Starting to get my bearings

Still in London, will be for the rest of the week.

Decided to sleep in this morning.  Figured I could, so why not.  Was quite nice.

After the failure with sorting important things yesterday, I decided to give it another crack today.  This translated in my head as go for a walk around Hammersmith to see what the place I am staying in looked like, grab some breakfast and see how things work out.  Surprisingly well as a matter of fact.  Finally managed to get my phone to accept it's new sim card and then realised that I hadn't been able to contact the right people about my NI number because I was in fact trying to call the wrong number.  With the correct number I managed to contact them and they will apparently get back to me.  So a successful morning.

About this time, with the weather being relatively warm and sunny, one of the guys at the flat decided that heading to the pub would be the most productive use of our time.  I agreed with that thinking.  So both beer and time passed, until I put down my glass and headed toward Hyde Park.  After forgetting one yesterday and being told by a couple of people what a stupid idea that was, I took one today.

It turns out Hyde Park is quite big.  Quite a bit bigger than I thought.  After half an hour of walking through the park I got to the end.  However rather than walking the length of the park like I thought I had, I had walked the short width.  This put my half a map in alot sharper perspective.  Never the less I continued to explore and a couple of hours later, I feel that I have now seen atleast half of what the park has to offer.  It may require several more visits over the next few years.  On the positive side, I got to play with squirrels.  Any day involving squirrels is a good day in my book.

A curious squirrel

Memorial for the London bombings

Part of the Princess Diana memorial

Flowering tulips

Royal Albert Hall

Albert Memorial

Kensington Palace

Lost in London

My first day in London, if like me, you do not count the couple of hours I was conscious last night before passing out, was mostly spent wandering aimlessly and lost. I started out with lofty ideals, but ended up just plain confused.

Last night I arrived and miraculously found my way from Heathrow to my mates flat without getting lost. After a shower and a quick catch up, we headed to the pub for dinner then called it a night.

This morning she headed off to work and I thought I would try to organise my insurance number and bank account today. Neither of which I got even close to achieving. Although I now know what I actually have to do.  Instead,  today was spent wandering around lost and discovering half of the monopoly board (without my camera, sorry).  In wandering I found myself outside Buckingham Palace at the changing of the guard,  along with thousands of school kids.  After walking through a park I looked up to discover that I was standing under Big Ben.  I followed the river around and ended up at St Paul's cathedral.  Walking down The Strand and Fleet St, I somehow got back to Chinatown near Piccadilly for lunch.  A trip down through Leicester Square delivered me to Trafalgar Square and where I spent my afternoon.

On the edge of Trafalgar Square is one of the entrances to the National Gallery. It is filled with paintings by famous people who I had both heard of and never heard of.  Evenme, who isn't really all that interested in paintings found it fascinating.  As shown by the fact that I managed to spend most of the afternoon there.

So although it wasn't a productive day, it was fun.  Also surprisingly it was a sunny day. After cloud and rain yesterday and everyone saying how damp the UK is, long may the sun last.

Gooo....!

And thats it. All of the planning and packing done, all the stress done (well probably not, but I'm allowed some wishful thinking), tearful goodbyes completed. Now off into the wide unknown. Wellington to Auckland, Auckland to Singapore and Singapore to London. Time for alot of boredom and reflection as I spend 30 something hours pushing on through to the other side.

Next stop Europe...

Steady...

With only a few days left to go before the adventure begins, it was time for a farewell tour. A chance to travel around and say goodbye to friends and family. The trip started with the farewell to Kristine. A sad farewell at the airport and the end of the way things had been. As she left, I flew to Hamilton to do a greatest hits sort of farewell tour. Unfortunately I couldn't visit everyone and everywhere that I would have liked, so missed seeing some people I would have liked to see.

The first night was spent with my sister and her hunter and collector. Was a nice chance to see them again and was followed by a comfortable day of quiet relaxation. The following night was spent in Cambridge. A return to my old hometown and a chance to catch up with old friends. This turned into a night of drinking, celebrating and meeting new friends. Eventually we staggered home and I was delivered to my grandmother's house by a sober driver that ended her night early specifically to drop me off. Thank you.

Sunday meant a trip to Tauranga. A chance to see an uncle and some cousins that I hadn't seen for several years. News was exchanged and updates on life, all over a delicious lunch. Dinner back in Cambridge with Grandma, sister and other half, before a quiet night of conversation and whisky with Grandma.

