lane. Had some practice later and got better though, so I’m hoping ill improve my confidence in time until I can drive without another driver in the car keeping me calm!

In Atlanta we went to the coca cola factory, Georgia aquarium(which is so beautiful- I could have spent days there) and the martin Luther king area. The martin lither king centre was great- there was a museum exhibit, you could see his house and also the church where he preached. The coke factory was more interesting than I expected, although its not the original plant. We also spent a day in the six flags park. I have dreamed about going to a six flags park since I played roller coaster tycoon when I was younger, and the place did not disappoint. I couldn’t believe how many amazing roller coasters there were, I think there were like 9!

We drove back really late on the night. It was a seven hour journeys each way. on the day there it didn’t feel that long at all because we had so much to talk about, but it was harder on the way back because we drove through the night and we were all pretty tired. It was non stop though- when we got home I had chance for a ten minute sleep(well, nap) before getting ready for my next adventure…

THE DIAGON ALLEY GRAND OPENEING!!! after watching it be built for months and all the excitement and anticipation, universal studios finally released a date for the opening of dragon alley. Me and Sammy are big harry potter freaks, and Kathryn and us booked time off work and swapped shifts so that we would be able to go. We arrived at city walk, the entrance to the universal studios area at 4:30am because we wanted to be as close to the front as possible. We were amongst the first, as city walk didn’t even open until 5. We waited there for half an hour before being let through, then proceeded to the gates at the universal studios park entrance to wait for another hour or so, before being let into the area just outside of dragon alley, which is modelled to look like a street in London and where the knight bus is parked. It was a fantastic atmosphere. There were massive keenos there- all of the slogan t shirts, harry potter jewellery, and even full robes (despite the heat) were not uncommon. On the whole people were also very happy and friendly. There wasn’t too much pushing in or around and everyone was happy to chat. It was nice to see everyone there for the right reason and just wanting to have a good time

Diagon alley itself opened at 8,but because we were there so early we got pretty much to the front and just waited a while. when we looked back we could see quest were forming way back across the park, and we knew it was definitely the best thing we could have done to get there so early. The actual opening ceremony was great, there were some mini speeches, fireworks and banners… and then we were let in! One of the top moments of the hear was seeing it for the first time. The detail in it is simply beautiful. Everyone was cheering and clapping and the atmosphere was indescribable the gringotts ride is a lot of fun, but for me the best part is just wandering around the shops- the detail is such that you would think you was actually there. They also have a couple of great shows – Celestine warbeck the singer and a mystery play style re-enactment of the deathly hallows story. We ate breakfast in the leaky cauldron and left about 11. We didn’t go on the Hogwarts express because we were all dead on our feet- I hadn’t slept since the morning before and Kathryn had been out to lasses so we went home and I slept for the rest of the day. I’ve been on the express a few times since each way and its fantastic and a much nice way to go between the parks.

Another cool thing was that someone took my photo when I was entering dragon and put it up on the universal studios Facebook page, and its had loads of likes haha. I think they chose it because I had the deathly hallows sign painted on my cheek…
Me and some friends also took the opportunity to go to Tampa for a night… to watch kiss and def leopard! It was an incredible concert, the stadium was an open one so you could watch the sunset over the hill as they started to play. The show itself was unlike i’d ever seen from a rock concert before. Lasers, fireworks, zipwires (fake) blood pouring from the demons moth, massive animatronic spider on stage… just amazing. I even bought a starchild costume to wear and all of us went with full on faxe paint and got loads of compliments 🙂

Some good restaurants that I’ve eaten in that I would recommend are chefs de France, crystal palace, chef mickeys and hoop de doo revue (the last one for the atmosphere more than the food). Ive stayed in a few more resorts also, and I now have 8 left before I’ve stayed in them all. 8 resorts in 8 weeks. Lets do this!
My friend from home visited for 17 days. I unfortunately didn’t bet as much time off work as I would have liked but we still had a great time together catching up and I saw her as much as I could around work. She did the college programme last summer, and we had bonded over Disney when she had her placement arranged and I was applying for the crp. She worked for 3 months on the j-1 visa in the haunted mansion, and on our day in magic kingdom she was telling me loads of interesting stuff. A friend of hers also visited with her, but we had a couple of unfortunate nights were both of them, on separate days, became ill and had to go to hospital for some medicine. Luckily it was nothing major but I have to say it was kinda cool getting to go in an ambulance and seeing an American hospital. One of the drivers used to work as a pyrotechnic wxpert in Disney and helped design loads of shows- like illuminations which I see every night! So he was telling me loads of interesting facts… goes to show you never know where you are going to meet people!

I also celebrated forth of July! I was scheduled a pm but wanted to work an am so I could enjoy the evening off, luckily loads of people wanted to work it so it was easy to swap. I had a few drinks from the world with people from work and ate in the rose and crown before the fireworks began. and the were spectacular- might have guessed how much effort the Americans would out into them!
Other stuff that’s been happening… we discovered a new club downtown. On a Friday night a club called backbooth plays 80s music. Me will and drew went one night hoping for a rock night out. It was nothing like what we expected but the bartender suggested the 80s night so we came back to that and now its one of the regular nights out for some of the pavilion was proud to have started that.
So, more things have happened. more meals out, film nights in and everything in between its crazy to think of now busy life is out here. But its great. Just trying to focus on fitting as much in as possible in the next two months!
Love xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

its been a while…

Wow it has been a LONG time since I’ve posted  sorry about that. So much has happened in the last few weeks (months) that its been hard to find tome to write it all down. I’ll try and cover as much as I can in this post, but will probably skim quite a lot of stuff…

One of the coolest outings on this programme has to be when I went to a baseball game, to see the New York Yankees play the Tampa Bay Rays! Going to an american sports match was something I was really interested in and it was loads of fun to watch and experience- especially such a well know team! Although I obviously supported the home team!

