Auberge Gladstone, Plymouth

While in Plymouth, MA, I was staying at the Auberge Gladstone. I remember looking at the pictures on hotels.com and thinking it looks so posh they'd probably kick me out at soon as they saw me. I went ahead and booked it anyway as it was the cheapest accommodation in the town centre for the 4th of July weekend.

It looked really nice from the outside when I arrived, and my friends said it was in a really good location, I would only need to walk 5 minutes down the road to meet them at a restaurant later that evening. When I got inside the hallway it was really cramped. I mean REALLY cramped, I struggeled getting my suitcase inside the door with the two people that run it and myself standing there. But we managed, and the man at Auberge even carried the suitcase upstairs to the room for me, which was very nice of him.

The bedroom was a decent size room with a king size bed, TV, fridge, air condition, microwave, a couple of chairs and even an electric fireplace!

The bathroom was quite big as well, it even had a chaise lounge in it! There was a very large shower. I actually couldn't quite figure out the shower; there were two shower heads, and water came out of both! I don't know if it was possible to turn one head off or not. If it was, I couldn't figure out how. The bathroom also had a hairdryer, some cups, glasses and a kettle on a shelf.

It's an old house and the floors are a little crooked but mostly that just added to the charm. The lady at Auberge gave me the keys to the room and front door, showed me where the extra towels and linens were, a list she'd compiled of different restaurants and diners as well as some tourist brochures. As she was about to leave me to it I asked her about where breakfast would be served. She then told me I should have booked breakfast in advance, but that there were plenty of places selling breakfast nearby and that I would be better off eating at one of those places!! I was very surprised at first as I though it was a bed and breakfast, which is what it say on hotels.com, but it does say by the front door it's a guest house.

As I also noticed on the first day there was no "maid" service. I don't really mind not having my towels changed, I'm the only one using them after all. However, part of what's nice when PAYING to stay somewhere is that someone else empties the bins, cleans your room and makes the bed.

There was an envelope in the room saying that if I needed anything to call or leave a note at the front desk, but I don't really think I should need to do that just for someone to make my bed! On the envelope it also said: "your gratuity is greatly appreciated", why would I tip anyone when I haven't received any service that deserves a tip? The room was already paid for, I'm not going to give you a tip when you don't do anything to deserve it!

The Auberge is just around the corner from everything, so it was very handy when I wanted to take a stroll around town or down to harbour.

On both the website and hotels.com it says they have a hot tub, free bicycles and books, but none of those things were pointed out to me when I arrived, they didn't tell me where to find anything that wasn't in my room. There was only one door downstairs, but as I didn't know whether that led to a private living area or common area I didn't want to just walk in. The people I met that I guess run it seemed kind of bored and not interested in what they were doing to be honest.

The only things I liked about the Auberge Gladstone was the location and the rooms I had. The rooms were absolutely gorgeous! I'm not really sure I would stay there again, simply because the people that ran it seemed so disinterested and didn't really tell me much. I do think they should "warn" people that there is no housecleaning, not because that's a bad thing, but just so people know about it when they book it, as it would put some people off.

Ramada Plaza Resort and Suites on International Drive

My first impression when I arrived at Ramada Plaza was a positive one. The lobby was big, modern and clean, with plenty of sofas and chairs for people to sit in as they waited. The staff was friendly as they told me where the breakfast was and where to go for my room.

When I got upstairs to my room, which was on the top (12th) floor in the south tower, I was pleasantly surprised at the size. I keep forgetting that everything is bigger in America. The room was big with a large, firm, double bed. It also has a small table with two chairs, two desks, a TV stand that also houses a fridge and a microwave. There was also an old kitchen part with a sink, cooker and kitchen cabinets. I don't know if it actually works, and there is no way I'd even try the cooker, as it's gas, which I don't like using, especially when it looks old.

The bathroom had a bathtub-shower combo, a hairdryer and a kettle... Why they didn't just put the kettle in the old kitchen part is beyond me. The shower pressure was really good, as you all know I can be very picky on that. It did take me a while to figure out the taps though. I had to pull the knob towards me to turn it on.

I had a magnificent view of a small lake from my room, with Wet'n'Wild on the other side of the lake. I could also see downtown Orlando in the distance as well as Islands of Adventure.

The air con unit in the room looked like it's quite old, and it was so loud I actually had to turn it off at night to be able to sleep, meaning I woke up all clammy in the mornings.

Breakfast was ok. On a few of the mornings they had waffles, they put out 3 waffle irons and a batter dispenser. I only managed to get waffles one morning when I was there early (7am) as on the other days there was a long queue. An idea might have been for the kitchen workers to cook the waffles in advance and have them ready-made on the side for people to take if they wanted. Other than waffles, when they had them, there was toast, bagels, porridge pouches, and cereal. You could have butter, peanut-butter, jam or cream cheese to spread on your bread. To me that's a bit plain, it could have been made miles better just by adding some cheese slices for example.

