jet lag.

Ok, so this blog is called JET LAG. This is a horrible, horrible thing. Not to mention the additional aches and pains of a cold....yep, thats it we both have colds. We must have picked it up on the plane and been more open to it as we were tired and run down. But we are getting there.

The first night home on the Tuesday i fell asleep at 6pm and woke up at 8.30 to eat more of my take away but went straight back to bed and woke up at 7am.

The following day i fell asleep at 8pm and woke up at 5am.

Then 9pm and woke up at 4.30am but today which is a few days into the jet lag i fell asleep at 9.30 and woke up at 6am, so a lot better...woopah!

But the colds are pretty awful, stuffy head, stuffy nose and achey body. My throats not to hot either. But it has been nice being back. Indulging in British food and some lovely walks with Tilly. Hearing great news from my friend sian who is expecting a baby girl, yay! And generally enjoying the cold weather. We have both been waking up with cold toes and it feeling like Christmas. Its lovely.

So, this will probably be my last blog for the trip now. Its all over and feels like a thing of the distant past. I miss America, i miss the trees from Yosemite, the rides in Florida, the drinks in New Orleans, the live music in NY, the sea in Hawaii, the bright lights in Vegas, the buzz in Hollywood, the sophistication of Washington and the cold in San Fran. But maybe one day again i will see some of these things. If not, hello new adventures in new places. But for now, if i don't see a plane for a few years it will be too soon.

The final thought...you may need a coffee.

Hello all, well i said i may blog whilst on the journey home so here goes.

It's 4am New York time and tonight was a much needed sleep for the both of us. In the last 24 hours we had spent 11 of them on a plane. Plus our night in san fran was not good! We got very little sleep. We arrived in New York and our hotel is pretty dingy, one of those 'oh so you spent all your money on the lobby, ahh i see very nice' kinda hotels. But we were zonked so we fell straight asleep. Until...........bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
That is right a mosquito, in NY. Not one in Florida i must mention.

We hunted it down but had no look, so now we are wide awake.

Sitting on a plane anticipating lots of things is really fun. This whole trip has given me the opportunity to put a lot of things into perspective. My worries about money, my ocd and my almost 3 years of depression, seeking treatment and overcoming it woopah to me! Being able to be open about it to help others :). Losing Rosie in that year long battle to better health and then losing my little man Toto. After my mini op i really needed to get away. And what a getaway it was!

I really can't wait to get back home, to experiment with my old self again. Spending and relaxing not worrying and enjoying life. Along this trip i really saw some awful things. There were homeless people everywhere, most i will admit were smoking so silly them if they feed their habbit rather than themselves. But a man with cancer, and he had tubes in and out of him...laying on the ground in Hawaii. It was shocking. Eye opening though. I'm so desperate to enjoy life again and be myself, have fun and feel free from that awful blanket i had smothering me for that long.

This blog is pretty personal, but i realised im proud of who i am and how i have overcome such a terrible 3 years and even worse last year. My mum kept telling me how strong i was and i was doing so well, i never realised it but i really was. I had doubts about the trip, thinking it would make me relapse but if anything its shot me forward!

The trip also helped me realise that im so passionate about animal therapy. When mike and i had down days and we got to interact with the parrots, the dolphins, the sealions and so forth it really picked me up. I can't wait to be apart of that and im excited to enrole on the course when im back.

I know my mum reads my blog and i want to thank her and my dad for being so patient with me. Supporting me to take this trip as there were times when i wasn't going to. And thank you to Mike for making this trip amazing. Also appreciating all the input from all the weirdos and wackos in the states, they made us LOVE England, but also made for some funny times.

And good god, i can't wait to stop having to eat a muffin or cookie for tea!

Its been classy America.

Aloha,

Hawaii, our last stop of the trip. Well, weren't we moaners! We arrived at our hotel in Ohau called the Waikiki sand villa hotel. We were tired and jet lagged. So it caused us to moan about our hotel. We were originally going to book the turtle bay, which you may have seen in Sarah Marshall, but it turned out we didn't do it on time. So we stayed at the sand villa.

