righty-ho!

Last blog for a while me thinks!! Can't believe I'm going in 3 days!!! It's too exciting!!! Not quite sure how I'm going to pack all this stuff though, I've only put my tops in and its already full! uh-oh!

Hope everyone has an amazing time!! Bon Voyage people!xxx

If you're going to America clap your hands!!...

Yes that was the song our group had to sing during orientation haha. It was quite fun really; a very enthusiastic Andy talked a lot about his camp, which we never learned the name of I don't think! And we got either a free frisby or water bottle from the Trek America man which was also nice (I chose water bottle to save me from buying one). Free stuff is the best kind of stuff.

3weeks today until I go to Clearpool!!! It's going soooo fast! I started buying a few cool (as in temperature) and summery clothes, and I've just been told that we have to wear a tshirt they provide... I'm sure I read that we get to wear our own clothes. oh well. This way I won't have to worry about the 'what am I going to wear!' dilemma. Lol just kidding, I never really care what I'm wearing, as long as it fits!

How is everyone else getting on with preparation?! This sunny weather must be nice skin prep for the heat to come! yay. Beware of the tshirt sun tan though! Its nice as a song by the Stereophonics but not in real life :)

Oh and I got my visa/passport and Camp America tshirt yesterday! Was just in time aswell, I was leaving my house just as the posty person knocked! The tshirt is red!! I never knew that... I like it. It says 'Bam! I'm here! Doing Camp America-type things!'

Bamboleoooo!

I love that song. It may become my official summer theme song; Good old Gypsy Kings :)

I've just read my last entry- what a moaning minnie! Anyway I'm extremely excited!!

My exams are over!

I've had my visa appointment!

Sent off all the relevant forms for my camp!

And the sun is shining its little sunny-heart out!

Lovely Jubbly!

Visa appointment went smoothy smooth, was in and out within half an hour! I liked the Argos-like ticket system they had going, that was fun... listening to "N256 to booth 12 please" over and over but with different numbers. Ah well all done now :) The trip to London was lush aswell because me and my mum went shopping and sight-seeing and we went to see Wicked! Which was actually wicked!

Really looking forward to orientation in Bristol on Wednesday, that should be interesting, I hear they make us sing! :\

On to the fun stuff now then, shopping! I need to buy quite a few things which will only take me deeper into my overdraft but they are all essential! like clothes and a suitcase and adapters etc.

Hope everyone is enjoying the boiling weather!! It's good preparation for the warm rays to come your way over the summer!! xxx

anybody want a peanut?

Urgh there's so much to do and it feels like so little time to do it in.

It's a bloody good job i'm only in my first year of uni because these exams coming up have been put on the back burner for a bit while my brain gets untangled.

I have to send off the stack of forms my camp have sent me about drug testing and 'are you an alien?'

And send off my medical form to Camp America.

Then I have my visa meeting on 20th, my last exam is on 19th so I have to pack for London whilst revisin? and do my exam then rush home, get the train down to London, and go the next morning.

Then it's my mum's birthday on the 23rd, so need to get her a present for that.

Then it's my orientation meeting in Bristol so I need to buy train tickets there... and back of course.

Then I've got another death injection on 2nd June which you just know I'll have to pay for.

Need to book my return flight from America back to London.

And my dad's coming down for the Wales vs South Africa rugby which should be aaace.

Then I'm possibly going home for a couple of days before the major countdown week of packing and making sure I've got all my forms.

I have to go all of this AND revise for my 3 exams which are all next week and the week after and I haven't started yet.

Aaaaand I have no money to do all this with. Seriously... none.

Aaaaaaaaaaand to top it all off, O'Neills have just rang me offering me a job that I applied for about a month ago! So I'm going to get some black trousers now and try and figure out a way to not piss them off with my complete clumisness.

This was just a massive rant and rave really wasn't it? I think I'm just the least organised person ever so that's why it seems like a lot to figure out, but despite all this stuff, I am so incredibly excited about camp! Can't wait to start packing and get it all out the way, sorted.

It's going to be an amazing experience! I hope everyone has a lush summer! :) :) :)

got a package... ;)

So I got my Camp America stuff in the post! The joyous event was slightly marred by me falling down the last 3 stairs to get to it, but no worries... I'm fine!

Not being funny, but when I read that we get a sticker I was really excited, so I get it and it's this flimsy little doodle cut from a piece of A4. Not impressed.

I am impressed that they give us our very own plastic wallet though... quality.