The Ramada Plaza provides a curtesy shuttle to and from Epcot (you can get free transfer from Epcot to the other Disney parks) and Universal studios. There are two shuttles to Epcot in the morning; 7.30am and 11.15am and only one to Universal at 10.15am. Going back there are 3 shuttles from Epcot at 6pm, 9pm and 10.05pm, but only one from Universal, at 8pm. I do wish there had been more shuttles. I realise Ramada Plaza isn't on either of the theme park resorts, and I'm not expecting a shuttle every 20 minutes, but every hour, or even every 2 hours both ways would be nice, that way people would also be able to go to both Disney and Universal in one day if they wanted to, without having to pay for a taxi. There should also be a shuttle after all parks were closed, most of the parks have something going on just before closing time (parade or fireworks).

I think I must have had a couple of different people proving my maid-service while I was here. On a couple of the days I didn't get a new face cloth, even though they took away the old one, which I though was a bit strange, whereas on other days they made sure to give me a new one. Other than that I don't really have any comment on the maid-service, my room was clean and the bed was made.

In all; Ramada Plaza has been an ok place to stay. I'm not sure if I would stay here again due to the limited bus schedule to the parks, but then again I don't know if any of the other off-resort hotels are any better.

View from my room

Favourite mistake

Is there a mistake you've made that turned out to be a blessing - or otherwise changed your life for the better? - The Daily Post

Renting this house.

I had seen a flat on the letting website that I liked the look of. When I went into the estate agent's to borrow the keys to view the flat I could only remember the name of the road it was on, so the lady gave me some keys and said there was a sign on the side of the house. I didn't realise until after I had left with the keys that it wasn't supposed to be a house.

I decided to just have a little nosey at whatever she had given me the keys for and then, when handing the keys back, explain the mistake and get the keys for the flat I had meant the first time.

I easily found the agent's sign on the front of a terraced house. I opened the door with the keys I'd been given.... And I fell in love with the house straight away! It was old but at the same time had a modern feel to it as most of the walls were white, with only one wall in each room a different colour. There was an electric cooker (I can't deal with gas) and there was no carpet in the kitchen or bathroom, and best of all; it was quite big for a British house.

I enquired about the price, which was out of my budget, but not by much as the owner had apparently just knocked the price down to try and get someone to let it. As I couldn't afford it and I knew Joe wasn't happy about living so far out of town, I asked him if he wanted to share it, I wouldn't need 3 bedrooms on my own. He had a look at the house as well and liked it, so we moved in together.

I am really happy there was a misunderstanding and I got the wrong keys. If I had gotten the flat I would have lived there on my own as it was only one bedroom, and, as it turns out, it would have still been out of my budget. I thought I'd be able to get a full-time job when I moved back to England, but as it turns out I'm still in a part-time job, getting less overtime every week due to budget cuts, and so I would not have been able to afford to live on my own.

Travel by bike

Some days all I feel like doing is sell all my things, buy a bike and a tent and just leave everything behind. It's a combination of loving to travel and not having a single clue about what I want to do with my life.

Some people actually do this. They quit their job, sell everything they own, give up their house/flat and just travel. I like the post: How to cycle around the world in 3 easy steps. But it's easier said than done.

At least it's an eco friendly way to travel, as well as a cheap way to travel. As amazing as it sounds on the surface, I don't think it's something I would actually do.

I might be a fairly impulsive person. People think I'm brave for having gone to Australia on my own, and moving to the UK without knowing anyone in the country (the first time around). However, as I told my friend Mathea the other night, "I'm impulsive with a plan".

• I research - I like to know what I'm actually getting into
• I save up - I like to know I've got enough money to do what I want, I've never had a credit card and I don't want one
• I like to know what I'm doing/going once I'm done travelling

At the end of my Australian adventure I was getting really tired of living out of a suitcase, but at least I slept in a proper bed every night... although with a tent of my own I wouldn't have an OMG moment again!

It's a scary thing to do as well. Especially if you travel the whole world by bike, you have to make sure you have the right travel insurance and visas for every country you visit. What if something happens in the middle of nowhere? Especially if you're travelling alone as a woman. The world can be a scary place.

What about when you're done travelling and want to get a house or flat again? How are you going to get the money for the deposit and first month's rent? And with the world being the way it is at the moment, it won't be getting any easier to get a job!

I bet it would be a nice way to explore though, and cheap.

The Moving Drama - Continues or Ends?

Click here for my previous post about the moving drama.

Right, so Joe and I thought we had to move out in October, only one month from now! Then, about a month ago, we got a letter through the post saying that our contract would go over to a kind of rolling contract… We can stay and we only have to give one month's notice if we want to leave. Apparently the first letter we got about having to move in October was just a way of saying that October is when our lease is up! (They really could have worded that letter differently!)

So anyway. Joe and I talked about it; I kind of want to move to a smaller place that will be slightly cheaper to keep warm in winter, Joe wants to stay as he feels like this is a home and it's too much hassle to move… I agree with the hassle bit. 

So we are staying. 

For now.

I figured I should give him his will for once.

Since we just have to give one month's notice if we want to leave I agreed to see how it goes with the heating bill in autumn and the start of winter. However, I also told Joe that rather than turning the heating on as soon as he's a bit chilly he can put some clothes on…. Meaning I will have to do the same… I need to buy some warm clothes for myself! (Damn it, I don't like shopping!)