Anyhoo, after settling in, having some cocktails we realised it was not horrible and that Hawaii was actually very nice. So, the first day consisted of us consuming many cocktails! We were both very drunk and passed out upstairs!

Then on our second day we headed to Waikiki beach. Mike bought a body board and i bought a lilo. I was laying there in the sun floating in the waves. It was heaven. So relaxed! I did however crap myself after meeting the hidden wall that blocked off the waves so it isn't as rough. I thought it was a shark!

Then we planned trips! Our most used services of our trip to the states, it was the best way to get around. We booked a tour around Oahu, we got to see the beaches, film sets and walk on the peer that they use in lost for the submarine shots! AHHHH! Plus, we also drove past the studio and trailers that the cast were actually occupying at that time, double AHHHH! This was a lovely and scenic tour, even though i fell asleep every time we got back on the bus :/

So, our second and most exciting trip ever. DOLPHINS. Now, i was a little unsure. I'm not scared of water, in fact im a very good swimmer and used to be in all sorts of classes when i was younger, but the idea of not seeing whats underneath me is the fear...and sharks!!! So i was veering to swimming with the sea lions as i love them so much but thought hey, lets face a fear! We arrived at the park to see two dolphins swimming in a big 18ft deep pool. We were briefed and told to have fun! I was so scared and anxious, but when right in the deep end, sending myself off the ledge :S. It didn't help that the instructor shouts "look out shark! duh duh duh duh" But then the dolphin rose from the water with her mouth open coming at us to splash us.

The scariest part was taking myself out into the middle of the pool and waiting for Nani, the dolphin to come behind and under me for me to grab her fins. She pulled me to the edge, so fun!

It didn't sink in for two days that i had done this, i still can't believe it. Wow, what a trip.

I will close here, i may blog more about the mayhem of catching flights but for now, thanks for reading those who did. What a trip this has been. I found it so difficult to sort it what with stuff i had been through this year...Rose, Toto and my own personal difficulties. But turns out, this trip was the best thing for me. I love life, i have come back to my old self where i have realised the beauty and enjoyment life can bring.

I highly recommend people travel and see what they dream of seeing!

Somewhere over the Rainbow.

Ok, so this will probably be my most important and heartfelt blog. Yosemite. It was a difficult process of booking this whilst we were in San Fran, it was a battle with price, availability and reliability with the companies.

We finally found a trip though that suited us and this was a two night stay in Cedar Lodge, El Capitan. We jumped on a tour bus at 6am from our hotel in San Fran and headed out on a guided tour of Yosemite. It took 6 hours to get there and we were told many facts about surrounding villages and such. We drove through a field that was filled with Oak trees, which was already dreamy for me as they are my favourite tree. We arrived at Yosemite and had time to have a little explore before catching a bus back to Cedar lodge, around 40 mins drive from the park. Our hotel was lovely, it was in the middle of the mountains surrounded by the fresh smell of trees and the sun hit us just nicely.

We got a shuttle into the park which was $7 return, so not pricey at all. On our first full day in the park we used the free hybrid shuttle to get around, watching little films about the park. Learning about the different nature here and browsing the gifts they had to offer.

Then we got off at the Awahnee, which is a lovely, very pricey hotel smack back in the middle of the park. This was also where the shining had its interior shots filmed. We decided here to go for a walk around the back of the hotel. It consisted of greenery and trees and little paths off to all sorts of trails. Just then i spotted a bottom! It looked like the back of a Labrador dog but turned out to be a baby deer. Wild deer. Another of my top 5 animals, so i was in heaven really.

I managed to tip toe utterly close to the baby and it was incredible. I was close to tears it was so breathtaking. Yosemite then showed me to be one of the most beautiful places on the planet. And it was here that i felt truly happy. After loosing Rosie and Toto this year, then getting that bloody stone in my mouth and coming through that other thing some of you know about i never thought id have a day where i was 100% happy again. I felt hard done by and doomed for bad luck. But that little deer in that national park completely changed everything and gave me a new outlook on life.

We then paddled in a beautiful creek where we say blue jays, squirrels and a snake! It was a truly beautiful place. I highly suggest visiting and i hope i will be able to make it there again. One of natures finest creations.

