Here to stay...

Usually, I'm the girl happily making snow angels while everyone else gets stuck into a rather viscous snowball fight. This year, for some unknown reason, I have been voluntarily joining in with such activities. For the first time, I have been sledging, snowballing and generally being, dare I say it, downright silly.

There is something about the snow which has caused adults around the country to revert to the childhood ways, which can now be found on every street in Britain. Suddenly, it is not uncommon to see big, burly men throwing themselves done a hill on a small sheet of plastic. Women will happily risk their perfectly styled hair in order to join in with the snowball fights that are a common feature.

School's are shut and many students,myself included, relish the idea of that extra hour in bed. For the first time in over 100 years, my school was forced to close the school - a cause of celebration for all of us who have been made to attend lessons while their friends get the chance to skive.

The only problem is that for the more uncoordinated amongst us, the ice is a source of continuous embarrassment. The only solution I have been able to find is to cling to the arm of the nearest person and hope for the best. With the cold weather set to stay for a good while longer, I'm sure I'll find it is not as effective as I first thought. Until the temperatures rise above freezing, I guess I will have to hope that I don't get too many more injuries!

Rain and Roller Coasters

A week on a cabbage farm sure sounds like fun doesn't it? I expected rainy days, little company and the ever present smell of farming. So you can imagine my surprise when I did actually enjoy my time in Lincolnshire.

Not only was I off school for a week, which is in itself a cause for celebration, but I got to spend it with my friend and I had 'forgotten' about the rather substantial amount of homework I had to work through.

Although we did manage to drag ourselves out of the cottage we had rented for the occasional trip out, I have to admit that most of the time we could be found in the hot tub, which we had affectionately named Gandalf, looking every bit the sophisticated hotshot. (Ok that last bit may be a slight exaggeration).

The highlight of the week had to be our trip to Skegness. Ignoring the long sandy beaches or town centre, we dived into the pleasure beach not leaving until our stomachs were churning - an unfortunate after effect of the sheer number of rides we had been on and rather large lunch we had devoured

In short, if anyone every offers you the opportunity to spend a week on a cabbage farm in Lincolnshire, I suggest you take it. Just be sure you remember to not eat before visiting Skegness Pleasure Beach.

A/w '10

It's that time of year again. The temperature's dropping and many of us find ourselves grasping for our sweaters.

It was no surprise then when I heard my local department store was staging an Autumn/Winter 2010 Fashion Show. Decked out in our best 'casual attire', myself, my mum and a couple of my fashion savvy friends trooped down, our eyes peeled for an on trend bargain in the event sales.

I have to admit I was slightly disappointed when the models marched out, one after another, to discover their entire bodies probably weighed as much as one of my arms! What happened to the new curve friendly fashion we've been reading about?

Skeletal bodies aside, I found myself growing progressively envious as they strut their way down the makeshift catwalk in beautiful outfit after beautiful outfit. Although most of the pieces wouldn't have suited me ( I have hips and a stomach!) I did spot a few items I would be adding to my mental wish list.

The models, who I have to admit were gorgeous, showcased three looks each: casual, on trend and evening, from brands such as Desigual, Therapy and Ted Baker.

It was, all in all, a great evening and I happily left the store with a smile on my face, laden with free samples.

Home once more

It's a funny feeling to come home from holiday. Everyone is affected in a different way. Some can't sleep. Others throw themselves into all the work they didn't do.

Although I should probably be the latter, I'm not.

I keep speaking American. All those phrases I thought were strange four weeks ago have suddenly appeared in my vocabulary. To the amusement (and sometimes annoyance) of my friends, the words soda and candy have become common language for me.

It seems my vacation has had a lasting effect on me - not that I'm suprised. It would be hard for me to forget considering the amount that occured. But now I'm home and having to re-adapt to the life of an English teen. There's rain, homework, chores, more rain. And before I make a start on that essay, I just want to say thank you to everyone who made misadventures what they were.


Until next time
Kelly x

Not many things can leave me speechless. I am well known for my ability to talk. And talk. And talk (you get the idea).

So you can imagine my grandparents suprise when I found myself incapable of muttering anything other than 'wow, just wow'.

Why? What phenomenon broke a lifelong habit? Well, for the first time ever, I took a ride in a helicopter. I hadn't thought I would ever go in one until it was suggested to me. I wasn't really sure if I would enjoy it but I figured I might as well try it while I have the opportunity and I am sooo glad I did. I quickly grew more and more excited as the day drew closer; the end result being an extremely hyped up fifteen year old who could not sit still.

Orlando Helitours offers five tours of differing lengths (and prices). Our tour was roughly 20 miles and allowed us to see Downtown Disney, Epcot and Blizzard Beach, to name but a few.

As for what I saw up there, my only response is still wow, just wow. It's hard to desribe something I still can't comprehend. Sure, I've flown before but I've never been able to see what's beneath me. When everything looks so small, you remember how big the world is and how much of it is left unexplored. Life gives us opportunities to experience these things for a reason. So if you get the chance, take the ride. Maybe you'll be speechless too.

Have you ever played mini-golf when its 100 degrees outside?

Trust me, that's pretty hot. I would know because that's where I found myself on an extremely sunny Sunday afternoon.