I'll admit, I'm slightly tempted to just move out, but it is starting to feel a little bit like a home, and if I did move out I would have to get money for a new deposit and for someone with a van to move my stuff so that would cost money as well. And I would still have to share with someone to actually make it cheap enough. I guess we'll just have to see how it goes. 

One thing that really bugs me about all this is that I sold my dining room table! I thought we would have to move out, we had only used it three times, and I wanted a smaller place so I decided to sell it. Fair enough, I got to go to Bristol with the money I got for it, but as it turns out I didn't actually need to sell it! Of course now it's gone we both wish we had it again. Oh well.

I'm not even sure what I'm hoping will happen. Part of me is wanting to stay in this house as I'm tired of moving around, while another part of me almost hopes the heating bill will be too high and that we will have to move to a smaller, cheaper place, just so I will have more money left of my wages after paying the bills. It's not too bad though, I can manage, touch wood.

More Moving Drama

A few weeks ago Joe and I got a letter through the post from the letting company basically saying that when our contract runs out in October we have to vacate the premises as the owners of the property wants the house back. 

As my friend Nicky pointed out; maybe this is why I've been feeling like this is temporary and I haven't really decorated the place, although the latter is also because of a lack of funds and inspiration. Maybe I somehow knew something like this would happen, or it might just be because I've been moving around so much in my life that I struggle settling down in one place, maybe it's a mixture of both...

Of course Joe and I were both upset by this as we had hoped to stay longer, but I am focusing on the positive side of things. The gas and electric bill is already quite high at the moment, of course since it's (supposed to be) summer we don't really have lights or heating on, imagine what the bill would be like come winter! It's a big old house and the few times we have had the heating on in the evenings there hasn't really been that much of an improvement. Even when it's nice and warm outside the house remains quite cold. I'll admit I kind of miss the properly insulated Norwegian wooden houses, maybe I should have one of them built in the UK?

I have decided to not worry too much about anything regarding the move until the end of August, but there are of course things I need to do and think about before then. I need to make sure I save money for a deposit and first month's rent for a new place. I spent a lot of money furnishing the place we have now so of course my savings are much lower than when I first moved back to the UK, and if I can I would like to not dip into them but rather use what I'm currently earning, which isn't much even with all the overtime I've been getting.

When I decided to move back to the UK I did think about moving somewhere other than Chesterfield, but, while I was still in Norway, it was rather difficult to look for a job and place to live in a different country. Should I move to a different part of the UK when October comes? And if so where? I need to decide this before the end of August so I know where to look for a place to live and whether or not to hand in my resignation and look for a new job elsewhere… Having to look for a new job again is probably my biggest worry about moving somewhere new, what if I can't find a new job?! As I noticed with this place, getting an application approved for a house or flat is difficult without a job.

I'll admit I have been thinking about being an au pair again. It is just such an easy way to start out somewhere new. Not that I really want to work as an au pair, but I don't really want the job I've got now either; it's a means to an end. If I work as an au pair again I will have a job and place to live and I can use the money from it to take an evening class and get a qualification in something that I can use to get a job after I've been an au pair. Not that I know what that something might be mind you…

If I work as an au pair I could also take driving lessons in the evenings. I have decided that it might be time to get a licence, I can manage without one, and I don't mind not having one, but there are so many more opportunities for everything if I have one; more jobs I can apply for, I can get in the car and drive somewhere for a day/weekend/week, and I can get in the car and visit friends without worrying about bus and train times. It would probably take me 20 years to be able to afford to actually buy a car though. I will probably get a licence for an automatic if I get one, I know, I know, if I get one for a manual I can drive both, but with everything being on the other side of the car and all the rules and regulations etc it would be nice to make driving just that tiny bit simpler! If I want to I could always get a licence for a manual once I've been driving for a while and have gotten used to it…

Anyway, I'm getting a off topic...

Another thing I have to think about regarding moving in October is the furniture I've bought for this place. Oh, the furniture!! If I get a new place I need to get someone with a van to move everything for me, if I decide to work as an au pair I need to sell it all, it's a heap of hassle either way!

And if I do decide to stay in Chesterfield; do I find a place on my own or share again? Do I share with Joe again? If I keep the job I have now I will probably have to share with someone as I can't really afford a place on my own. Relying on overtime is a bitch.

Okay, so maybe the not worrying about anything until the end of August wasn't exactly true….

Credit Check

Whenever you want to get anything at all in the UK you have to go through a credit check, which is fair enough in one way, companies have to make sure you have the means to pay off whatever it is you want if you're not paying it all in one lump sum, but it does make it a bit difficult when you've only just arrived in the country.

They ask for an address, if you haven't lived there for at least 3 years they ask for the address before that. If you haven't lived at those two addresses for 3 years combined it's going to get difficult. I can't help thinking it's a bit discriminating to people that have just moved to the country since they usually want a UK address. With most things so far I have managed, but I did try to apply for a payment plan the other day and failed, and I'm sure it's because I haven't lived at only 2 addresses the last 3 years.