I also went to an awesome concert- one of my favourite bands- Sabaton( who usually headline in Europe) were supporting a Floridian Rock band called Iced Earth and were playing in the House of Blues. I always enjoy seeing Sabaton, but I mega enjoyed Iced Earth as well. I had not heard of them before but by the end of the set was a converted fan- I eve caught a guitar pick that they threw into the crowd, and got the guitarist’s autograph and photo afterwards!

The most important thing to have probably happened since my last post is to become a server! It was a long time coming- my first day was on my sixth month anniversary of being in America, which was later than the three months in I was lead to believe in when I applied for the job. Being on podium for longer than a lot of people wasn’t a problem for the first five months, but by the last month on podium I was getting very bored with the repetitiveness of the job and I couldn’t wait to move on.

So-training. the first day you have is culinary, where you don chef whites and spend a day in the different stations in the kitchen learning how it works. It gives you a chance to see how the food is prepared and how long things take in the kitchen, for example to make fish and chips or a shepherds it takes a fraction of the time compared to say a well done steak.It’s important to know these things so that you can pace the meal effectively for your guests, and make sure that things are fresh when they go out, and don’t get to the table to quickly or too slowly. At lunch time you also get mini portions of most of the food. It was nice to actually taste what I would be selling, although we were scheduled a menu change 3 days later and some of the items on there I still haven’t tried. Another training day is bar day, where you go into the service bar and make all the alcoholic drinks, which was loads of fun. Then you have 2 days of food running, which is in essence taking food from the kitchen to the table, with a few other bits of sidework  I liked food running more than expected, though they are very long days and exhausting because you are constantly carrying heavy plates and trays back and forth.

 

After that first week you have your first tipped week of food running. After 6 months on podium wages it felt incredible to be earning tips- theres a pretty big difference in pay I will say that. Although you definitely work for that money! The third week of training is then the actual service training  its only three days which is less than I thought it would be, considering now vastly different the job is. and you literally get thrown straight into it. I’m not even going to lie, I was terrified. But I had really good trainers that kept me calm even when I made mistakes. I dropped a drink on a guest on my fist day which threw me off and I thought the whole thing was going to be a disaster, but over the next few days things got better and better. You do an AM shift, a mid shift (am and pm), and then a final PM shift as well as a few classes on the different wines and alcohol that we sell. It was all really interesting, and I was super excited to do my test

On test day you have your own section as normal, but its a smaller section with only three tables (most sections have 4) so it feels pretty easy when you’ve been pushed to do 4,5 or even 6 tables during your training. One of the tables is a manager who you have to pretend is a normal guest which is kind of weird. They make sure you bring out everything on time, in the right order, do enough spieling and are generally a good server. The thing I struggle with most is spieling- I don’t want to sell people stuff they don’t want or make them feel uncomfortable. I think its the British in me though- whenever I do it to Americans they love it! Passed my test no bother, and became a full on server! So proud!

So I passed in late may, had a few days serving, then my family came. I was nervous to be going back after 10 days off, but I got back into the swing of things pretty quickly. And I have to say, I love love love serving. I actually feel like I’m using my brain in work, it varies from shift to shift, and it can be a lot of fun depending on what shifts you get.

So yeah, that was the other big thing that happened- my family visited! I told them I would have to book the hotel and everything to get the discounts, and I told them I was going to book us into port Orleans, but I surprised them and booked them into a club level at animal kingdom lodge. I wrote them a letter to open on the plane which told them this so they didn’t now until they were already in the air. I had to hope and pray the plan worked out as otherwise there would be a lot of confusion when they checked onto the magical express! It all worked out fine- they got to the hotel just a couple of hours before I finished work. I was super lucky as well that I had nearly all the timer off approved, and the shifts that didn’t I managed to swap ( bar one short am shift) so  I am super grateful for everyone at work that helped me out there.

The holiday was amazing- I think it was really ready for the time with my family. I’m really close to them but also quite independent, so generally it hasn’t been super hard being away from them. But after 7 months I was really starting to miss just hanging out with the, so the time I had with them was really special. We’d been on amazing holidays in Disney when I was younger. Being in Disney world has kind of lost its shine after being here for so long, but being with them in general was just magical. The other good thing was that I kind of dropped off the radar while they were here and didn’t see any of my friends as I wanted to spend all my time with dad and lee, and after a few days I started to really miss my friends and my life out here with them. So dad and lee coming out also helped me appreciate how amazing my life and my friends in Orlando are, so the holiday was super medicinal. Of course I was sad to see them go, but I know I’ll see them again in a few months and I was excited to continue my life in Orlando which is only a temporary.

I also finally finished my classes. I did my final presentation as I did most of my classes- hangover after lasses. Still got a 95% pass grade in it though! I enjoyed the class but I’m so glad its over- I did sign up for another onewhich sounded interesting but decided not to go so I could spend my time off doing other fun things. I would consider maybe doing one next semester, but for now I definitely need a break from them.

Housing put on an amazing event recently as well. It only happens once a year, and its called starlit splash. They basically rent out the typhoon lagoon water park for the night for Disney cast members! This was definitely a highlight of my programme- nearly everyone from work was there and we all had so much fun! It was kind of a surreal moment to be in typhoon lagoon at 12 at night, watching fireworks from the wave pool. A moment to remember.

Done quite a few more resort stays as well with different people- still hoping to stay in as many as possible by the time the year is out! I’ve stayed now in boardwalk, beach club, all star sports and another stay at Caribbean beach. The staycations are nice as we usually go out to dinner somewhere nice as well and its so nice to get to chill out together without worrying about housing (as your not allowed in other housing complexes after a certain time).

The saddest thing that’s happened recently though that Tom from my arrival group decided to leave. He had a job opportunity at home that was too good to pass up- it was definitely the best thing for him to go but he was one of my best friends here so I was sad to see him go. We went to the rose and crown for dinner and to watch the fireworks. It was strange that that was my first time in there as a guest, and I have to say I really enjoyed it, and it was pretty special getting to see the fireworks from our table. Sad as it was to say goodbye to Tom, I know that at least ill see him again for sure when I get back to England.

