9 days....

Well the farewell was 10 times bigger than I anticipated! I still can't get my head around just how many people showed up.....!!! Also, there was some dude there having his 21st and I'm pretty sure all my mates well and truely out numbered his.....how embarassing!

Still - it was a fantastic night and a big huge THANKYOU to everyone who came....!!

I finally have my Russian, Vietnemese & Chinese visas in my hot little hands...about time too...it bizarre to see them in my passport. It hard to believe how many months of head aches there was just for a couple of little stickers in your passport....

Well I am well and truely organised now. I have bought everything I need, recieved my final pay from work, and now everything is just sitting in a giant pile all over our spare room....

I'm going to one more trial pack this weekend before the final pack is done...just so I can get an idea of the weight.

Also - I can finally see the weather on the day I arrive...! 33C & light showers at the moment....and will probably stay that way for a while....

I have added a photo album to the left of the page aswell....I'm not actually sure if i'm going to use it or not so if you look and there are no pictures...I apoloigise....!

Ok, I think thats all I have to say...apart from the fact I am REALLY REALLY EXCITED!!!!!!!

Jess

14 Days....

Well, I finally finished up at work yesterday. It's a bit weird, becuase I thought I would be really upset.....but I wasn't. I was just void....I had no feeling at all. As I over analyse everything, it kept me awake most of the night just trying to work out why didn't seem to feel any emotion about it. The only conclusion I could come up with is that perhaps the whole trip thing hasn't actually hit me yet. It's as if I don't believe I will actually leave until I have gone.

Don't get me wrong, I am completely beside myself with excitement about leaving....however the idea of leaving my family and friends for an indefinite period of time hasn't really sunk in. It concerns me a little, because it either means I'm made of stone (which I know I'm not), or its going to hit me really really hard soon. As you can imagine, I'm not looking forward to the moment it all hits me....

I've felt myself getting worked up a little bit. Just about dumb stuff, which shows to me that I am little bit anxious about going. So its a nice mix of being anxious and excited...which is a pretty cool feeling. I've always found the weeks leading up to going somewhere is the best feeling in the world. All that excitement and preperation.....awesome...

It is also really mad to be able to say that in two weeks time, I will have landed at Sydney Airport and will be waiting to board my flight to Ho Chi Minh City....wow!!

All the guys at work gave me a really awesome card with some pretty funny messeges in it, and they did a collection and gave me $225 in cash. So that was awesome....thats like another 2 weeks travelling in south east asia!

I have my farewell party tonight at the pub, which should be good. Theres about 30 - 40 people going. Its a really shitty day outside, which means the pub shouldn't be overly packed. I should be enjoying all this bad weather, considering its about 34C in Phnom Penh in Cambodia at the moment....!!!!

Till next time...

Jess

25 Days....

I thought I better post on here to let everyone know my russian visa came through!!! So now I can finally start sleeping ok again....

Not to much to talk abot this week. I finish up work next week which I can't wait for. However, it's quite a funny feeling walking around there at the moment. I've worked at Clive Peeters for nearly 6 years (since I was 16), so to think I am leaving and never going back there is a pretty surreal feeling. I have changed so much over the years I have worked there, and will be leaving people I have known for longer than some of my closest mates. I have pretty much grown up there! However, I certainly don't feel bad leaving. I think I have well and truly had enough of retail for the minute. But you never know, I'l probably end up in retail in the UK because I wont be able to find anything else!!

I had a trial pack of my backpack a couple of weeks ago, to see how heavy and how much more room I had to fit stuff. It only ended up weighing 9.kg!! And I just about ahd everything in there I needed. It was a weird sight looking at all my clothes and stuff on the floor ready to be packed. I was like "This is my life for the next 10 months.....", but it didn't look any where near enough...but I think I have everything covered.

This is what I am taking:

CLOTHES

Shoes:
Salomen Hiking Boots
Brooks running shoes
Haviana Thongs
Tee-shirts:
x4 tee shirts
x4 singlet tops
x2 long sleeve tee’s (to wear under t shirts)
Jumpers:
x1 Fleece Jumper
Jackets:
x1 Gortex Rain Jacket
Pants
x1 Jeans
x1 long quick drying pants
x1 ¾ quick drying pants
Underwear & Socks
x14 bonds underwear
x12 long socks
x3 bras
Pajamas
· x2 shorts & singlet combo pj’s
Hats
· x3 Bandanas/Head Bands
· x2 Caps (stussy hat & hurley hat)
TOILETRIES
· x1 Shampoo/conditioner combo
· x1 Liquid Soap
· x1 Moisturiser
· x1 Hair brush
· x1 Roll On Deodorant
· x2 Micro Fiber Towels
· x1 Micro Fiber Face Washer
· Toilet Rolls
· x2 Chapsticks/Blistix
· Baby wipes
· Hand sanitiser
FIRST AID KIT
Band aids
Bandages
Sewing Kit
Shoe Laces (x1 for Salomens, x1 for Brooks)
Swiss Army Knife
Bushmans Gel (x3)
Sun cream
GUIDEBOOKS
Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia & The greater Mekong
China
Scandinavia
ELECTRONICS
Ipod + Charger
Digital Camera + Charger
Power adaptors Asia, Europe & The UK

Doesn't seem like much hey????? I just can't think of anything else to take!!

Anyway, that covers everything I needed to write about at the moment. My Chinese & Vietnemise visas are due back in about 2 weeks and then I'm good to go...scary!

Cheers,

Jess

33 Days To Go

Ok, so first off I apoligise to all the regular readers of this blog for the lack of updates. Everytime I sit down to write I think that what I am about to write is stupid so I stop....however I realised I am writing this blog for myself aswell as everyone else so now I will write what I want....

33 days to go....god I can't belive how quick this is all comming up now. I finally gave my official letter of resignation to work last week. That didn't really come as any major suprise...although some of my managers said they were hoping I might change my mind. I think at the moment...I'm more excited about finishing work than actually going overseas...!

I'm still waiting on my Russian visa to come back...there was some delay because of public holidays etc. Everything appears to be ok though.....although I don't think I will be able to sleep properly until all my visas and my passport are back in my hand.

Aside from my visas, I pretty much have everything else organised. My friend Brad is in Vietnam and Cambodia at the moment and has been keeping my informed of different places to stay. One thing he has mentioned to me is how him and his friends have not booked any accomodation the whole way through South East Asia. So I have now decided to take the same approach. I think it will be a bit of a laugh to rock up in each place and have to find somewhere to sleep. Well, it will probably be funny until I can't find anywhere to stay....then it will probably really really suck. But I'l cross that bridge when I come to it...! I have booked my first 4 nights in Ho Chi Minh City but thats it.

The whole South East Asia segment fo my trip is pretty much as organised as it can be....I'm going to spend the next 2 days going through China again and making sure I am happy with everything I have semi-planned.

I have finally started sending out invites to my farewell on the 23rd of February. That should be a bit of fun. I just need to make sure I don't drink to much, because then I will probably just cry all night...which is never a good look when you have had a few....!

Ok, well I think that is everything I need to write about today. Will update again soon once I get my visas back....

Cheers,

Jess