Our trip came to an end and here we set off again with a different tour guide who was really lovely and he took us down to see the giant sequoia. Also breathtaking, those beautiful trees were so big and so broad. Amazing!

On the drive home we passed through a beautiful village, that was full of horse ranches and fruit orchards. I spotted around 4 duns, just like Rose. The sun set in the background into a beautiful pink grapefruit colour. It was bliss.

x

San Francisco.

I shall keep this one short and a little sweeter than Hollywood.

San Francisco, appeared very British at first...we kind of felt we were in inner city London, which wasn't a lot of fun because who really wants to go there.

But, our hotel was amazing, the bed was cushy which is something you miss when traveling so that was a treat. The weather was cooler also so i was able to wear a hoodie and pants, which i did not think i would miss but i do.

We jumped on a sightseeing bus, that took us around San Fran and pointed out all the highlights and historic facts that we would not have learned otherwise. This bus took us over the Golden Gate bridge, which was incredibly beautiful...photographs really don't do that bridge justice. The bus though was already very bumpy, it had no roof and it went very fast. I felt at some points i was going to bounce out! And it was the first time on the trip i had goose bumps and my teeth chattered! Yay, it felt like home!

So, after the bridge we stopped off at peer 39 where we saw all the sealions! Yay! One of my top 5 animals. This was a great moment. There were 100s! There were comical moments where two alphas had a fight, gentle fight over who could sit on the peer....both pushing each other off. It made the crowd cheer when the smaller of the two found victory and pushed the bigger off after a 5th attempt of getting on the peer! YAY!

We also got to see Alcatraz here, which was a nice view. The boats out were a little pricey however. We ate a very yummy ice cream from a chocolate shop that made my hips grow and my heart ache as soon as i walked in the door.

Also, San Fran grows TRAMPS on trees. One of the worst places for them. NY wasn't even this bad.

Bye!

Hollywood.

Hello,

its been a while since Ive seen written anything so i have a few blogs to post. So i will tell you a little about Hollywood.

TRAVOLTA star! :)
No TOTO star :(

Gorgeous weather, lovely beach and beautiful houses.

That is all.

p.s. Mike saw Tom from Mcfly.

Hi all,

its Thursday 3rd of September and it's 9.17 pm. Today we left Las Vegas and arrived in Hollywood.

Firstly, i will just fill you in a little on Las Vegas. Personally i think it has to be the worst place we have been so far. Apart from the room, the room was amazing. New York has been the worst room. However, our two days there consisted of us walking up the strip, me hurting my foot so bad i couldn't really walk. Mike getting his tattoo which turned out to be bleeding a lot and causing a lot of pain. Then add on the intense deathly heat meant we both kind of had a difficult uncomfortable day. Then we were gutted as the grand canyon trip didn't really suit us, it added 15 hours of travel for us within 24 hours and we only would get to see the canyon for 2 hours. Plus the trip had majorly bad reviews. So, a big loss but we just had a chill day in the hotel. I made $8 on the slots and we saw a superstar show, which was god awful but we had a nice tea.

Our trip to LA. So, i dont remember if i mentioned the greyhound bus from DC to Florida, where it took 19 hours.....or so we thought and ended up taking 24. They left us in multiple places for many hours . Horrific! So, we got on our last ever greyhound, which was just horrible again. We were discussing how all the idiots, stupid people and scary mo fos in each state gather at the greyhound stations. We were so uncomfortable, scared and wanted to come home. That company has that affect on us, each of the three times we have used them.

We arrived in LA and taxied to Hollywood as there was not a chance we were getting on another bus. We checked in and had some tea. I nearly cried into my calzone, especially after seeing a little dog with his head out the window that reminded me of Toto and home :(
Im sure i will feel better tomorrow after a good sleep and talks with more 'normal' people.

So i am safe, and unharmed by the red necks and drunk homeless people. But hey, check out some of these photos they are just above, we travelled through 'hills have eyes' county. That film disturbed me when i watched it. I know it wasn't true. But, after being in America for 3 weeks now, and witnessing things and seeing people i have seen, i believe that film has every potential to be true. People here are MESSED UP!

Enjoy, miss and love you all.
p.s. we don't want to sound as if we are moaning, but the travelling is really hard!