Blogs from Grimsby, Lincolnshire, England, United Kingdom, Europe

So we are up and running! This is my first post in my travel blog and although i have just over 2 months until my dream holiday, I thought it about time to post some holiday countdown posts. I have booked my ticket to go and see Penn & Teller in Vegas, I really cant wait. I also booked my Alcatraz ticket, I will be going on the night tour as i hear it is the most complete and the night time views of the bay are going to make great photo opportunites. It is all coming together quite quickly if I'm honest. I remember booking it and it seemed so far away that I had quite a relaxed attitude to it. Now im excited and also a bit scared by it all. This will be ... read more

A walk to the beach So my first little trek since the beginning of my journey was yesterday. Aidy and I decided after walking to Tesco (the equivalent to Walmart) to continue on another few miles to the beaches of Grimsby. The beaches there were completely different from what I was used to. The high and low tide is much much more noticeable here than in Florida. The only clues to set us off in Florida are the visible Oysters and Barnacles growing on the poles and docks. But here in Grimsby the water line pulls back 4 or 5 hundred feet leaving this gigantic sand bank to walk on. As we walked across the sand bank we found dead crabs and jelly fish that had obviously been caught in the shallows as the water receded ... read more

Finally Made It Troubles with customs Unfortunately, not only did I forget to bring Aidy's address and phone number but having Afghanistan stamped on my passport didn't help to get me through. It wasn't until 3 employees whispered among themselves and kept me waiting until I was the last person in the room that I got the go ahead. I was reprimanded for not having Aidy's address in hand and warned not to forget it again. They repeatedly ask me the same questions over and over again about Afghanistan and my duties there. The Beautiful Ride Back To Grismby Aidy and His Father...Adrian found me at the airport, relieved to finally find me.They originally got there a day early (my fault) and drove all the way back home just to return again the next day. The ... read more

This is possibly the first time someone has blogged on here from Grimsby! It's been a manic week of preparation but I'm now just about feeling ready to go. All the essentials are packed with just a few more things to buy. All the volunteers are (hopefully) as prepared as they're ever going to be for what will inevitably be a culture shock. I remember this time last year when this complete experience was a giant leap into the unknown. Something I never expected I'd ever do was actually happening. Now, I have the benefit of experience, but with such a different role this year and far more responsibility I feel just as nervous as before. That said, the excitement and longing to be there is also twice as much as before! I fly on Saturday, ... read more

Hi!! Im in Grimsby at my Grandma and Grandads - they haven't aged a day, and im being spoilt rotten! ..plus im going to be SO fat when i get back, picture this : everyday we eat breakfast then lunch, then dessert, then high tea, then dinner, then more dessert then supper - holy crap, whos coming for a run when i get back?haha been hanging out with my stepcousins tannith richard johnny, an tannys bf tim - all 20+, so a fab break from grandparents tehe they hav 4 massive doggys - like the size of horses, theyr SO gorgeous! and grandparents dog Roly loves playing all day too lol So far iv had Freya over from Germany - she stayed 4 days and we ended up ice skating, shopping in leeds ( we spent ... read more

Well we're back. When I said I wasn't looking forward to coming back I was only telling a half truth. As someone who has only gotten out and stretched their wings once there were a few home comforts I missed about the nest - or at least realised I had done when sat with a plate of Fish and Chips on my knee, chatting with almost-family drinking much cheaper and better beer and watching crap telly. Martin on the otherhand who has had the taste of freedom more than once feels somewhat cooped up and I completely believe him when he says he hasn't missed a thing. When I was little I was always the one off away on Girl Guide camp, sleepovers and adventure weekends with school, but it's still nice to see family again. ... read more

Photography by Martin Hurton Well here we go! We fly out to Schipol early in the morning for a transfer to Lima (total 19hrs). A tot of whiskey for breakfast should make that more bareable! I'm looking forward to finally getting out there after what seems like too much planning. The fact I only had my booster jab and medical today (well, actually I only registered with a doctor today) would suggest that I'd left things late, but it's more fun that way. Like only just finding out that we can't get a train from Lima to Cusco and it's about 50 hours by bus - don't tell Stephanie - the little vilages and scenery along the way will be a nice surprise ;o) When I planned to go around the world originally I planned it ... read more

Hey guys, By the time you read this we should be enjoying our final nights kip before flying for 19 hours (with a quick stopover in Schipol for breakfast and a beer :)) into Lima, capital city of Peru. A quick confession from under the excited exterior: I'm pushing my comfort zone totally. We haven't really planned much and as I've never travelled before its a) hard to let go of the 'it's-the-end-of-the-world-if-I'm-late-and-miss-the-bus' kind of mentality, which is daft as I already know another one will come along in a few hours, or days. B) I'm a worrier by nature so this is one giant leap of faith and trust. C) (stands for cliché) This will change my life. The planning we have done goes vaguely as follows: We'll spend a couple of days in Lima ... read more

We had a nice outing to some of the surrounding cities on Saturday. We left the Forest Pines Hotel in Broughton and traveled east towards the Port of Immingham where Brent will be working. After reaching the coast we went south through Grimsby and Cleethorpes. They were very interesting, and we found some nice places for entertainment opportunities. After leaving the coast we headed inland and stopped at a lovely windmill in the small village of Walthom. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to tour the windmill because of an electrical malfunction. However, there was a cute candy shop whose owner was obsessed with Willy Wonka…he had all types of movie information and autographed memorabilia from the film. Even a Golden Ticket autographed by the child actor who played Mike TV in the film. From there we ... read more