They also wanted a UK landline phone number. Why would I get a landline? (we are actually getting one in a couple of weeks but that's besides the point) I can manage just as fine with just my mobile. If it hadn't been for Joe I wouldn't be getting a landline at all, he's the one that wants it. I don't get why I need a landline number for a credit check anyway. I've never been asked for one before, they've been happy just getting proof of address and (luckily) my old Norwegian address. Oh well, I'm guessing that's why this credit check didn't get approved at that point, which seems silly since I've been approved on all the others so far.

Why can't they just take your bank details to make sure you have the funds or call your work to make sure you've got a job and is earning enough money? I don't really see the point in having to have had an address in the UK for three years or having to have a landline! It just seems a bit silly. And rather discriminating to people that have just arrived in the country. Are we not supposed to be able to pay things off monthly? Or rent a house/flat?

They also asked how long I'd been working in my current job. I'm sorry but what if someone has just changed jobs? Are they all going to fail the credit check because they've not worked in their current job for at least a year?

The credit check I didn't get approved for wasn't a big deal though, I was kind of thinking I wouldn't get approved anyway but it was worth a try as I could have gotten some expenses divided monthly instead of having to pay it all straight away. 

You don't find out why you've failed the credit check though, the company just get a yes or no answer. So at least there is some comfort in the fact that the company doesn't know why you've failed the credit check. Or is it a comfort? Wouldn't it just be better if the company knew that it was just because of not having stayed at one address long enough, or not having been in the current job long enough? That way maybe they could sort it out anyway? 

"I can see here that the only reason you didn't get approved is because you don't have a landline/a UK address for 3 years so we'll sort that payment plan out for you anyway as I can see you're able to pay it off"

Wouldn't that be better?

Some people..!

I've been staying with my friend Joe the last couple of weeks while we wait for the credit report to go through on the house we applied for, such a hassle just to let a property! You'd think we were buying it!

Like I said; I've been staying with Joe, until today that is. His landlord kicked me out!

His landlord knew I was staying there, we weren't hiding it from him or anything, he'd actually talked to me a week or so ago.

Then yesterday the toilet got clogged and the landlord is blaming it on me! Saying I probably put tampons in there or something! Er. No. I'm not that stupid! I haven't even had my period since I came over anyway!

But the landlord got in a foul mood about it. He seems to me to be one of those people that once he gets angry he lets it out on everyone else. He'd already told Joe a week ago that he has to be out by June or July as he's selling the property, which is fair enough. But then now he wants Joe out as soon as possible as well, he even threatened to change the locks!

Because I'm meeting with the letting company for the house a week from Monday I decided to just get a cheap B&B until then and I luckily managed to find one that was even close to town. I REALLY hope we get the house now, so does Joe of course. He doesn't want to stay in a place with a bipolar landlord.

By the time the landlord showed up to talk to Joe this afternoon he had calmed down and he let Joe stay in the flat until he finds somewhere new, and he's not changing the locks (until he goes off again next week or something anyway).

It's annoying  though. I'm glad I saved up so much money before I came over so that I can actually afford to stay at a B&B for a week. I just hope we get the house so I don't have to stay longer! I didn't think it would take this long to get the house in the first place, I seem to remember that last time I lived here it just took a few days to get everything sorted and for me to get the keys to a place when I moved somewhere.

Gods, forces, luck, fate... whatever is or isn't out there; PLEASE let us get this house!

I'm back again!

I've now been back in Chesterfield since Monday. It's nice to be back and have my friends so close, but at the same time it feels like I'm just on a holiday.

I'm hoping the holiday feeling will go away when I get a job and a place to live. At the moment I'm staying with my friend Joe, his place is very small and it's outside of town but the bus stops right outside his flat so its easy to get in to town. We actually went for a walk yesterday morning and we're planning on going for one this morning as well, it is a nice place for walking, it's almost like you're in the middle of the country side in some places, only downside of that is that portions of our walk doesn't have side walks.

I went looking at a house on Tuesday, I was actually supposed to look at a flat in the same street, I didn't realize they had a house there as well, so when the letting company gave me the keys to go and have a look at the place I didn't realize I had gotten the wrong keys until I saw the house, and then I realized that the price the lady at the letting company had told me was higher that it was supposed to be as well. I decided to just have a look at the house anyway though, and; WOW! I fell in love with it! It's an old house, 3 bedrooms, two living rooms and plenty of storage. Joe had come with me to look at it and he quite liked it as well. The price was higher that what I would pay but since Joe's tiny flat is quite expensive I asked if he wanted to be house mates, the house would be almost half of what Joe's rent is now and it's close enough to his work that he won't have to pay for bus or taxi.

I had made arrangements to look at another house on Wednesday so I went to look at that as well. The house would have been big enough and cheap enough for just me, there was two bedrooms though, but it had a fairly large garden, which is nice but it's something that I would have to look after and spend money on. So after viewing it I went and saw Joe at work and asked if he was sure he wanted to shared the first house with me, which he was, so I went and got an application and at the same time paid the fee that means no one else gets to look at it. At least the house is big enough that Joe and I can still get some time apart from each other if we want it. We can have a living room each!

