FRIENDS!!!!

Literally just after my last post I found out that we FINALLY have two more UK-er's in my arrival group! One of them got a call that day and the other one had recently got a date and was hiding lol. So there's now three UK girls and one boy... me, (the other) Jen, Harriet and Scott. And Scott is from Glasgow as well, yay! 

The last arrival group went on Tuesday (2 days ago), the next leaves in two weeks, the next is 3 weeks after that, then the next is 2 weeks and then mines is 3 weeks after that!! Its getting soooooooooo close!! And I'm still as disorganised as ever. I'm in a bit of a mental mind block until the visa is out of the way... its like I'm unwilling to part with large amounts of money or anything until this big thing is done and dusted. I just my visa petition would hurry up and get here but it should be soon hopefully as I can't bare it being dragged out much longer!

Our facebook groups are pretty funny at the moment, we are all so hyper/nervous/excited that we post pretty much non stop alllllllllllllllllllllllllll day and night long, the amount of notifications can be completely crazy! I don't know how anyone can get through this without constantly talking about it. There has been a mega change in housing which has thrown everyone.... the CRP's are now being mixed into the other complexes and not just the Commons/Patterson Court. Every person from the last group, with the exception of one who was put into Patterson, was placed in different apartments in Vista Way and Chatham Square. Previously there were no Americans living at the Commons but they've moved them in now so its really different. There was also a brief period where they sent out forms where you could put preferences for where you wanted to live and who you want to live with but that's gone as well now! It is now completely random and luck of the draw, so don't get too excited about living with your friends! Part of the experience is about living with people from different cultures though so if you don't think you can deal with that, then maybe this isn't right for you...

Wasted a bit of time writing this when I should be getting ready for work, oops, mad rush time! But here is a picture of the amazing pink travel wallet my mum got me :) So excited to use it, 68 days to go!!!

11 weeks to go!!

And it's still going crazy fast! Its really kind of getting me worried now, there's just SO much to do. Like I can't just leave my bedroom the way it is with all my belongings as there's going to be yet more work done to the house while I'm away, meaning that my brother will have to move into my room while they put a bathroom on his side. I'm constantly just picking through things, throwing out things, giving stuff to charity and there's still SOOOO much! But I don't want to get rid of everything, I just want it to be more compact haha!! 

I've still not heard back from STA travel about insurance, even though funnily enough I got another generic email from them telling me about their insurance?? Weird... I've looked into other companies but its all a bit mind boggling so I'm going to go back and email STA for a quote. Annoying that their rates have gone up this year though... that's what I get for putting it off!

I've pulled out all my Disney-related documents and put them in a ring binder which is now beside my bed, along with a pad and pen. I tend to randomly think of things or lists, stuff I need to do/pay, etc in the middle of the night so I try to write stuff down so that (a) I don't forget and (b) so that I don't lie awake all night worrying that I will forget!

I'm going to start putting/ chucking stuff into a suitcase that I've got in mind for Florida. Mainly to keep it separate from everything that's getting stored or thrown out or donated. Too many piles! I need to sort out my phone contract, cancel direct debits and basically sort out my financial situation before I go... eugh... Visa paperwork should be arriving shortly and then there will be another trip to London to get that organised. I'm going to be trying to get it over and done with asap so I can stop thinking about it! 

People keep asking me about a leaving party ... I have a date and venue in mind so I will be getting that organised shortly as well. Sooooo much to plan! I've been chatting A LOT to the guys on our various facebook groups. The next lot of people will be heading out next week, it makes it seem so real yet again! After this it will be back to groups leaving every couple of weeks. Although there is still only 2 UK people on my date.... if there's someone else out there please let yourself be known!! There's a lot of Canadians and quite a few Italians.. I think my UK arrival group is the smallest. So you never know, someone who is applying this round may get asked to go in April, especially if they got wait listed before! I briefly got to see Abbie this past weekend as she's away next week. She was meeting up with Hayley and Connor and a couple of the guys who we haven't met before but have just got dates. So I got to briefly say hiya to Hayley and Mark and missed seeing Connor and Gary cos I had to go to work. Sad face :(

Euchhhhhh.... work. It's not been the best couple of weeks. Been upset by a few people and getting to know  who my real friends are. Only got about 9 weeks left there after 4 years though, I can get through it. I've been off for several days now as I've had the stomach bug that has been going round everyone. Unpleasant but a welcome distraction! 

So this has been a wee bit of a length post so I will leave you with this.... my Minnie Mouse pj's. Cos they are awesome :)

It's that time again....