I also took part in the expedition Everest run Disney challenge. It was a 5km run around animal kingdom park at night followed by a scavenger hunt. it wasn’t so much a race as you stopped on the way to meet characters and go on rides and stuff- going on expedition Everest in the dark is incredible. there was a group of us who did it so it was loads of fun, though it was very expensive for what it was. It was something on my bucket list though to do a run Disney event so I’m so glad I got to do it!

So these are the main things that have happened, though it only just scratches the surface of what the last few months have been like. The programme so far has been far from easy with one thing and another, but it really is turning into everything and more I hoped it would be. Ive been lucky enough to have some amazing experiences, and have met some wonderful people who I am now lucky enough to count as friends. I hope the programme continues to be just as amazing! Will try and not leave it this long until my next post

Lots of love xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

ALL of the work

So work has been pretty hectic the last few weeks. Nearly everyone is working between 40-50 hour weeks over 6 days, because on podium we are short staffed as quite a few people have moved into service but we’ve had people come into podium at a slower rate. However, the exciting news of this post is that a bunch more of the girls from my interview groups have come! Its quite strange to think that we all applied together, and I’ve been here so long while they’re only just starting. Because I’ve been working so many hours and still had class on my days off, I found it difficult to give them the welcome I wanted which was a shame, but now within just a few weeks it feels like they could have been here longer. We had another throw in for them which was a load of fun, especially seeing the difference between how I felt at my own throw in just a few months ago and now how comfortable I feel now. It surprising how much can change in just a few months.

So because of all the hours at work its been a bit of a struggle to find time to do day things. It feels like ages since I’ve been to a Disney Park, but because I didn’t need early nights in order to get up and go to a park I’ve finally started going out at night again which has been a lot of fun. Sammy had her friends from home round, so we decided to take them out to our favourite places and show them a good time, so we of course chose Cowboys, House of Blues, and happy Mondays. House of Blues has definitely become my favourite place, the only downside being that I go on a Sunday so I’m always knackered for my 8:30 am class the next day! Although yesterday was my last exploring session so I won’t have that problem anymore. I’m very pleased to say that for getting through the 8 week course I earned my “Mouseters Degree” in Exploring Cast Engagement and Human Resources! Overall I would definitely recommend doing one of these courses, as I felt that for the small amount of time it requires you get a lot from it. In fact, I’ve signed up to do another one in the summer semester, which is about Exploring Disney heritage and history which I think will be fun. A couple of the girls from work have also signed up to this one so I’m really looking forward to it.

There is still a few weeks left of my collegiate course, and I have to say I’m hesitant to consider doing another one. I am learning from it, but it is quite time consuming, with the reading and assignments, and I already feel like there isn’t enough time here! I have a group presentation coming up, which my be hard as the girls I grouped with all work different shifts which menus it may be herd to meet up. However, they’re all lovely girls who I’m now very friendly with, and I think hat we’ll work well together on this final project! One really worthwhile thing from the classes is that it’ given me a great insight into the differences between the UK and America. My workplace is, obviously, staffed almost entirely with UK CRPs, besides the managers, but the class is full mainly with American Collage Programme participants.  It’s been really cool getting to know Americans and it’s given me chance to see what how diverse the opportunities are in Disney, as Collage Programme participants get the chance to work in a wider variety of jobs then CRPs do. Also, in class today we were studying safety in the workplace, and one of the things we covered was what to do if someone entered the workplace with a gun. As a British person I found it shocking that Americans felt that this is a legitimate issue to prep for. Also the whole healthcare thing is real eye opener when we discussed the options Americans have, and made me really appreciate the UK. So yeah, very educational.

I’ve now also had my trainer training class, so I am now an official Disney trainer! I had actually conducted several training sessions prior to my class, but the class is important as it makes you official and you also get the trainer pin. I was so happy to be made trainer as It’s something that really interests me, and I’ve now done quite a few training shifts, which I’ve really enjoyed.  It gives me the chance to get to talk to the new people, which can actually be quite difficult when there are so many of them.

Talking of which, SO MANY new people recently. For the first few months of candlelight so few people arrived, I guess because they didn’t want to much training over such a busy period.  But we’ve had several large arrival groups recently, as well as lots of people finally moving into service, an some people finishing their programmes altogether. I get the feeling that this consent fluidity is going to be a constant from now on, but I will find it weird as it was so different when I arrived. It’s starting to get harder  as well, as people leaving now are those I’ve had more of a chance to get to know, so it’s much sadder than those that left when I’d only just arrived, and there are some people I will be really sorry to see go. We did a last circle last night where everyone gets into a circle and sings with the people leaving in the middle. I’ve been to a few before, but they really mean so much more once you’ve been here a while, and it reminded me that one day baht will be me. Although it is a sad thought, it reminded me to make the most out of every second that I am here!

So other fun, less emotional things that have happened… well I am eating loads of food because there are so many good, cheap restaurants around and there’s always an occasion, even if its just catching up with someone that you haven’t seen much of because of work. Me and a few girls from work also took part in a towel folding class for a laugh, where you learn how to make towel animals! Got to love the opportunities in Disney… I also had a lovely night staying at the Art of Animation resort with. group from work. We’d all been working a lot so it was nice to hang out outside of work, and the resort itself is beautiful. We stayed in the Cars suite, but now I want to stay in all of them!

Another fun thing was the international party, where all the countries from happy Mondays got together for a massive party. It was so much fun and it was lovely to see so many of my international friends in one place.

So yeah, that’s this month! Writing it all down has made me realise how much has actually happened this month, as I felt like I did nothing but work at one point! Much love, will update soon

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Miami, Christmas and the New Year!

Wow, what a time it had been recently! I feel like so much has happened since I last updated this blog!

The first big thing that happened is that I took my first trip outside of Orlando- to Miami no less! I was chatting to Tom about travelling saying that there were so many places I wanted to go that I didn’t even really know where to start, and he asked if I wanted to go with him and Ashleigh, a lovely south African girl from our arrival group to Miami for a few days. We all had the Wednesday off, and him and Ashleigh had Thursday off also- I had the Tuesday off instead, but luckily Sammy wanted to swap so we did that and it meant I could go!