Since it's Easter we won't get an answer about the credit check and whether we get the house or not until next week, but fingers crossed!! I loved it so I'm hoping we'll get it. Although I really wanted to have a house or flat to myself it will be nice to share as the rent and bills will all be cut in half, and since it's three bedroom I can still have friends and family over!

I might also have a job interview lined up. My friend Nicky told me about a job becoming available next week at a grocery store near her, her sister works there and is doing the interviews so she'll get me an application. At least it's a type of job I've got experience with so I might have a chance of getting it.

I'm really glad I decided to go back to Chesterfield; when you've got friends nearby it makes it much easier to start from scratch. 

Disney's All Star Movies Resort

While I was in Disney World I stayed at the All Star Movies Resort.

The All Stars Resorts are usually the cheapest hotels that's connected to Disney World, there is Movies, Music and Sports and they're all next to each other. When I took the bus to and from the parks and Downtown Disney my bus only stopped at those hotels, which was nice because it meant the bus ride was a lot shorter than what it could have been.

There are 10 buildings at the Movies resort, they are paired up and decorated in 5 different styles; Toy Story, Fantasia, Love Bug, 101 Dalmatians and Mighty Ducks. I liked the big statues outside the buildings, and I bet it's fun for the kids as well. And there is loads of cool picture opportunities.

I stayed in one of the 101 Dalmatians buildings. They must use the same room whether there is one person staying there or 4 because I got a room with two double beds, which is fine, it means I got a big room.

One thing that annoyed me was all the towels. I know the room was for four people but I'm sure the housekeeping staff had a list of how many people were in each room. When I checked in there was at least 4 of each type of towels plus some decorated on the bed, fair enough. I put most of them in a pile to the side in the bathroom so I had more space to dry the few I was actually using. Every day the pile on the side got bigger because they kept putting new towels in the spots I had removed them from! Not necessary is it!?! They didn't hang the pile back up they left the pile there and hung new ones up, I think I probably had 10 of each type of towel in my room at some point! Utterly ridiculous! And I bet that when I checked out they washed every single one of those towels, not very environmental friendly. Seriously, if there is only one person staying, leave only one of each type of towel in the room, if that person need more they can always take it from the Mickey on the bed, or just call down to reception for more.

Food was not included at the hotel, but they have a food court, so getting food was not a problem. The pizza is pretty much what I lived on, it was really tasty! They also had a plastic cup you could buy and then fill up with soda as many times as you wanted during your stay, you could only use it at the hotel and if you wanted water you had to either pay a fortune for a bottle or drink the not so tasty tap water. I think that the water that was in the soda dispenser could have at least been filtered or something so it tasted a little better than plain tap water.

Besides the towel issue it was a nice place to stay. I wish there had been some grocery stores within walking distance, or in Downtown Disney, but apparently you're not supposed to eat healthy when you're in Disney World!

Broadway Hotel & Hostel

With a name like Broadway I though it would be pricey, but that is where Anne and I stayed while we explored New York and Washington DC and it was quite cheap.

Broadway Hotel & Hostel is located really close to Central park, as well as a subway station, so it was nice and easy to get places. Anne said that they advertise free parking on their page, but you basically just have to be lucky enough to find an available spot outside, they don't have anything reserved for their guests or anything.

On their web page, and when we arrived, they said that the WiFi is only available in the hotel lobby, we were lucky though and got a room on the second floor right above the lobby so we managed to connect from out room.

We had to go out into the hallway to use the bathroom as it was a shared one, but it was a proper bathroom, not those stalls you get in most hostels, and there seemed to be several down the hallway so we didn't get loads of people knocking on the door trying to get in while we were in there. They could have gotten some pegs and maybe a shelf to put stuff on in the bathroom though, as it was I had to put everything on the toilet seat while I was having a shower. I also think the shower was on a timer as the water would go cold after a while. Good think I don't spend a long time in the shower anyway.

The room was quite cold, it felt like the window was open even when it was closed, luckily the beds had nice thick duvets as well as blankets so I didn't wake up at night because I was cold.


There was a sink and mirror in the room, but because of the placement you couldn't really get enough light to use the mirror to put make-up on or anything.

New York, New York!

On Tuesday Anne and I headed to South Street Diner in Boston for breakfast before we drove to New York City. Trying to find parking in Boston is so hard that I think both of us entertained the idea of just skipping it and driving straight down to New York, in the end we just had to pay to park in a parking garage, which was ridiculously expensive! I'm really glad we went to the diner though as I've wanted to go to a proper old fashion Diner for a long time, it's just so typical american! The food was really nice as well.

After breakfast we drove to New York, the drive there was nice, it seemed a lot shorter than it was as we just kept talking the whole time. When we got to New York we got lucky and found a spot right outside the hotel, so at least we didn't have to spend hours searching for a spot there as well.

