IanWow… 4 days to go! Time does fly!! Today I am packing for Mum’s and my holiday as this is the only opportunity I will get!
So, let’s get started, shall we? I have learned a lot from my holiday in January, so this process was slightly more straightforward than when I first did it! I started the day downloading all the movies and TV shows I wanted to watch on the flight out there on my new Samsung Tab S9+. This helped me during January’s flight! I have had to pack today as I am working three days from tomorrow, so best be prepared!
Next up, I got my suitcase back out, battered from the last flight. As you can see from the picture above, I still have my old luggage tags in my case; it just reminded me of my holiday in January! I checked the netted part and realised my Apple Tag had run out of battery, so it was time to head to Sainsbury’s to get a new one.
It was a scorching day today; I guess the weather is preparing me for Orlando! Anyway, while I was here, I got toiletries for the trip. I learned something from my last holiday and didn’t buy big bottles, just the travel minis. It was 3 for 2, so it saved me a few pounds!
Much better, eh? I am starting to look like a proper traveller now! So I got a clear bag to fit them in and have everything I need for the hotel on Friday and the initial day in Orlando. We have plans to visit Wal-Mart when we arrive, but it’ll depend on how late we get into Orlando and how tired we are!
Next, it was time to do some washing. I had to wash my shorts, shirts and a few more bits of underwear. Luckily, it was warm enough today that they dried pretty quickly! Now that I had done that, I put my pants, socks, and then my shirts into my suitcase. It feels much lighter this time, but I guess I don’t have two weeks’ worth of clothes because we are only going for one week! It should help us bring some goodies back!
The next part was me putting my towel in, as the ones at the hotel (at least in Adventurer) were too small. I placed it in the second compartment along with my swim shorts (I will bypass my fear!), sunglasses from last time and my body puff for cleaning. The toiletries will be put into my hand luggage for the hotel on Friday then I will put them in my suitcase so there are no problems at the airport! I also put a few spare clothes in my carry-on, so I have spares in case my bag goes missing.
I haven’t fully packed my carry-on bag yet; I will do that on Friday morning before we go to the hotel. We are staying at the Hampton by Hilton Hotel on the North Terminal at Gatwick Airport, recommended by my crewmate, Kimberley. We have twin doubles (better than the other one we had booked, which was just single twins) and breakfast included, so we don’t need to stress about getting on our flight!
Well that’s my packing done! I had an email from TUI yesterday confirming that our flights were planned and ready, which means they won’t be affected by the air traffic control outage experienced last week, so that was good to hear! Also, our rep emailed us who will stay at the hotel should we need support, which is great!
I can’t believe we are so close now!! It felt like yesterday that I booked this surprise holiday for Mum, and with everything she has been through since her brain bleed, we weren’t even sure we’d be going! But thanks to Addenbrookes, who saved Mum’s life, Mum can enjoy a relaxing holiday in a place she has always wanted to go! I have three more shifts to do; then I will be ready! I am getting excited now! I just got to push through 36 hours!
So that’s it for now! Today, I managed to get my packing done and ready. Friday, I will finish my carry-on luggage. We are prepared to go! My next blog will be Friday evening at the hotel in the UK for Pre-Travel Day, so I look forward to it!