Since my hand-eye co-ordination isn't exactly up to scratch, we were headed to Disney's Fantasia Gardens for a game of golf that didn't require skill or the ability to use your brain. The only problem was that the course wasn't quite as simple as we thought it would be.

I may not be an expert on golf but even I know that it's pretty hard to play when the course has enough slopes to rival a ski resort. As was to be expected, there was no hole-in-one's for me but regardless of this, I have to admit it was fun. Sadly I didn't beat, or even match, the course record.

One thing's for sure, I will never complain about English heat again. Today, as we head off shopping (there's a bit of a recurring theme here), it is 106 degrees, which is pretty hot. I was planning on tanning when I was here but it is actually too hot to go outdoors.

I don't know who invented air conditioning but boy are they a saviour! You have to admit that its the only thing keeping Americans and tourists alike from melting on the tarmac.

Kelly x

The electricity bill of a lifetime

No matter how many times I go there, the Disney parks never fail to keep me spellbound. My most recent trip there was Tuesday, when my grandparents and I took the short journey to Magic Kingdom.

Seeing as I had already been there a fair few times, we were going for the evening when the crowds should have gone home for the night. It meant we wouldn't get on any of the rides but since I could still shop, I wasn't going to complain. We were there for the Summer Nightastic; a parade of floats and dancers all decorated with enough lights to decorate several hundred Christmas trees. Despite the hefty bill it must produce, the overall effect is mesmorising.

Inspired by Disney classics such as Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, I think this may have been one of the best parades I have seen.

The only downside had to be the sweltering heat and the mass of red-faced visitors certainly didn't help. It seemed our theaory that Tuesday would be quiet was wrong. We skipped the fireworks (but still managed to catch it as we left the park). Because Main Street was packed with spectators, we were led through a side exit but even with the staff doing all they could it took us an hour to get to the car park, let alone out of Disney.

Despite the late finish, I loved it. I guess it just proves I'll always be a Disney girl at heart.

Kelly x

Muggles and Magic

Ask any of my friends and they will tell you how excited I was about going to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. 


Hooked from the beginning, I confess that I was determined to get into Hogwarts. Due to what I'm sure is simply a clerical error, my wizarding potential remains unrealised.



But this is beside the point; I would be entering Universal Studios as a muggle.

I'm sure Hogsmeade has never been busier. When we arrived at around nine in the morning, the queues were already unimagineably long to even enter the wizarding village, let alone the shops or rides. With a seventy-five minute wait to enter Ollivander's and the Owl Post (which are connected), we decided to move on after one ride and a Butterbeer in the Hog's Head.



The ride we did manage to get on was Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, which although good, wasn't great - it was just a mismatch of scenes from the various books and movies Harry Potter stars in.



Disappointing? Maybe. But after all, there's more to Universal Studios than one village pulled from one woman's imagination. There's fast rides, water rides, scary rides and Wizarding World of Harry Potter is just one small part of it. Hopefully, when the excitement has died down, the great idea that is Hogsmeade will be a little more like I was hoping for.



Kelly x

The Real American Experience

Before I left for Haines City, my dad, very clearly, gave me a list of things I wasn't to do: no cheesecake, no Mountain Dew and definitely, under any circumstances, no Cherry Pocket.



Well, as you can imagine, I had three new aims for my holiday. I wanted to eat cheesecake until I felt sick. I was going to keep a bottle of Mountain Dew in my hands constantly. And, most importantly, I was going to find my way to Cherry Pocket if I had to walk there myself, map in hand.



Luckily for me, my grandparents paid as much attention to my dad's instructions as I did, which is why after helping out with some jobs (Mountain Dew in hand, of course) I found myself in the back of a truck, sat next to a fire extinguisher, travelling the back roads of Central Florida.



We were on our way to Cherry Pocket, a 'real' American restaurant - I use this term loosely. It is well off the beaten, and worn, track and apart from myself, I couldn't spot a single tourist. The seafood shack, as it is advertised, is on the edge of Lake Pierce, complete with outhouse and a fair few alligators!

I
 left feeling like I had eaten a horse (but a very tasty one) and sporting my very own Cherry Pocket shirt. It was, due to my Nana's demands, the least crude of the selection.


Tomorrow is another day and for me it brings the long awaited Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios.



Until then
Kelly x

Summer has officially begun.

School is over, my bags are packed and my flight booked. In less than 72 hours, I will be somewhere over the Atlantic on my way to Florida for one long, blissful month.

My grandparents, who I will be staying with, have lived in America for a while now and i certainly have no complaints about going to visit them. This year my plan is to get an enviable tan (for once!) and put off all that homework I haven't packed - it sounds easy doesn't it? Well knowing me, I will lose my suitcase, forget my passport and burn the second the plane lands!

Of course a month is a seriously long time to be without my dear friend but considering the long list of souvenirs I have been conned into buying her, I think I can be forgiven for leaving her behind as contrary to her belief, she will not fit into my suitcase. I doubt there is any room in there now I have squished so much into it. My parents will be missed as well although I'm sure they will be far too busy cruising around Greece too worry about their poor daughter!

For now, I have to go but please remember to check this out to hear all about my Floridian escapades!

Until next time

Kelly x