The needles are out!!

Firstly, thanks for your comment Mad Dog! Exciting to get comments from people reading my blog!
Well, had my first injection today. Rabies. Went to 1st Contact for it as couldn't get it from my Drs. Was planning to get the Japanese B Encephalitis from 1st Contact as well but the nice lady told me that I didn't really need it for where I was going and so given that it would cost over £100 figured I'd give it a miss! So far feeling fine after the rabies jab so hopefully they'll all be as good!
I did book the harbour bridge climb and the 3 day liveaboard as I put in my last post and I've also booked my Africa tour as well! All coming together now which is exciting. Saved 10% on Africa as well by booking more than 6 months in advance. Sunita is going to check out the flight for me in Canada for between Vancouver and San Francisco. What's the nightmare with that one is the taxes. Basic flight about £46. Total cost with taxes £81.60!! Madness! Hopefully there'll be some budget airline out there I don't know about which means she'll be able to get it cheaper for me.
Have my flight booked for going out to see Sarah in India as well. Go there from 8th-16th May and so have needed to get those injections sorted out for that as well. I am so going to fill my passport up this year!

Flights are booked!!

I am soooooo excited! Yesterday I went to Trailfinders and booked my flights! Managed to book every one bar the Vancouver to San Francisco leg on the One World Explorer ticket. Couldn't do that flight because although it's an American Airlines flight it's actually operated by Alaskan Airlines and as they're not part of the alliance I couldn't book it. Can always sort it out when I get to the US so I'm not too worried. Came to £2317.10 in the end which wasn't bad as I have about 17 flights in total on there. Had a really helpful man at Trailfinders called Dan who I'm going to call tomorrow as well to book a 3 day liveaboard trip to Lizard bay and Cod Hole for when I'm in Cairns and also I'm going to book my Sydney Harbour Bridge climb through him as well. Only £3 more expensive than booking it myself so it's just as easy to book the whole thing in one go. Will also book the Africa tour tomorrow. Planning to go into Acacia tomorrow to go book it in person as it's only a 5 minute walk from work. It's all coming together now. When that's booked have no more to book! Am also planning to pop into the Drs tomorrow to start making appointments for my injections. Am going to need some of them for India anyway and if I'm going there in May need to get them sorted out soon anyway! Trailfinders have recommended I get Diphtheria - Tetanus - Polio, Typhoid, Hepatitis A, Meningitis, Rabies, Hepatitis B, TB, Japanese Encephalitis, Yellow Fever and of course, anti-malarials. Fortunately have had Hep B with work and was BCG vaccinated as a kid although working in the field of TB at the moment I know it's fairly pointless me being vaccinated anyway! I'm so excited!!!!!!!!

4 days 'til booking!

Am hugely excited this week as I'm going to book my flights on Saturday. Finalised my plan and did decide not to do Lima (just found out a 4th person from work who went out there had tummy troubles so just don't want to have to deal with that at the start of my trip!) and so it's going to be Philadephia, New York, Boston, Chicago, Minneapolis, Vancouver, San Francisco, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya and then back home again. Have the Africa tour on hold at the moment with Acacia Africa as I looked on the Intrepid site who you can book with as well and they only had 2 places left and got a bit worried but it turns out there are a few places left. So anyway, the lovely woman at Acacia sais they'd put one place on hold for me til I can book next week. Been in touch with Sarah in India a bit as well and hearing about all that she's getting up to is making me really keen to go exploring. Probably going out to see her at the beginning of May so will get to try out a few travelling bits and bobs as well so will be a really useful trip. Can't wait. Plus she's only been gone a few days but it feels like a long time already. Yet more experiments failing at the moment so hard not to be too excited about not having to do them for much longer!!

Today's post

REALLY looking forward to my trip today! My best friend Sarah went off to India last night which was very sad, and my close friend Sunita goes to Vancouver on Monday so I want it to be my turn to escape now! I only have another 14 weeks at work which really isn't very much time at all.
I'm getting more and more bits and bobs together for my trip. Bought my day pack and money belt at the weekend. Found an amazing camping shop near my parent's house which stocks just about everything you could ever need! I'm going to book my flights a week on Saturday and then I'm planning to go to Acacia to book the Africa part of my tour after that. Then it's a case of starting to get visas and injections. Pin cushion time! Hopefully I'll be as good as Sarah was and not feel any effects. Well, you can live in hope!
Have been thinking of adding South America to the beginning of my trip but I'm not sure. I know someone who is living in Lima at the moment and it would really good to go and see him but it means adding another continent to my flight which will up the cost somewhat but then it's going to be so much cheaper to live in South America for a week than North America so it could just be swings and roundabouts, but it is just for a week and so not sure if it's worth it. Also, my boss has just been to Peru and ended up with a dodgy stomach (as did another friend of mine when she went) and I'm not sure I want to start my trip getting ill! although obviously I do realise that I might not get ill! Not forgetting it will be winter there in August.