Week 1 planned . . . 103 to go

The hostel is booked, rail/tube/bus pass is paid for and the weeks events are starting to take shape.

I fly into Heathrow on the morning of the 10th and, barring any more extensive security searches implemented by the time I finally leave, I should be settled at my hostel by mid-afternoon. Having never stayed in a hostel before I was a bit in the dark about what I should be looking for and where I should stay, but after talking to a few people at work that just finished a GAP year in the UK I think I picked a winner with the Globetrotter Inn. After living in residence the past few years I can definitely handle sharing a bathroom with a half dozen other people, but spending £120 (C$250)/week for the privilege to do so is a bit much. Oh well, it's London - I guess there is no way around it.

Over the past week I was browsing through the stuff offered by Rail Europe, trying to figure out what I was actually going to do once I there, and came across a transit/sightseeing package. It combines all the public transport around central London with the London Pass. I don't know anyone who has used the London Pass (most just hit up a few of the attractions individually), but I figured that a list of attractions with free/pre-paid admission should keep my days as full as I could want.

Back to the everyday life in Victoria, I'm down to my last 9 days at work and it can't come soon enough.
It's become routine to head out to Sandown Racetrack on Saturday afternoons to kill a bit of time, followed by a random night out and a lazy Sunday to wrap up the week. Speaking of which, I'm off to the track - my advice is to pick the horse with the perkiest ears, they're sure to at least show.

I've got a golden ticket!

Alright, so maybe it isn't golden, but it's a ticket nonetheless.

I finally booked my flight for October 9th and, with a short stop over in Washington to check in on George W., I'll be arriving in London-Heathrow by the morning of the 10th. Where I go from there is currently unknown even to myself, but right now I'm leaning toward a week or two traveling around the Southern UK and Wales before making my way to Dublin.

After a quick visit to the bank on Monday I'll have all my flight/financial/insurance papers organized so that I can apply for my Holiday-Maker visas and hopefully in 4-6 weeks I'll be completely cleared to go. Until then I'll hurry up and wait.