On the Wednesday we got up super early and got the bus into the dolphin resort, where we picked up our car, as Tom drives. We took the toll road down as it was the quickest way, even though it cost us like an extra $20, but it did mean that we got there in just over 4 hours. Tom and Ashleigh had found a backpackers hostel right on South Beach which was just over $22 a night which I thought was pretty sweet- there was a big parking lot nearby for us to use ans it was only a few minutes walk from the beach-and what a beach! It was absolutely beautiful, and even though it was December it was still wonderfully hot and pretty busy. We had a walk up and down the beach and the over the front and had a little explore. The area has a lot of art deco buildings as it was that period that Miami seemed to get its big boom, and it was incredibly beautiful. It looked just like what I imagined it to look like but more so- the art deco buildings, neon lights and palm trees. That night we headed to a sushi restaurant and had another wander through town.

The next day we agreed we didn’t want to spend only at the beach, so we got the bus downtown, and then walked for ages in search of an area called Wynnewood. We must have walked for about an hour and a half and went through some really dodgy areas that made me glad that it was the daytime- at one point we had to walk over train tracks and I honestly wondered if it would be worth it…but it so was. So Wynnewood was this really poor area in Miami (hence the scary outskirts) and all of these graffiti artists suddenly started to decorate the area. But not just a few graffiti tags-the covered entire walls and streets with massive art works that all try to make some sort of statement. Some of them were really breathtaking, and in fact there was a little gallery and bar set up for tourists like us. So we got to chat to someone about the history of the place and then have a drink and a bite to eat. It was definitely worth seeing and would tell everyone to see it if they get the chance.

 

After we went back downtown and got a bus into an area know as little Havana  this is where lots of Cuban immigrants came in the 60s after all the troubles in Cuba to settle and make a new home, and the area is indeed its own little community.  there were loads of cigar she, coffee shops and everything seemed to be in Spanish  we stopped and had a cup of coffee in this little corner shop which was actually a gorgeous cup of coffee, and just as we decided to have a mojito we were joined by a fellow traveller also having a wander around, who turned out to be in the wine business, so we had a good chat with him. The whole experience of being in a hostel, travelling and good conversations with strangers kind of reminded me of being a backpacker, and made me miss it so much! Just before it got dark we headed back and then had a great Mexican dinner on the historic Spanish street in south beach.  The whole trip was different to how I imagined a weekend in Miami would be-I guess I imagined more partying and shopping etc, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way as I had such a fantastic time.

We got up early again on the Friday as I had a safety training class  1:45. The journey was fine but the closer it got the more nervous I was that I would be late- Tom dropped me off in the guest car park and I ran through backstage and just about clocked in right on the dot! Best timing ever for sure.

On the 23rd I was sitting in the break room on lunch when Sarah came in for hers as well, and had the bright idea that we book a hotel for Christmas eve night, so that night we booked into all star movies. We both had Christmas eve off, so we checked into our hotel and then had a lovely afternoon in Epcot. I wasn’t feeling too well unfortunately as I was coming down with a cough that a few people at work had, so we didn’t stay too late, but instead headed back to the room and ate pizza and watched films! It was just what I needed actually, as the beds were so big and so comfy and as I don’t have a television it was a real treat to get to see a film.

The next morning, after a cracking nights sleep, we opened our presents, I had a secret Santa gift filled with chocolate and green tea (they chose well!) and a box of gifts from my dad. He’d chosen really thoughtful presents and they all meant a lot to me, as it just shows he knows me so well. It was more emotional than I was expecting it to be, but I just had to not let if get to me as I was working that day. I was actually scheduled to have Christmas day off, but I really wanted the experience of working Christmas so I took Maireads shift as she had flown home to surprise her family. Work itself was strange, as a lot of guests were actually in a bit of a bad mood and I think quite a few staff members were withdrawn because they missed home. But overall it was worth it, especially a few families who were so grateful we were working so that they could enjoy their Christmas! Another lovely present I had was from Anna- she had written me something called a four keys card.  In Disney there are four ‘keys’ to being a good cast member- safety, courtesy, show and efficiency, and these cards are written when you are recognised as doing one or more of these well.  I was so grateful for it, as merchandise people seem to hand them out quiet regularly, but they don’t seem so common in food and beverage, and it was sweet to feel like someone had taken the time to write one for me and it was nice to be recognised for working hard. After that I resolved to start handing them out myself to anyone that I saw being a good cast member. I also got one on Christmas day from a random member of staff after I fixed a rope that was a potential trip hazard, which was nice but pretty random.

A few days after Christmas I was randomly talking to a guest while stocking the condiment bar in chippie, and she said that her mother had fallen over on her way to Epcot and was in hospital for surgery, but had made her daughter and grandkids go into Epcot so as to not spoil their day. Poor thing seemed pretty stunned, so I told her to wait at her table for a few minutes and rushed into the Toy Soldier shop, and asked Danielle and Alex for some help to help her feel better. so we gave her a Winnie the pooh plush toy to give to her mother in hospital and wrapped its arm in a bandage, telling her that it wasn’t to be removed until her mothers arm was better. She was so happy and grateful, and I felt like I had really made a difference to her day. It was exactly this sort of thing that made me want to work for Disney, and I even got recognised yet again with a four keys card!

So in terms of me giving them out myself, I gave one to a girl who worked on Mission: Space, because she was wonderful with this young girl who was crying because she was so scared, and really took time to comfort her and make her feel better. Then on NYE (more on NYE in a moment) I had ordered a chocolate milkshake with my drink, but when I got to the counter they had ran out, and the girl who served me was so helpful about it, offering me any alternative (even more expensive things) and a desert to make up for it so I gave her one as well, and she was so happy for it I was glad I had taken 2 minutes to write one for her.