The hotel we stayed at is really close to Central Park, so after we had taken up our suitcases we decided to walk to and through Central Park. The park is beautiful! It's kind of nice now in the winter that you can see the city through the empty branches and I can imagine it's really nice in the summer when the city disappears behind all the leaves, and it's probably beautiful in the autumn when the leaves are all orange, red and yellow.

There is a castle in the middle of the park, I think it's called Belvedere Castle, it's just a lookout and a weather station, I think it's really nice that someone built this really pretty building instead of just a plain platform.

At the bandshell there was a street artist blowing huge bubbles! It was quite exciting to watch how big the bubbles would get before they burst. The Central Park Zoo was closed by the time we got there, I don't think I would have gone in it anyway, but we did see a cool sea lion posing for everyone that walked by the Zoo.

When we got out of the Zoo we continued walking east down 60th Street until we got to 3rd avenue, the goal was Dylan's Candy Bar. 2 floors of sweets and one extra floor which is an actual bar and also ice cream place. I don't know how long we spent in there, but I think we both wanted to spend much more money there than what we did. Definitely a place to visit if you're in New York.

After we had bought more sweets than we should, but less than we wanted, we headed back to 5th avenue and continued south past all the super expensive stores until we found the Rockefeller Centre. We took a few pictures at the Rockefeller Centre before heading to Times Square where we got out faces on the big screen and then we took the subway back to the hotel.

At least all the walking we did burned some of the sweets from Dylan's off...

Chandler Inn Hotel

While in Boston I stayed at the Chandler Inn Hotel. The staff there was very friendly. There is a subway and train station 5 minutes away from the hotel.

I was happy to see that they had a lift so I wouldn't have to carry my suitcase up the stairs. 

There was no breakfast at the hotel, but they did have a complimentary coffee machine and ice machine in the reception.

The room was very nice; modern and quite large, and I just have to say the TV was enormous! And I didn't even use it! I had a room on the corner of the building so I had windows on two sides of the room which was really nice, made the room a lot lighter, the view was also really nice, I wasn't just staring into a brick wall. Only thing I didn't like about the room was that there wasn't a duvet just a blanket covered by sheets, and no one had “warned” me that I should turn on the air-con for heat in the night. I woke up in the middle of the night the first night because I was freezing.  I do like to have a duvet, even in summer, just because it feels a lot more “snuggly”, I think I might have slept better if there had been a duvet there but as it was I slept fine and the room was a very nice place to come back to after a long day exploring.

The bathroom wasn't large but it was just the right size for me. The shower was large though, and it was kind of nice to be able to stand in one end while I checked the water without getting it all over me when it was too cold. Took me a while to figure out how the get the water the right temperature though, but when I did it was a “duh!” moment. As usual I didn't think the pressure was hard enough, but it was okay. I liked that there was a small shelf over the sink where I could keep all my skincare products while I was there.

There was free WiFi at the hotel but it wasn't very good at all. It was really slow and would sometimes just fall out, but that might be because I was so far away from the reception, but still… I would lose a whole blog post a couple of times because I didn't think to copy it in case it failed to post. 

First few hours in the USA

So I am currently on US soil! Arrived yesterday.

The plane over was fine. I flew with SAS. One thing I didn't like though was that I couldn't choose when to start a movie on the screen in the seat back in front of me, I had to just hope to be lucky and get the start of a movie if I wanted to watch, which is a shame because there was a lot of movies that I would have wanted to see! But I just read a book instead, and finished it. Apparently you only need about 7 hours to read "The Lucky One" by Nicolas Sparks. Good book.

We had to stop in Newark to go through customs and immigration. I only had about 2 and a half hours there so I was really nervous that I wouldn't make my next flight, there was no clock on the wall and you weren't allowed to turn your cellphone on, which  I think was a bit silly... I mean, if you have to stand in line for an hour and a half you should at least be allowed to turn your cellphone on so that you can tell people you might be late, or play games on it to make time pass.... I did see the New York skyline from the queue though, which was amazing!

When I finally made it through the immigration line I had to get my suitcase out and check it back in, which no one had told me about but there wasn't really any other choice at that terminal and it was quick and easy. Then I had to change terminals, walk through security again and then find my gate. Luckily everything after immigration was quick and easy, and I made my flight with like maybe 15 minutes to spare, I had time to nip to the toilet before I got on. But I didn't like having to stress so much, I was only just starting to relax as we were landing in Boston.

My suggestion if you have a lay-by, or whatever it's called, in America when coming from a different country, make sure you have at least 3 hours just so you don't have to stress!

When I landed in Boston I had to go to a different terminal than the one I landed in to get some dollars, it wasn't too bad though as the next terminal was within walking distance of the one I landed in.

I hopped in a taxi, had to pay $7.50 for tolls plus the regular fare but it was fine, and arrived at my hotel.

Yellow school bus!!!

I had some time to freshen up before meeting with my friend Anne which was really nice as I felt all yucky from the plane.

Now, my friend Anne.... We've known each other for about 10 years but we'd never met until last night! It was really weird to meet her face to face. One thing was that even though I've never really imagined what I thought she sounds like it was really strange to finally hear her voice!! After a short while though it was as if we were just having a catch-up and that it was completely normal for us to meet up. I'm looking forward to hanging out with her even more. Although we talked so much my throat is sore!