Application for the CRP have opened up again!!! Crazyyyy!!! There's still loads of people that haven't left yet from my round of applications, and now they have opened up for a second time! Where does the time go?!?!? 

Good luck to everyone that is thinking of applying this time round, I know there's a few that are following my blogs and twitter. I'm thinking of some new informative type blog posts so keep your eyes peeled :) And as always, any questions then do ask!

This evening will be spent making some lists and trying to be organised (well that is the plan anyway!)

Getting organised!

I did it... I FINALLY emailed the arrivals team! Go meeee!!! After a really crappy night at work I loved coming home to check my email and getting a reply from Disney International Arrivals... signed off with "Kind Regards and have a Disney Day!!"

I also emailed Michaela from STA about travel insurance a few days ago but have yet to get a reply. ANNOYING!! I want it done, ticked off and out of the way!  My visa petition should be arriving in the next couple of weeks so I really need to start getting organised again. A whole lot of 2013 CRP's have just had their visa interviews or will be travelling down to the embassy in London soon. I'm off work tomorrow (its nearly 1am and I've been working tonight) so the plan is to take all the documents, emails, etc and put them in a binder and try to get my head straight with everything. The reality that I only have 3 more pay days until I leave has hit me HARD!! Safe to say I think I may be a bit poor when I first get to Florida but its all good... I've been skinto before and always got through it! Everyone else can have fun and I'll just chill out by the pool and work on my tan :) Our 2013 group had a chat about money recently... some people are able to take thousands, others like myself are not in this category! Sadly I'm intolerant of ramen noodles so will not be surviving off them haha!

There's been A LOT of activity on our facebook group recently, I love it! With all the new people that have got arrival dates for 2013, things are moving pretty fast! There have been a couple of people that have decided to decline their positions now for personal reasons which has opened up places for people on the waiting list. Its sad that they won't be spending a year with us but hopefully they will come to visit! 

As there is a few more Scottish peeps in our posse now we are planning on another catch up before Abbie leaves at the end of January. I'm properly gutted as its looking likely that I can't make it :( My boss is on holiday that week so I'll have to work. They are meeting at three and thats when my shift starts. However the other supervisor will also be working and owes me about 20 million favours so I'm going to push for starting a lil bit later so I can at least make a brief cameo appearance!

emmmmm... what else has happened.... Oh yeah... I got a mention on a future applicants blog! So if you found me here via his blog then howdy! My blog is just about to hit 3000 views now and I'm totally shocked! If you have been able to read through allllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll this then good on you! I'm backing off of tumblr a bit.... there's too much melodramatics and whinging on there and it was starting to take its toll on me.  If anyone has any questions about anything then give me a shout! Applications will be open again before I know it... wonder if I'll have even left the UK yet by then... lol! Its REALLY flying past now though, less than 3 months to go now! 78 days till I finish up work and 98 days till I'm on that plane! EEEEKKKKK!!!!!!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Remember that time I said I was going to email my details to the arrival team, but there was a danger of me getting distracted? Then you can probably guess where this is going... woops! I will have done it before my next blog post!!! I've just been paid today as well so need to get my health insurance sorted. I'm just doing the initial four months and then going onto Disney employee insurance. For those not in the know, you need health insurance before your even allowed into the country. You have two choices - pay a full year upfront with a company like STA or pay for the first four months, and then after that you qualify for employee health insurance from Disney. The money comes out your paycheck and is apparently a lot more convenient. 

Christmas and New Years is out the way... but life at work is still pretty crazy busy. My hotel does a "January sale" package which is dirt cheap and they get dinner, bed, breakfast, complimentary mini bar and access to a lounge with more complimentary booze. So it tends to attract a different sort of clientèle.... euchhhhhhhh. I've been working at least ten hours a day, totally understaffed and trying to resolve a million and one issues (the fun of being late duty manager) but..... I'm now off work for two whole days!! A Friday and a Saturday!! And its payday!! So being the crazy person that I am, I'm actually staying in my work tonight haha. It was my best friends birthday between Christmas and New Year but she wasn't well and I couldn't get the time off so we are making up for it tonight. 

My Christmas was ok... I was off Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day but I was so utterly exhausted that I spent a lot of it sneaking off for naps. On Christmas Day my sister, her boyfriend and my little nephew came over and I had fun opening presents with the wee guy. He's only six months old and hasn't really got a clue about what was happening but it was still entertaining. And I was getting a lot of use with my fancy new camera taking a million photos of him lol!

Only 95 days to go now, which is roughly 14 weeks.... its getting very real!!!