In other news, I had my first solo stocker shift on the 30th. I was nervous about it but Tom and Natalie gave me some help with it which was really appreciated, and overall it went pretty well-generally I managed to keep on top of things even though I obviously was nowhere near as good as Connor or Mark, who nearly always do it, but now that I’ve done a shift on my own hopefully I can start getting better at doing it. Overall I’ve been working more than previously, as I’ve been asked or have asked myself to come in early a few times and for Christmas week and new years week I have worked 6 days, and several shifts have been between 8-12 hours, when before I often worked only 6. I’m pleased to have more hours, even though it can be tiring!

New years eve I worked from 9 in the morning until 9 at night which was crazy. It meant that me and will, one of the newbies, had to open chippie, even though neither of us had opened since training, which seemed like a flaw in the scheduling. It was easy to be honest though as it’s basically opposite to closing chippie which we do every night, even though there were a few changes because they were expecting it to be so busy, one example being that we weren’t to sell any hot drinks because comparatively they take too much time to make. We also had to create a que line that extended much, much further than usual, and we had to pre bag many more cookies than usual because we would sell so many. For the first 45 minutes after opening, I thought everyone had been over reacting… and then the crowds came. And came. And came. An hour after opening, we had a que for chippie 4 times longer than I had ever seen it before, and it stayed like that ALL THE TIME. Most of us were working today, but we needed it. I was chippie filling for 2 hours, but we had 5 people inside rather than the usual two, and even with all the extra man power we just kept everything running on time. I had my first break at 12 and then took position on chippie register, but I’m pretty sure that inside they had at least 5/6 people working, plus 3 instead of 2 chefs. There were also 2 chippie stockers all day, which is a position that usually only exists for one person for a few hours, and there were 2 people doing the rest of the stocking.  Instead of the usual one, there were up to 4 people on beer cart. Everyone had to work so hard all time  and within a few hours I’m pretty sure many people were starting to get tired, but I have to say I’m pretty proud of everyone because we managed to get through the day well without any major mishaps. There was a terrible moment when on register we were told not to sell any fizzy fountain drinks because the machine had broken, but it was soon fixed and then things carried on as before. And what really impressed me was that all the managers and coordinators got stuck right in, even doing stocking and chippie filling when needed. So even though I was bloody knackered by thru time my shift finished, I left happy. I bumped into Sarah from HRC on the way out, and we got some food at the American Adventure (where I gave out the aforementioned four keys card) and then got a space to watch the fireworks. It was incredible actually, as Epcot had had a showing of illuminations at about half 6, for those with young families that needed to get home early on.  They then showed illuminations again at half 11, finishing with the Christmas section for the last time. For the final 5 or so minutes before the next year was about to start, they listed in turn which countries had celebrated their new years at one time, listing them in order. So china and Japan had celebrated theirs first, so they had a mini firework display set of in turn behind each of their pavilions set to themed music. They did this for all the countries around the world showcase, and the fireworks for the UK was set to Rule Britannia, and was had red white and blue fireworks.  it was way more emotional that I thought it would be, especially because at 7 in the evening everyone had cheered for the UK and I had had to not let myself think about it too much because I didn’t want to get upset while I was working thinking about everyone back home. But watching the UK fireworks was incredible, and it made me so incredibly proud to be working in Disney. And the fireworks that went off at 00:00 were literally the best I have ever experienced, especially with the atmosphere of everyone there cheering and singing and hugging each other. I just couldn’t believe that I was ending one year and opening another in such a wonderful place with so many wonderful people, and it’s made me excited all over again for the time I have left on the programme.

So, happy new year everyone! I hope you all get what you dream for in the new year

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No longer the newbie!

As of this week me and Tom are no longer the newbies at work! We’ve had another arrival group, which includes 3 people in food and beverage, so it’s another pretty small group. I first met them last Thursday for their throw in, and they all seem really lovely which is cool. But it was incredibly strange to see them in the some position that I was just a few weeks ago, and to know that they are at the very start of their Disney journey. Quite emotional actually! It’s also nice knowing that it’s getting closer and closer to the girls that I met in Manchester coming out. I don’t at all want to wish my programme away but I am really looking forward to them being here!

We had another Disney housing event as well late week- the Winter Formal. Disney hired out a couple of the Ball Rooms in the Contemporary Resort, and organised buses to take us there from housing, where they had food and a DJ and characters to meet! It was a wonderful event to be part of, because everyone dressed up lovely and it was great to see people making the effort. After a few of U went for some drinks in Applebee’s, and theonly downer on the night was that we wanted to get into Vista only so we could get the bus home, but you’re not allowed in any of the complexes that aren’t your own after 2:00, so we was told we could only come in if were we willing to receive a housing point or warning or something, which we didn’t want, so we had to walk home. That was a bit annoying, they really need to change that system as I would be none to happy if I had to walk back on my own.

I’ve done an awful lot of eating out recently, which has been good and bad. Good, because the food is incredible! Sometimes I’ve gone into work early to go to one of the other pavilions , usually Morocco or Japan for some lunch before work with someone, so it’s social as well. But with that and not going to the gym I was starting to feel a bit podgy! So I’ve tried to reduce my casual eatings out now, and the other good thing about that is that it actually saves quite a lot of money, which I want to try and out towards bigger things like a mini break! It’s finding a balance, as I don’t want to never go out, but also don’t want to be ridiculous at spending. It helps that I’ve started doing better at grocery shopping so I can make proper food to take in with me instead of just snacks. I’ve started taking in things like Pasta to heat up at work, which is a bit healthier and a lot cheaper!

Talking of money, I’ve now also opened a proper bank account here. I have a checking account, which is basically a current account, and a savings account. I actually feel a lot more settled having a proper bank account now, and it wasn’t too hard to set up- me and Tom went up to Disney University on the bus and we only had about half an hours wait before we were seen, and we’d heard it could be much longer, It means that if we want we can put our money into a savings account where we are less likely to spend it!

On my mornings before work I’ve tried to be more productive, so that means grocery shopping, or increasingly going to the gym. Maybe because I’ve never had a full time job before, but I’ve found it exhausting trying to work out and go to work! Still learning to grow up I guess haha.

