My First Blog / Preperations and stuff

Only 4 months to go until i jet off to Thailand! Or 16 weeks, which sounds a whole heap scarier, so I'll stick to counting down in months for now if that's OK. Well, i suppose i should get you up to speed on what been happening so far. OK, the to do list reads as follows...

• Sort out new photo for passport


• Apply for new passport


• Get vaccinations


• Apply for working Visa

The new passport photo was taken. God bless SnappySnaps for making me look half decent! The passport was applied for and everything was dandy and they sent it back to me within 3 weeks, which was very speedy, so thanks to Mr Passport Office ( as im sure that's his offical title) for being super efficient.

A quick word of advice to those of you thinking or planning to travel...get your vaccination jabs done as soon as possible! i kinda left mine a little too late and am now paying the price by going on accelerated courses of inoculations, which basically means I'm being stuck with a needle pretty much every week and to top it all off I'm paying for the privilege too. My lovely local doctors have given me my boosters already for Typhoid, Diphtheria, Hep A, and a few others i cant remember (they were free! yay) and a 3 month course of Hep B (which was £60, boo) But I'm having to travel a few miles down the road to get the more 'hardcore' vaccines from the Travel clinic, these include Rabies and Japanese B Encephalitis all of which will come to the grand total of £280! I KNOW!!! OUCH...in more ways than one! But this is why I've been saving like crazy, but it just seems so unfair to have to pay for something that, yes OK will save my life but, it really does hurt when Nursey takes aim at my upper arm and stabs me like she's going for the bulls eye on a dart board. Still, it's the last lot of 'hardcore' vaccines tomorrow and then on Thursday it's the 2ND lot of Hep B, then only one more of those next month and then its a blood test to make sure I'm immune and then if I'm not....well, then I'm planning on crawling into a corner to have a bit of a cry. But that's a little way off yet, so fingers crossed it'll all be worth it.

I still have to apply for the working visa, but the very helpful man at the language school in Phuket told me to wait until a month before i leave to send that off, as they are activated the moment they are issued. That is the only thing that I'm nervy about really, i mean...what if they say ''No''?! Again, its a little way off yet so i need to stop worrying.

Apart from saving those beautiful monthly pay cheques to help me with my trip, I'm planning on also subsidising my Thai adventure by selling handmade jewellery at craft fairs with my good friend Clare who also makes gorgeous jewellery. It's my first craft fair this year and I'm soooo excited. I've been slightly obsessed with making stuff and getting the display sorted that I have made my old bedroom at my mum and dads into a total beaded bomb site! (Sorry mum and Dad xxx) But it will all be worth it when we sell our fabulous stuff (and it really is fabulous, no crappy crafting for us, oh no!!) and make a million......well OK, probably not a million but at least breaking even with a little bit of a profit, that would be amazing!! The fair isn't until the 21st of June so Clare and i still have a little bit of time left to get ourselves ready. So if you fancy coming down to see our wonderful stall and many others besides, then come to Shenfield Common (Essex) on Sunday 21st June! Hopefully it will be a bright and sunny day to bring out the crowds. I'm off to make myself a cheese and ham sandwich now...mmmm...foooood, but ill let you know how tomorrows jabs go. C x