We went to this restaurant called FiRE+iCE, you just choose the food (pasta, veggies and meat) that you want and they cook it right in front of you! It was really tasty! Only minus is that the music was so loud we had to constantly shout to hear each other. I can understand why the music would be loud downstairs in the bar area, but upstairs in the dining are I think they should have turned it down a little bit.

Because it was quite late once we finished dinner (especially when I'd been flying for so long just following the sun) we just arranged where to meet later today before I headed back to the hotel and went to bed.

I'm looking forward to exploring more of Boston now in the daylight!

The wheels are in motion...

2013 has started and I want to start living the life I want.

I have been looking at tickets to America and Disney World, there is a big sale on at one of the airlines in Norway so I can get cheap flight tickets. There is also a sale on at Disney World, it's still expensive but I think I know the dates I want to go. There is a big chance I'll book it all when I get paid tomorrow.

I still really want to do the road-trip with my friend but after looking at the prices a bit more I will have to save up for so much longer, and I'm just not able to wait any longer. After my boss told me I don't have to worry about staying on for a whole year I can't stop thinking about the US and the UK.

I am going to hand in my resignation in not too long and when I'm finished at work I'll take a flight to Boston where I will stay for a few days and hopefully see my friend, while I'm there I also want to visit Salem. New York is next on the list for a few days just to see the sights, maybe my friend will be able to take a few days off work and we can do that together.

After New York I will fly to Orlando and stay there for a few days. I have a friend there as well that just got engaged so I'm hoping to visit her, as I haven't seen her in a few years and after Orlando I'm going home.

I won't see as much as the US as I first planned, but I will be able to spend a longer time at each place to explore and make it a bit more relaxing. I will just have to go back later to see more of it. I would love to experience some of the major holidays in America, everything is so big over there! But it will have to be another time.

When I get back I'll give myself a week or so pack and sort my things out and then hopefully move straight to England. I just hope my mate still has an available room I can rent and that it won't take too long before I find a job. Of course I hope I still have enough cash left after America to be able to do this. I did think I could just take a holiday at work to go to America and then wait a month or two before I move to England, but I just can't wait any more!

It's scary, I have no idea what I want to work with, and I really would like to start on a career, but I guess I will just have to take whatever I can get in the beginning and then see what happens.

Happy New Year!!

How was your 2012? 

Mine was amazing! I travelled around Australia, visited Kuala Lumpur, Rome, Paris, Dublin and the UK. I made several new friendships that I hope will last a whole lifetime! I hope 2013 will be just as magical!

I saw a great idea on Tracy's blog, Pen and Paper, it's called the first lines meme. Want to join me? What you do is:

"Take the first line of every month's first post over the past year and see what it tells you about your blogging year."

January: Before I start telling you all about my holiday and stuff I thought I'd do a wrap-up of the reading challenges of 2011.

February: Continuation of last week's Sunday Stealing.

March: The highest tide.

April: Living with the carnivorous host family again after I turned vegetarian was a lot easier than I expected.

May: I arrived in Perth around 11pm, I had called Planet Inn Backpackers in advance to ask if they had free airport transfer, which they did, but as I arrived late it might not be available.

June: A Norwegian TV program is currently filming in the place that I'm from, Vestnes.

July: Do you know what's great to have when you have one present that's made up of loads of little things?

August: I'm heading to Paris in the morning!!

September: September has started, this being Norway, the snow might come any minute!

October: I've been wanting to try pumpkin soup for a while now, and when I saw some pumpkin at the local fruit and veg store I just had to buy some.

November: I always get in a bad mood when I get back to Norway after being abroad, probably because I don't actually want to live here.

December: Even before I worked for them I had always enjoyed XXL's ads on TV.

It's been fun to look back at my old posts, and I think you get a good representation of what my blog is: Book reviews, travel, reviews of places I've stayed, memes and the randomness that is my life.

The Bell Inn

While I was in Thetford I stayed at the Bell Inn.

It's a really old building, but the bathrooms are modern and the rooms are a good mix of modern and old. Although the staircase, doors and hallways are really narrow and crooked, which was annoying with my suitcase, it was also kind of charming.

There was a perfect size TV in my room as well as hot chocolate instead of just tea or coffee. And both the room and bathroom was quite big.

The pressure and heat in the shower was great.

Its location is really good.

The staff was really friendly.

There was free WiFi but it was really bad.

The food was really nice in the pub downstairs. In the restaurant downstairs where I got my complimentary breakfast the food was really nice as well. As well as the continental breakfast with fresh fruit and croissants (even chocolate ones!) I got warm breakfast included, and there was a big selection, from full English to just an omelette, which is what I had both mornings. I would have been disappointed if I didn't get any breakfast included though as it's not the cheapest hotel in the world.

The hotel is apparently haunted, which is kind of exciting, but also a bit scary; I used to watch a lot of horror movies when I was younger... I wish I had had someone to snuggle up with in bed while I was there just to feel a bit "safer".