Work is still fantastic, I can honestly say I do really enjoy it- sometimes, especially after a day off, I would prefer to go to a park or something, but as soon as I get into work I cheer up. Surprisingly I’m really enjoying working in the chippie, despite much preferring podium to begin with. One of the reasons may the moment podium is much busier than usual because of candlelight. Anyone who comes in the candlelight package, which is most of them, have to be in and out quickly in order to make it to the show on time, so tables get turned over quicker. This means more tables are needing to be bussed and sat. Also, because guests have made reservations quite far in advance, they expect to get whichever tables they want- outside if its warm, or inside of its cold and/or windy. If they don’t get what they want them some of them can get really quite rude, more so than guests before candlelight. Whereas at chip shop guests seem more happy in general, and I’ve had some lovely customers recently who I’ve had nice conversations with, especially if it’s quieter and I can spend more time with them.

Some times we’ll also get assigned to tasking, which is basically doing small jobs for between 1o minutes and an hour and a half. I usually do bits of stocking in this time a it is a useful job, and I’ve had some longer conversations here when guests start chatting to me and I know I have the time to talk to them as I don’t have a proper task which is nice.

On another Disney note, I saw Frozen at the cinema the other day, and it was so good! I enjoyed every second of it, mainly because the songs and animation are so beautiful!

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A whole month!

1 month down , 11 to go! God that’s depressing. This whole experience is going too fast! I feel like I’ve only been here for 2 weeks, even though I feel settled and comfortable now. The strangest thing is that I know next week there are some new people coming, so I will no longer be the newbie! I am looking forward to some more people arriving- everyone was so great to me when I arrived that I want to do the same for someone else!

So this week I’ve been mixing it up by doing things other than working, drinking and going to one of the parks. Last Wednesday housing put on an event for thanksgiving, where they gave us a free dinner and put on some music and brought out some characters for us! It took place in some fields in one of the housing complexes and it had a great atmosphere, and the food was actually well tasty! It was nice to have a night out that was a bit different instead of drinking or gong for a sit down meal, and it gave me a chance to meet some of those working in merchandise that I haven’t seen much of yet which was very nice.

meeting Donald at Thanksgiving

 

The next day I met up with several others from the UK and we went to Animal Kingdom and Hollywood studios- my first time park-hopping! It was fab because it was so quiet- we got on the safari ride, expedition Everest, tower of terror and rock n roller coaster several times each! It rained quite heavily at one point but even so it was a fun day, especially when the Christmas lights came on. It was a shame that fantasmic got cancelled because of the weather,  but I know that there is plenty oft time to see it!

I also went to the cinema for the first time since being here to see Caching Fire. It was weird being in a cinema again as it feels like it’s been ages but the film was really good and now I can’t wait for the next one to come out.  I took advantage of having afternoon start at work to go to Cici’s for a $5 pizza buffet with Sarah and have a look around the World Showcase. It was nice being in Epcot as a guest and not a cast member- it’s something I really haven’t done enough, so will try and do it more often!

I have also now completed my final training shifts! One role was beer cart which I only trained on for an hour but is pretty simple. The final role was the one I was dreading most was stocker. In this role, you have to; make sure that all the condiments, trays, cups, cookies, etc etc in the chippie are stocked; ensure that the kegs in the kegroom are full, and change them if they are not; make sure the soda machines are well stocked; keep the fridges in the bar stocked; keep the kitchen fridge stocked; beer cart stocked. I think that’s it. So basically you do all the running around and making sure that the other cast members have everything they need to perform their job. There’s a lot of lifting and running around and up and down stairs in this job, but the good news is that because you are kept busy the shift goes very fast. I had 2training shifts which actually didn’t go bad, but the park was relatively quiet. I am slightly concerned that on busy days it’s going to be incredibly hectic, and probably very stressful as everything needs stocking more regularly and people will be barking orders down the radio left right and centre. Still, I will cross that bridge when I come to it! But the main thing is that now I have done all my training I can safely say there is no job that I dislike so I can continue to have fun at work everyday!

Went to lasses again on Monday and we ended up at  karaoke bar! I loved it but I didn’t sing haha. We played flip cup as usual, and I swear I really need more practice as I am rubbish at it! And then last night to celebrate being here for a whole month, some of our arrival group went to Applebees for some dinner and drinks. 3 of us from the UK went, but in total there must have been 25 of us from all different countries. It was a cracking night and it was lovely to see how everyone was getting on in their respective jobs.

So another fab week. I am sad that this experience is going so fast- it just keeps reminding me to make the most of being here!

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Settling in

Yesterday marked my 3 week anniversary in Florida which is so crazy! Even though in some ways I’m starting to get used to it I do often feel like this is all a dream. I sometimes feel settled, and other times I feel like a complete newbie. It’s so wonderful though- some of my favourite parts of the day are when I walk through EPCOT to work in my costume and guests smile at me just because I’m a cast member. And especially at night when the lights twinkle over the lake and the music is playing it really does feel like a magical place to work.

Last Thursday I had to get up at 5 in the morning in order to get to a social security appointment. It was nothing major just had to show some paperwork but the early morning wasn’t great- but I passed everything so I should have a social security number come though soon! It only took a couple of hours so I then met my friends Eryl ( UK HRC) and Pierre (from my arrival group)and we spent the day in Animal Kingdom! It was so much fun, we introduced Pierre to rollercoasters via Expedition Everest, watched the Lion King which was amazing and scared ourselves silly on dinosaur. Me and Eryl also did the safari which we loved, though Pierre didn’t as he’s from South Africa and so sees those sorts of animals all the time! I love talking to people from other places and realizing that so many things that I consider ‘normal’ or ‘exotic’ are largely based on my experience of being British. Of course I’ve always known this, but actually talking to someone about it has been pretty cool.