On the road again, bus from Cambridge to Palmerston North. A catch up with my old boss, night at my sister's, sold my car, finished off sorting some stuff and a mini family lunch before taking the bus to Masterton to see the other side of the family. With a cousin visiting home from Perth, a family dinner was a good way to catch up with and uncles, aunts, cousins and Granmair.

A couple of days in Wellington with my parents while I pack, then I am off. Jetsetting around the world. Nerves are kicking in...

Ready....

Well this has taken a while to update.   It has been a busy time with a lot on:
Finished work
Packed
Sold a whole lot of stuff
Moved most of my things to my parents
and certianly not least, misplaced someone very important to Australia

Quitting work was an awesome and confused feeling.  Was great in the fact that it meant that I was another step closer to actually starting this big adventure.  However, I had enjoyed working there and will miss the people.  Hopefully future jobs will match up to it.

House was packed and moved.  Largely to thank for that happening within the tight time frame were my family and the ever amazing Kristine.  They got everything packed, moved, stored and organised, while also managing to prevent me from stressing and getting overwhelmed with it all.  As a bit of a bonus all the best things that I had, may have been repurposed by others while I am away.

All of that was followed by a much needed break for 4 days on the Wairarapa coast.  While the holiday was a great chance to relax before taking the first steps of my trip.  Unfortunately it was slightly overshadowed by the knowledge that I would be shortly losing the person who had been with me since even before we started through the ups and downs of the planning.  While this chance to embark into Europe is a spectaculor opportunity,  it came with the cost of saying goodbye to Kristine.  She would not be going with me, but heading off to star in her own adventures through the Australian outback and southern Africa.  I hope that it all goes well for her and that she has even more fun and gets more enjoyment from her trip than I do.  I will miss her.

Getting the speed wobbles

So the wheels just about fell off on Friday.  Just as everything was picking up pace and falling into place, we hit a speed bump of a week.

Over the past couple of weeks things had been falling into place.  I had quit my job, my passport was applied for and I had signed off on a final day with the landlord.  Everything was looking good.  Until last week...

Firstly I was told that my plans for my visa were not going to work.  If I want the Youth mobility visa then I will have to get it right from the first time I enter the UK.  So by the time I get back from my Contiki trip, I have automatically lost the first couple of months of my work visa.  Unfortunately there isn't much that I can do about that except accept and move on.

Then on Friday came the kicker.  Contiki has cancelled my trip because they do not feel that Egypt is safe enough.  While I can see this from their point of view as a business,  it sucks for me.  I was given the option of changing to the Greek islands option instead of Egypt,  or getting credit to do a different trip.  Egypt was a massive part of the reason I picked the trip that I did.  In the end I chose the Greek islands option as it still means that I get to go to places such as Turkey.  Still I feel that this is a by far a second place option and am disappointed.   Looks like I will have to do Egypt on my own at some point.

We are go for launch

All systems green, we are go for launch in T minus 11 weeks!

It's all official.  I am definitely leaving.  Tickets are bought and work informed of my resignation.  Kind of a surreal feeling actually.  Feels a bit like the brakes have been taken off and I'm in that period of calm before the acceleration hits.  The world and it's stabilising posts releasing and focusing forward.

So I bought my flights and Contiki trip a few months ago.  All bought and paid for.  A big outlay of cash, but hopefully that is the immediate bulk of it and now I can work on filling in the gaps.  With how hectic general life is, I don't think that I had mentioned that on here yet.  But bought and paid for and the beginning of my trip set in stone.  I fly Wellington to London via Singapore at the beginning of April, a week there to see London and catch up with friends, then The Ultimate European + Egypt tour starting on the 13th April.

However with that sorted there wasn't that much of a feeling of anything done.  Maybe because it was so far away (booked 6 months early) or because it seems more like a holiday than a change to everyday life at this stage.  Today though, I handed in a formal resignation letter at work.  They knew I was going, but until today there had never been anything formal or a final date.  No more.  Last day of work... 20 March 2014!  Nine weeks and counting...

Now the planning rate picks up.  I have been looking at visa and passport details, which will have to be sorted soon so that they can be processed.  Also need to sort insurance soon and discuss final dates with my landlord.  In no time at all I will be homeless and jobless.  I can't wait.