Thetford 07.11.12

Before I went on holiday I printed out a couple of maps of things to see in Thetford. One of the maps was a map of haunted places, which was slightly scary, and exciting, as one of the places on the map was my hotel!

One of the first places I checked out today was Thetford Priory. Thetford apparently used to be the religious centre of England back in the day, and Thetford was the 6th largest city in England, which is funny considering how small it is today. The ruins of the Priory were really beautiful! It would have been amazing to see it while it was still standing. I could just walk around there for ages. It was really peaceful. There was hardly any people there, just a few people walking their dogs.

After the ruins I went to Ancient house, it's a really old house serving as a small museum. It was free and really interesting. 

Thetford is such a cute little village. There are so many old buildings here and so much history. It's a relaxing place and so many pretty things to take pictures of.

There is a man made mound that I thought would make a great lookout. I got about halfway up before I gave up. It was really steep and muddy and I did not want to risk falling down with my dad's DSLR. It was even worse trying to get back down, I'm glad I didn't go up to the top.

Another thing I found out as I was checking out the Thetford website is that it was used as the exterior scenes in the TV-series Dad's Army. Not that I have ever watched it. I had heard of it but I didn't really care. But for those of you that do: there is a Dad's Army museum in Thetford as well as a statue.

Chesterfield Hotel

I could have stayed with friends in Chesterfield, but since I figured I would be staying out late some night I didn't want to have to wake up anyone or anything to come and go.

While I was in Chesterfield in stayed at the Chesterfield Hotel.

The hotel was nice and central, a big reason for booking it.

The hotel is quite old, which can be charming but not really in this case. The lift was really small and there were two doors to it, one which didn't open automatically, annoying when you have a big suitcase to try and squeeze in.

The room was okay, the bathroom was quite big, there was even a bathtub.

The staff was friendly. They locked the front doors at night, which of course is good security wise. I came back at around 3am one night and the doors were locked. I could ring a doorbell or a phone number to get them to let me in. I'm glad there was a doorbell as my phone was flat.

For breakfast they had the usual cereals and toast as well as fresh fruit and croissants. I could get eggs and stuff as well, but I had to pay extra for that so I didn't bother.

The sound really carried in the hotel. There was a concert or something, maybe just loud music being played one night, and even though my room was on the second floor it sounded like the music was coming from the room next door! It's a bit annoying, I realize they have events and stuff at the hotel but they should really soundproof the rooms better as people do still want to sleep when they are in a hotel.

Chesterfield 02-05.11.12

02.11:

I took the train from Holyhead to Chesterfield, well, trains. The scenery from the trains were amazing. I didn't realize how many ruins there were on top of hilltops, especially while we were still in Wales... I wonder what they were used for? Maybe like the Great Wall of China they used them to alert each other of danger? On the last train, from Stockport to Chesterfield the train was PACKED! Standing room only. I was standing to a nice girl who had also been to Australia though so we passed the time chatting together about what we'd seen and where we'd been. It's really cumbersome to have a giant suitcase when you travel by train by the way, it's just in the way most of the time.

After I dropped my things at the hotel I went to the pub I used to work in, Yates's and said hi to some of my old co-workers.

I met up with my friend Nicky at the Abacus for dinner. It was lovely to see Nicky again, it was like I had never even left, we just picked up right where we had left off. We talked about her plans to move to Turkey; just like I feel more at home in the UK than Norway she feels more at home in Turkey than in the UK. At least she feels at home in a warm sunny country, unlike me who wants to go to a country that's just a couple of degrees warmer than Norway. I hope she gets to move to Turkey asap without having to work herself to death. At least I've got an excuse to go on nice sunny holidays when she moves there, and she'll be able to show me all the non-touristy things!

It was good that seeing Nicky again was great because the food was terrible! Seriously, neither of us finished even though we didn't have much on our plates. We left the Abacus and went back to Yates's where we shared a bowl of chips and cheese while having a few drinks with my old co-workers.

03.11:

It's kind of nice to  be in a place that I used to live: I've seen everything and I can actually relax instead of run around and see as much as possible. Hence the lack of pictures. I had a relaxing morning before Nicky and I went to Meadowhall (aka Meadowhell) today for some shopping and dinner before I met some friends for drinks back in Chesterfield.

04.11:

A nice relaxing day again before heading to Nicky's for some Chinese take-away. Followed by drinks with some of the people that couldn't come out last night. I think my liver will be happy when I leave... But it's nice to feel like I actually have a life again!

05.11:

I had a great dinner with the family I used to au pair for here tonight. It was great seeing the girls again, they've grown so much!  Although the girls have grown, it still feels like I never even left! Their new au pair seems really nice, she's also studying child psychology, so I guess the job is helping her with her studies as well.

November 5th is Bonfire night in the UK so we heard fireworks being sent up everywhere we set off a Chinese lantern. I've never done it before, it looks really beautiful, they even gave me one to take home, maybe I'll sett it off on New Years Eve if it's not too windy.

I had a great time catching up with friends in Chesterfield. I wish I was still living there, I actually manage to have a life there, I have friends to go out with, to talk to. I need to get back to the UK!