I’ve also had a couple more nights out. Because so many people finish late at work we always head out at 11:30ish which is nice as it means everyone has the chance to come if they want. My second lasses was really fun though I woke up covered in glitter which just did not come off! I had to go to work with it all in my hair..not that any of the guests noticed (hopefully!). Speaking of work, it’s been really good! I’ve now been trained on chippy, so I can both work the register and also fill the orders. A couple of the chefs who work in chippy are really nice to talk to and I enjoy the role more than I thought, but it is pretty repetitive, especially as we have such a limited menu! Best part about the chip shop though is that we are a lot closer to the British Revolution band who play, so I get to listen to really good music! Just yesterday I was told it was time to take off my earning my ears sticker, as I’ve now done everything except beer cart and stocker. I didn’t really want to lose it but I guess it is time!

I’ve also been able to catch up with some other international cast members from my arrival group, which was great as I haven’t seen them as much as I thought because of different work schedules. We went to BJ’s again at Vista which was fab- their deserts are incredible, especially the oreo cookie dough!

Also finally got round to getting a phone. I spent quite a while looking at different plans etc, and  ended up with unlimited talk, text and web in the US for $35.For another $10 you could call UK landlines but I wanted to save the money and I’ll just use the internet to stay in touch!

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Working at Epcot

I swear every day just gets better and better around here. After my last post I went to the pool with a lovely Canadian girl called Chelsea who I met at the training earlier in the day, and very soon I discovered that we had loads in common, even though we had a laugh comparing Canada to the UK (I really should never complain about snow again. like, ever). After chilling in the late afternoon sun for a few hours- which was glorious- we popped back to our respective apartments to get changed and ready to meet some of the Mexicans also on our arrival date. A few I had met briefly before so it was nice to get to know them better. They took us around the Mexican pavilion and Steffani was a fantastic tour guide! Then we went to see the O Canada film which is a 360 degree film which takes you around Canada, which was a million times better than I thought and really made me want to go to Canada, so I guess it did its job! Then we gathered around the fireworks and it was really beautiful for me to see them fir the first time in so many years. I actually had a little tear, but was so happy that it didn’t turn into full-blown crying- luckily!

The next day I was in Epcot with Tom where we got shown around the UK pavilion and backstage of Epcot so we knew how to get where we needed to be. And then we went to get our costumes! I love mine, its a full skirt, with puffy sleeves and  tighter fitting top, all of which are pretty comfortable, and as far as work clothes go quite flattering and comfortable. Then for the rest of the afternoon we had MORE computer training. It was really dull and I couldn’t wait for it to be over. I had had several early starts, and with getting ready, the journey to work and taking into account I’m getting everywhere early because I’m a newbie keeno means that I’ve been getting up very early in the morning. It ha really caught up with me and I nearly fell asleep when I got home sometime in the mid-afternoon, but I tried not to as I didn’t want to mess my sleeping pattern up. So I took advantage of the cooler weather and went for a run and popped into the gym. I started to do a lot of running this summer, and even though I only did about 20 minutes it felt good just to be exercising again. By the time I got home my Kim was back from her training. Although she works in the same pavilion after traditions she received different training because she is in Merchandise and I am Food and Beverage, and we had a good catch up and an early night.

Another early start was needed, but this as for Discovery day, so no complaints! We had a talk in the morning, and the speakers were again absolutely amazing, and really made everything fun even though they were giving important and valuable information. Then we had a detailed walk around the park. We were still in professional attire, and the only smart black shoes I own are heels. I’ve just been dealing with all the walking round over the last few days, but this day the long walk was starting to get to me as my feet started to hurt! Tried to suck it up and get on with it though, and ended up having a great day- we all got to ride spaceship earth and realy get to see the layout of Epcot. We were then told we were being taken on a tour of world showcase- I nearly cried when he said it was 1.2 miles long, but he meant on a boat  which was great! Then we headed backstage for some more presentations before being taken to the UK again to meet some of the managers and coordinators. One of them- Karen- sat us down and talked through stuff, all of which was much more specific to our role which was incredibly helpful. I had been getting nervous about my job again- until that point it had been more general tips on how to be a good Disney cast member, but it was nice to have an idea of the day tasks. When this was over me and Tom met Kim and Anne-Marie, our lovely little arrival group, to have another round of Epcot and do some more rides! So we did test track, soaring and the finding nemo area before heading home because again we were quite tired.

And today was my first day in costume! It felt incredibly strange to leave my apartment wearing my outfit, but around the complexes there is such a wide variety of costumes it doesn’t really get noticed!  This was my first day entering training on my own, as it was Tom’s day off as he is getting trained later in the week when I have a break. I was training with Rob today, who I met briefly in the interviews but has already been here 3 months. I was being trained on seater position, which basically means taking a guest from the podium to wherever they will be sitting, welcoming them and chatting to them on the way. It’s pretty simple, but you have to learn all the table numbers- this isn’t a hard thing by itself but when you are new its easy to get flustered. You also have to check the ticket for any allergies or dining plans so that you can highlight them for the server. I got through the day without too many major mistakes. I sat one table in the wrong position and was obviously much slower than the others, but I don’t think I did too bad and I was enjoying it after the initial hour! Some guests were quiet, some wanted to chat loads, and there were some that would ask to change seats and I’d have to go and sort that out with the assigner, so there was a real mix of guests. I also did some bussing in the evening, so basically helping to clean and reset the table.

One thing that struck me today was how friendly and helpful all the other staff was. I mean, all Disney staff encountered so far have been great, but I’ve seen them in situations where they are there specifically  to train me. Today, when I met the staff I was the new, slow slightly clumsy girl in their everyday work situation, And since new people come in all the time I guess I expected a quick hi or half smile- just another new girl. But actually every body greeted me properly, introduced themselves and asked how I was doing which I thought was just lovely. When you are nervously scanning for a table it’s nice to see a more experienced person give you an encouraging smile! Same goes for the managers also, who asked if I was ok and if I was enjoying it. I think once I get the hang of things I’ll be very comfortable, even though there are several more jobs I need to be trained on! There were some people which I recognised vaguely from facebook or their blogs that I have read, so it was weird them introducing themselves when I already kind of knew their name haha.

