It feels strange complaining about the stress levels that come with attempting to coordinate a multiple country multi-week multi-person travel extravaganza. But I will!
The process equates to something like this:
- enter all personal and credit card information with glee, typing so fast the keyboard can barely register my keystrokes
- wait as my info gets processed with visions of Belgium waffles, schnitzel, or crepes dancing across my mind
- GET DENIED
- hit refresh. this must be impossible. crap you can’t refresh sensitive information
- fill in all information again.
- GET DENIED with little to absolute no explanation
- repeat 3 to 4 more times before getting so frustrated that I just flop on the ground and binge eat chocolate
- email/call/send carrier pigeons to whatever contact help line is provided and wait for a response
So after doing that for nearly every country to which I planned to travel I was emotionally drained.
Meet Hailey and Alex who granted me the ultimate reprieve:
Hailey and Alex are fellow camp comrades that have recently settled in an English town called Stoke-on-Trent. Although I just returned from a visit I could only tell you maybe five things about the town. The likelihood that you’ve never heard of it is at an all time high.
Planning the trip to Stoke was everything that planning for my Easter break travel was not.
Buying the tickets? Cheap. My credit card? Accepted. Travel times? Ideal.
Within in maybe 10 clicks of the mouse, my trip to Stoke was booked.
After an easy, breezy, beautiful* train journey I arrived in Stoke and followed the helpfully labeled “Way Out” signs through the station. There, at the top of the staircase was Alex and Hailey, and I ran, screaming and giggling, into their arms. Literally.
From there we went to their apartment where we did all of the following activities: catching up, talking all things camp and life, learning about Alex’s real grown-up job, trying squash (it’s a drink y’all), cooking naan from scratch, attempting to use British measuring tools for an American recipe, eating curry, laughing, Hailey and I eating our body weight in naan, getting a crash course in football rivalries and customs, exchanging Pinterest and blogfinds, stumping doormen at pubs with our Texas driver’s licenses, gawking at British fashion, discussing our bright n’ shiny futures, and trying a tenacious drink called Snake Bite (akkkk!) etc.
My short trip (it was less than 24 hours) was filled with everything that I care for the most. The late-night fashion show we threw for ourselves was only the cherry on top. Theheheh, see below:
England has a strange fascination with onsies. I’ve seen them worn in nearly every social situation. “Impossible!” I can hear you all cry from behind your computer screens. You are all wrong. I’ve seen students wear them to class and up in tha club as well. The onsie knows no limits.
As a professional lounger I am all for this trend traveling across the Atlantic and through out the USA. VIVA LA ONSIE!
And I’ll leave y’all with this train station bathroom selfie!
Muchos Besos!
*The adjective beautiful is 100% accurate in describing my travels. This is because on my train from Derby to Stoke my view to the right was the gawwwwwjus English countryside and my view to the left was an equally handsome English gentlemen. Applying for my marriage visa now guys (JUST KIDDING).
Notts and Bolts 