Anyway I've finally begun filling out the monster visa form online. The first time was a bit of a write off because I spent ages preparing, making sure I had everything I needed around me, click start and realise that I forgot to get a passport photo... oh well. I got one eventually and I've filled in as much as I can to the best of my ability.

There was one bit I was confused about though- the previous employment bit. Because I didn't know whether it meant full-time work or any work. I've had part-time jobs on the side to my studenting (it's a word) but I've still always just thought of myself as a student. So should I put 'yes' to having previous employment and put my part-time work in? Or should I put 'no' because I've remained a student...??

It said 'have you had any PREVIOUS employment?' and this came after the page with the 'what are you?' thing (student/training/employed etc), so does that mean previous to being a student? Or previous to coming to uni? Because to be honest, what is the likelihood of someone being employed before they became a student? they'd be like 5 years old...

Am I just making this more confusing than it needs to be? Or does this baffle others too??

Aside from this pure mystification I'm quite looking forward to Embassy day, my mum's coming with me to stand outside and hold my electricals, and then I'm going to treat her to a musical or something because it'll be her birthday like 2 days later. Should be good!

xxx

Oh and update on the daylight doctor robbery- my wonderfully generous doctors said, because it's only a small form, they'll only charge me £100... how lovely of them!!! not.

Money and lack there of...

I haven't written in like an entire 6 days!

So I thought I'd fill the void by telling you all that I've literally just recieved my Visa appointment date: 20th May at 9:30am!

Very excited and whatnot. I'm going to have to get the train the night before and stay in a hostel or something, because its a bit far from Cardiff and I'm not sure trains run before 7am?? Do they?? Why would they?! It's extremely early and silly.

I still haven't recieved my Visa pack thingy in the post but I'm still keeping my eyes peeled for it, awaiting it with anticipation like Christmas morning... only more important! :)

I'm a bit livid over the medical form. My stupid doctor is guna charge me £140!!!! For ticking some boxes! He's taking the Michael! They need to understand that students need that £140 for the little things, you know, like food and bills and general life! Ugh!

Other than this, I'm extremely happy- found some lovely people going to the same camp as me on Bookface so that's exciting and I'm saving as much money as I can (medical form joke aside) for travelling afterwards... joy!!

Anyway, I have no other news, I do however have 3000 words to write by Thursday so I better get on with that...

Ta-tar!xx

visa malarky...

Information from this place comes in waves!

Don't hear anything for 5 months then, out of nowhere, a quick phone call from overseas and within an hour I've been placed!

Don't hear/ recieve any information for a week... (just enough time to calm down) and I get my flight details AND my visa appointment in one knock!

The first one is good! I am suuuuper excited to get my flight details! Got a flight number and everything!!! I guess that's normal... but to me, flight numbers are very special, exciting things!

Unfortunately though, the Visa appointment is on the same day as one of my many stupid, silly exams.

So I've had to email enquiries@campamerica.co.uk and ask them what I do?! Has this happened to anyone?? How do I re-arrange?

On a separate note; I really fancy some Vienetta!

This is NOT GOOD!!!

Okay, so I should be getting on with my work (8000 words by Wednesday), but I can't stop checking my Camp America Direct thingy!!!

That on top of the already incredibly addictive Facebook and it's not looking too good!!!

Silly hypnotic technology!!

Right now I'm waiting for my Visa shizzz to be sent in the post, so I'm mentally twiddling my thumbs for something to be getting on with... besides doing my essays.

I may aswell tell you about myself...

I'm Rachel/ Rach-  I'm a 22 year old student in Cardiff (originally from Wrexham, North Wales, heard of it??) studying English and Popular Culture.

What's that? I hear you cry!

Popular Culture is basically a blend of everything; media, film, music, icons, fandom and general British cultural identity. It's actually very interesting but I have no clue what I want to do with it in the not-too-distant future!

I love music of all types! All films! All kinds of different books! And really love seeing live music; it's such a different experience from listening to it on a cd or record.

I'm sooo excited about going to America for the summer!! I've lived abroad before, (I went to an art college in Cyprus for 6 weeks when I was 17) but this is completely different!! I'll be looking after people! scary! But it's still going to be amaaaazing meeting all kinds of people!

Good luck to the people still waiting to be placed! It's so rubbish not knowing! Fingers crossed!xxxx

oh my...

Just been placed in Clearpool Education Centre!!

Very very, super duper excited!

But a bit worried because I haven't heard off anyone about visa or flights or dates and stuff...?

Should be soooo fun though!

I wonder if there are any other Welshy's on here??

And also, for some reason, I can't figure out how to upload a profile picture... hmmm.

xxx