Pennies!!

I have been considering today the amount of money I want to save for this trip. I want to be able to go shopping. Buy some designer gear for the first time in my life!! After losing all of this weight, I think I deserve it! So I have decided that come May next year, when the weather picks up, and we are 6 months away from Orlando, I am getting a second job for the weekends. It'll bring in some extra pennies for spending and also keep me busy as I am pretty sure I will be really fed up with this diet by then! But May is what, 6 months away, I could lose another 6 stone by then!

I don't think I'm alone in this. I think Little Emma is pretty keen to get an extra income too!! Ooh its so exciting, and it's still so far away!

Girlie Trip!

Well, I have my list of definites now. Rache, Emma, Jen, Grace, Julia and moi! So looks like it's going to be a girlie trip! Woo! Two are for a fortnight and Four are for three weeks. I went scuttling down to Asda last week to get a Passport Application for Emma. So she's sorting out. Just has to get her passport photo's done and countersigned and send it off with the pennies!
Grace and Jen also need to get theirs renewed. Oh, and in clearing some junk, I finally found my driving license counterpart. Although, I need to sort that out. Change my address!! I only moved like a year ago!
Best news so far is that we have found a fly drive deal through Virgin. Still waiting till January to book it though. And then we can start looking at accommodation.
So everything moving. Once it is all booked, then I can start getting REALLY excited!

Oh and by the way, there is officially less than a year to go. In fact, going on the idea that we will leave on 26th October 2009, there are just 353 short days left!

New Additions!

So, since my last entry, Little Emma and I have been off on a crazy lady mission to research the fun and frolics of Florida. I have taken up residence on the trip advisor forums, which proved invaluable on my last Orlando Experience.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g34515-i19-Orlando_Florida.html

All this, and we still have 12 months to go!!! I can just imagine the excitement when we reach the 6 month, 3 month and 1 month points. I am trying not to think in terms of weeks just yet as it is making me nervous!!

I should probably point out that I am a nervous flier, Jen has only every flown within the EU and Little Emma has never stepped foot in an airport, let alone on a plane in her life. Oh, this is proving to be interesting already!!

To Do: Get Little Emma a Passport!

And in the discussion proccess, we already have a few more people, willing to save up their pennies and venture over to the other side of the pond next year.

TOM

Tom is one of these people who is a magnet for a good time. He has a way of making people feel comfortable around him and so it so easy to have fun with him. It helps that he is a complete and utter numpty. One thing is for sure, it will never be boring with Tom around. He gets bored and he gets mischeivious. And then all hell can and will break loose. He is most excited about our planned trip to Miami.

GRACE

Grace actually seems at first glance to be the quiet one. To be the one that would stay to the back and watch on. It's all a front. Grace is always the first to put her hand up and get involved. I tell you, if she is not up on a stage somewhere participating in something or other in one of those theme parks, something has gone very wrong!!

Let The Countdown Begin . . .

So last time round, when I was planning Florida 2007, I never realised quite how much there was to do with regards to organising. You think it's easy right? Book holiday. Go on holiday. come back. Not with a holiday in Florida it isn't! And in true form I'm not making it easy for myself this time round. Last time, there was just Ju and myself to keep happy, this time round, it's safe to say that there are a few more people to keep happy! And not least of that is working out when we are going!

"When is the best time to visit Florida?"

Oh my god, it's like opening up the biggest can of worms on the planet! Have you ever asked this question? Honestly you get so many different responses! And in addition to when all of the hundreds of American holidays are, you have to bear in mind the European holidays, the hot season, the hurricane season, etc... it's just mind boggling. And the worst thing? Having 5 women who all have an opinion! After weighing up all of the information including giving us all maximum time to save, we decided on the end of October - beginning of November 2009. And just to make it a little bit more complex, 3 of us are doing 3 weeks and 2 are doing 2 weeks.

Nothing's simple is it!? So anyway, we know when and for the moment anyway, we know who is going.

Rache

Rache is our resident party animal. She wants fun, frolics, crazy antics, you name it! Anything goes! But we need to keep her occupied. For a woman who does accounts for a living, she never ever stops. So we'll have to be sure to save some energy for partying!!




Emma
Emma's the baby of the group. She's never been abroad before, and her worry is with the flight. Especially as she has some issues with her ears! I'm sure the doctor can sort this out! She wants go to Orlando to visit the theme parks, but she also wants to swim with dolphins. I did this last year at Discovery Cove, but I think for next year, we'll try going to the Keys and find a place down there that may be little less regimented! Of course the biggest problem with this, is that Emma can't swim! Thankfully, Jules is a teacher so I feel some lessons coming on before Next October!!

Jen

Jen's only ever been to Europe in the past. So a trip to the good ol' US of A is going to be her first long haul experience. She usually loves to find the culture in places that we visit. So Florida will be something completely out of her comfort zone! But never fear, where there's a party, there's a Jen!

Jules

Jules and I went to Orlando in February 2007. we had a brilliant time and she is definitely up for another trip! Jules is a teacher and as such, she is after a break from teaching kids, in order for her to get in touch with her child within! (It's a lot easier than you think actually!)

Me, Beki!

And then, there's me! I love Florida. It's the perfect place to be a kid again. And lets face it, I am the biggest kid of all! I'm of the "i need three weeks" club. Last time we went to Orlando and we just about managed it in two weeks. But this time, the plan is to spend two weeks going mental in Orlando, and then a week chilling out in Miami and the Keys.

Oh I'm getting all excited now! I know, it's over a year away, but still, if it's anything like this year, it'll fly by! USA, here come the girls!