Showing posts with label gap year. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gap year. Show all posts

Friday, 22 June 2012

Quick Update... Succeeding in my University Degree and Travelling Across the Globe...

Hi there!

I know I haven't posted in a while, but I have a pretty good reason.... I've been so busy accepting my 2.1 degree (!!!) from the University of Birmingham and packing for my USA adventure that I really haven't had much time to write which has made me very sad. HOWEVER, I'm now sat on the top bunk at my West Hollywood hostel, Banana Bungalow, filling you in on my most recent goings-on.


*This is what a 2.1 student looks like when she's going out for lunch...*

That's right readers, in spite of my 2.2 from my second year of university (which carried over as 25% of my overall degree classification) I managed SOMEHOW through hard work, determination, and enduring a soul-less existence for a year, to achieve a 2.1. I was absolutely gob-smacked with my success as I had really lost all hope of getting a good grade, purely because I found final year to be nothing but incapacitating pressure. But I guess the pressure must have worked for me for some reason as I magically managed to get a degree classification which reflects my abilities and the hard work I have put in. My parents were very happy for me, and we're all very proud. And surprised, and thankful to whatever greater being allowed this to be. Thanks readers once and for all for being here for me and waiting for me while I had to take that long blog-break all those months ago. I guess it paid off!

As I say, I'm now in West Hollywood and I've been awake for just over 26 hours so far as today was my travel day. I'm going to grab me some shut eye in a minute as I'm absolutely exhausted and I'd like to get up tomorrow morning to take the fantastic *sarcastic eyebrow raise* Los Angeles public transport system to Venice Beach. Haha, not looking forward to navigating the buses but the beach should be incredible.

I was really nervous about coming here last night when I was packing in Stoke-on-Trent. However, now I'm here I can see I really had nothing to be frightened about. I've always loved my own company and meeting new people and roaming around, so I feel a bit like this trip is going to be one of the best things I've ever done in my life. Of course, I've only just got here and my positivity may be something to do with the Taco Bell induced euphoria I'm enjoying at the moment... But watch this space!

Over the next few days I'd like to post up a few different items on my To-Do List. But I'm not sure if I'll have time/energy when there's so much else to do... Forgive me if I'm a naughty blogger while I'm away. I absolutely promise *pinky swear* that if I forget to post or don't have chance to do so as frequently as I would like, I will make a note every time I have a post idea and  get them all typed up for you when I'm back. Expect shopping hauls, backpacking-inspired beauty tutorials, travel reviews and more.

Love and snuggles
gabriellasofia
x

Sunday, 27 May 2012

2012 Summer Adventure... USA Road Trip Itinerary


I recently mentioned in a blog post that I'm heading to the United States with G Adventures for between four and five weeks. I'm going to be flying out to Los Angeles on the 21st of June and won't be flying back until the 27th of July so I have to fill that time with lots of fun things! My G Adventures tour begins in San Francisco on the 30th of June and lasts until the 22nd of July traveling across the country hitting up big cities and national parks alike. So as you can see, I have about a week either side of my tour, one in Los Angeles (some of which time I'll be traveling to San Francisco in time for the tour) and one in New York city where my uncle is currently living so I hope to share some time with him there! I'll probably do a post about the things I'd like to do either side of my tour. HOWEVER, this post is all about my actual Coast-to-Coast Road Trip Eastbound itinerary, so check out what I'll be doing...

30th June 2012
5.00pm Arrive at Best Value Inn 505 O’Farrell Street For G-Adventures Tour!
Day 1 San Francisco



1st July 2012
Day 2 San Francisco/Yosemite NP (L,D)
3 hours travelling

2nd July 2012
Day 3 Yosemite NP (B,L,D)


3rd July 2012
Day 4 Yosemite NP/Bishop (B,L,D)
4 hours and 30 minutes travelling

4th July 2012
Day 5 Death Valley NP/Las Vegas (B,L)
7 hours and 30 minutes travelling

5th July 2012
Day 6 Las Vegas
FREE DAY



6th July 2012
Day 7 Las Vegas/Grand Canyon NP (L,D)
5 hours travelling

7th July 2012
Day 8 Grand Canyon NP/Monument Valley (B,L)
3 hours and 30 minutes travelling



8th July 2012
3 hours 30 minutes travelling
Day 9 Monument Valley/Mesa Verde NP
1 hour travelling
Mesa Verde NP/Durango

9th July 2012
Day 10 Taos/Santa Fe (B,L,D)
4 hours travelling

10th July 2012
Day 11 Santa Fe (B)
FREE DAY

11th July 2012
Day 12 Carlsbad (B,D)
6 hours 30 minutes travelling

12th July 2012
Day 13 Fort Stockton/San Antonio (B,L,D)
7 hours 30 minutes travelling

13th July 2012
45 minutes travelling
Day 14 The Alamo (B,L,D)
3 hours 30 minutes travelling
Houston

14th July 2012
3 hours 30 minutes travelling
Day 15 Lafayette/New Orleans (B)
2 hours travelling

15th July 2012
Day 16 New Orleans
FREE DAY



16th July 2012
Day 17 Memphis (L,D)
6 hours 30 minutes travelling

17th July 2012
Day 18 Memphis/Nashville (B,L,D)
3 hours 30 minutes travelling

18th July 2012
Day 19 Wytheville (B,L,D)
6 hours travelling

19th July 2012
Day 20 Shenandoah NP/Washington DC (B,L,D)
5 hours 30 minutes travelling



20th July 2012
Day 21 Washington DC (B)

21st July 2012
3 hours travelling
Day 22 Philadelphia/New York City at Manhattan Hostel at 891 Amsterdam Ave (at West 103rd St) New York
2 hours travelling

22nd July 2012
Day 23 New York City


END OF TOUR

As you can see, I am going to be spending A LOT of time traveling in the mini bus which G Adventures are using to transport us from one destination to the next, however, I don't mind because the views are supposed to be amazing AND the mini bus has wifi also, so I should hopefully be able to blog my experiences. I think I'm most excited about the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas (as it will be the 4th of July!!!), Yosemite, New Orleans, Nashville and Memphis. These are places where I may never get to go again, so I'm really excited and eager to make the most of my time. 

I booked the tour through STA travel and I have paid for the tour, my flights, and my insurance all by myself with savings from my past three years of university loan. HOWEVER, STA did give me 15% off my tour, £100 off my flights with British Airways and £50 off my travel insurance as I mentioned that I hope to blog about my summer and inquired about any discounts they may possibly be able to offer. The lady at my local STA, Dawn, was absolutely lovely and more helpful than probably anyone else I know. In fact, she even calls me every now and then to make sure I'm as organised as I should be (organizing my accommodation pre and post tour, applying for my ESTA form which is necessary to enter the USA, booking my Greyhound bus and more) and I almost feel like I speak to her as often as I speak to my friends. 

If you guys are crazy, book an outrageous long tour across America like me! Haha. And if not, I'll try and blog often enough that you can live vicariously through me. Expect posts about packing my backpack, planning my weeks in Los Angeles and New York, writing up wish-lists of the beauty bits I'm going to try and buy while I'm away. I'm actually not planning on buying many clothes this year, as I won't have much suitcase space, but lipsticks and eye shadows and blushers and... ahh you know the deal!

Are you going away this summer? Have you ever been backpacking? Is there anything I ought to know?

Love and snuggles
gabriellasofia
x