After work i was exhausted but me and Kim popped to publix anyway as we needed food. I am truly tired even after only one day of this, but I enjoyed it more than I thought so I feel very positively about it.

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Traditions, training and four loko

Another busy few days, so I thought I would update before I start forgetting things!

After my last post I skyped my Dad for the first time since arriving which was really nice, and then I caught the bus from commons over to Vista Way where we had some more immigration work to take care of. For some reason none of my hire documentation was online, but the staff were great and said they would take care of all of it and I was not to worry. While waiting in the que I sat next to a girl who recognised me from the facebook group which was nice, so I got the bus home with her and we had a nice chat. On the way to Vista I had bumped into my friend Sammy who I had met at both the interviews and Manchester, so I was well excited to see her, She invited me round to her flat on the night for pre drinks before going out to Downtown Orlando, which I of course accepted!

In the afternoon Alex met me Kim and Anne Marie to show us the outlets that are near by and some of the supermarkets that are in walking distance. One thing that really struck me was how friendly everyone was- even in the small stores the cashiers greeted us really warmly which I was SO not expecting! It was useful to have chance to go to another supermarket and I came away with a fair bit of stuff (including nandos sauce).

I was pretty tired when I got back, as I think the jet lag had caught up with me, so I went back home after Vista to do a bit of tidying and to have a nap. It was so hard to get up as I honestly felt like I could have slept through the night, but I managed to get up and cobble together a Halloween outfit. To be honest it was basically a big football shirt but I used some eye shadow to try and look like I had bruises- not the best but pretty good for my limited resources! I went round to Sammy’s place as she lives in the same complex as me and bless her she had bought me a can of four loko to celebrate my arrival! I got to meet quite a few more of the Disney CRPs and they were again really lovely, so it was great to get to meet them, Then we went clubbing in downtown Orlando! I had so much fun and I found downtown…interesting haha. Was definitely feeling it in the morning though, so I took advantage of the day off to have a decent lie in. Then Kim’s friend Josh came to see her- they had met in their own interviews, which took place before mine, so us three went out for a little wonder round the shops and explored the local area. Then me and Kim chilled in our room for a bit before deciding to go out to Downtown Disney again to have another wonder which again was great- the atmosphere was brilliant as there were so many people and types of music. I still can’t wrap my head round the fact that I’ll be here for a year!

Next morning was the day that I had been waiting for…Traditions! We got up really early to get ready into our first day of business attire and then get the bus up to the Disney University (yes, such a thing exists).  The day was to basically introduce us to the company- its past, present and future. Me Kim and Anne-Marie sat at a table with a lovely Canadian called Carolyn who we became fast friends with. The room itself was beautiful with a massive mural on eiother side of the room of Disney characters. I answered the first question correctly and got rewarded with a critter, which is a little figurine that you can only get in a traditions class. I got 2 more throughout the day, one fore being voted team other because me and my team won a round where we had to list as many Disney animated characters as possible. I was so happy to get  my little critters- I got Pluto, Donald and Daisy. The presenters were fantastic and gave us loads of useful and interesting stuff but gave it in a way that felt entertaining to listen to. We also got a tour around Magic Kingdom where the demonstrated different features which made the park as great an experience as possible, Even though it was raining really heavily I had a great time. As team leader I had to keep an eye on my team to make sure they didn’t get lost, but it was pretty easy as we all stuck together anyway.

I couldn’t believe when traditions was over, but I was excited to know what I would be doing next. On the way out Anne-Marie saw a friend also finishing her traditions, who had a car and took us to Mall at Millenia which is BEAUTIFUL to look at phone options, and to a supermarket so we could get some heavy stuff which was so kind of her.

And the today after I was back at Disney University for food training. It was mainly basic computer stuff so it was really boring but I got chatting to some nice people and went to the costume building after to get my GORGEOUS (lol, jokes) non-slip shoes for work. I get to finally go to EPCOT for work tomorrow which I am so so excited for as I’ll get to see where I’ll be working!

A lot can happen in a few days it seems! Will keep things posted as long as I am busy

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Less than 2 weeks left!

Been a while since I last posted so I thought I would give a little update 🙂

Since my last post several more people have had offers which is great news! There are 4 people left on our opportunity list, who are really nice girls, so I hope some more offers will be rolling out soon! I think that means around 7-9 people from our opp list now has an offer. I hope this helps people see that the opportunity list is not a bad thing at all, most of us have dates now and all the waiting has been completely worth it! Applications have now opened again, and I know some people who got through to the pre-screen interviews applied again. Unfortunately no many of them seem to have gotten through the first application stage, which is a real shame. It made me realise how lucky I am to be going to Disney on my first application. I think the first stage must be the hardest and I bet a lot of luck is involved, so to anyone who is applying please don’t be disheartened if you don’t get through the first stage.

I kept trying to log in to the Disney website in order to pay my programme assessment fee. It wasn’t letting me log in, and I wanted to make sure it was paid before I went, so I emailed Disney directly and they emailed me saying it should be working now- which it was! Not long after I got an email asking me to fill in an online form requesting which apartment complex and type I would like to live in. I put Patterson as my first choice and would like it to be a 3-bedroom, as I think 6 would be a nice number. Having said that, I don’t think I’ll mind too much where I go, as everyone I have spoken to says they love where they live, regardless of which complex they are in. I’ve put in to try and get an apartment with a girl called Kim who is arriving on the same date and who I have been speaking to loads

I did a practice pack today, to see if I can take everything I need in my luggage allowance. Luckily it went well, I packed most things and my suitcase came in at just under 30kgs, which is the upper limit I’m allowed to take on the plane. It made me feel better as I was concerned it was going to be too heavy, but it’s all fine!  Packing was well strange- trying to fit a year of your life into one suitcase! It still felt like I was packing for a holiday! Got me so so excited though so it was a bit of a shame when I had to put everything back.  It’s all starting to feel so real now! I just want to et over there!

I’ve done all of my shopping now I think. I plan to spend the next 2 weeks picking up any final bits and bobs, and saying goodbye to people. Will update when I have more to update on! Lots of love,

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