Chocolate Adventures: Part 2

The whole reason I decided to make the chocolate spread, was so I could make Toasted Marshmallow and Nutella Cookies, so that was today's project.

Ingredients

Metric	Imperial
Chocolate Chip Cookies	Chocolate Chip Cookies
125g plain flour	4½ oz plain flour
70 g butter (softened)	2 ½ oz butter (softened)
1 egg	1 egg
50 g soft brown sugar (Demerara)	2 oz soft brown sugar (Demerara)
50 g superfine / caster sugar	2 oz superfine / caster sugar
110 g chocolate chips (see notes)	4 oz chocolate chips (see notes)
50 g chopped hazelnuts	2 oz chopped hazelnuts
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda	½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract	1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Those are the ingredients for cookies, and then all you'll need to add to that is marshmallows (or "marshrooms" as my sister says) and the chocolate spread of your choice.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and both sugars.  (I used self-raising flour, so didn't need the baking soda)

3. Cream the butter, and add to the mixture.

4. Crack the egg into a cup, add the vanilla, and beat.  Pour the egg/vanilla mixture into the mixing bowl.

5. Stir the mixture together.  You can use a mixer on a low speed, but it's quite easy without.

6. Fold in the chocolate chips.  I used chocolate buttons, and probably should have chopped them up, but it worked just fine in button form!

7. Take heaping tablespoons of the dough and place them on the greased cookie sheets a few inches apart to allow for spreading. Gently flatten the cookies with your fingers making an indentation in the middle of each one. Place a small dollop of chocolate spread in the center of each cookie, then top with a marshmallow that has been snipped in half with kitchen scissors (or cut with a knife, which is how I did it).

8. Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes. If you are baking more than one tray at a time, switch the top tray with the bottom tray halfway through so that they all bake evenly. They are done when the marshmallows are melted and golden brown and the bottoms of the cookies are slightly darker.

9. The cookies will be a bit soft when fresh out of the oven, use a spatula to carefully transfer them to a wire cooling rack until firm enough to serve.

They will keep in an airtight container at room temp for a week or two. Makes approximately 2 dozen cookies.

Once again, I used "Pure" Dairy-Free Sunflower Spread and Dairy-Free Buttons (brown and white chocolate).  I also used my home-made dairy-free chocolate spread.

I only made 1 tray of marshmallow cookies, as I wasn't sure how they'd turn out.  My other tray was ordinary cookies, just in case!

Be warned, photos of the cookies follow.  Go ahead and laugh, I know I did!

The marshmallow cookies certainly won't win any beauty contests, but then again, neither will my normal cookies!

The woman on the blog I got the recipe had much prettier ones.  Not sure what happened, but it's the taste that counts, and they are quite nice.  They're not quite marshmallowy enough for me, so I'll have to try and fix that next time.  I'll update with the verdict from my fussy siblings soon!

All the best,
Charli

Chocolate Adventures: Part 1

As I have previously mentioned, my little sister is lactose intolerant.  Normally she takes this with good grace (as much as you can expect from a 4 year old who is being told "no"), but today she was feeling pretty down about the entire situation.  All she wanted was a strawberry rice pudding.  Such a simple wish, but one we couldn't grant.  After being told she couldn't have one because it had milk in, she just sighed and said "I wish I wasn't lactose intolereez".  Poor baby.

I wanted to make her something to cheer her up, something she normally wouldn't be allowed.  Yesterday, I'd been on Pinterest and saw a really tasty looking cookie recipe.  It was chocolate chip cookies, with a splodge of Nutella and a toasted marshmallow on top.  Basically, it was a cookie s'more.

Making lactose-free cookies is simple enough, but first I had to solve the challenge of how to make lactose-free chocolate spread.  My sister never liked Nutella, but she always loved nut-free chocolate spread.  Chocolate spread sandwiches were one of her very favourite foods.  It's like torturing a puppy to eat them in front of her now.  If I could pull this off, I'd be able to solve the problem for her.

It took a long time to find a suitable, nut-free recipe, but finally (around page 6 of Google) I found one here - http://lucysfriendlyfoods.wordpress.com/tag/chocolate-spread/

It was a straight-forward recipe (thankfully - I'm not the best at baking).  We even had a spare jam jar in the soon-to-be-collected recycling box.  I rescued it and dishwashed it.

The following recipe makes 1 jar.  As the recipe from the above website is all in cups (American measurement), I've added the equivalent grams and ounces below -

Ingredients

• Water: 1/4 cup; or 85g; or 3oz
• Caster Sugar: 1/2 cup; or 100g; or 3.55oz
• Cocoa Powder: 1tbsp
• Salt: Pinch
• Vanilla: 1tsp
• Dairy-free Chocolate: 2/3 cup; or 90g; or 3.2oz
• Dairy-free Spread: 2/3 cup; or 152g; or 5.36oz

1. In a saucepan, melt together the water, sugar, cocoa, and salt. 
2. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then remove from the heat.
3. Whisk in the vanilla, chocolate, and margarine/butter until silky and lump free.
4. Pour into a sterilised jar, and cover with cling film.  Make sure the cling-film touches the top of the chocolate mix, as this prevents a skin forming.
5. Leave to cool entirely, then remove the cling film.
6. Keep in the fridge and use within 2 weeks.

In terms of ingredients, I used -

• "Pure" Dairy-Free Sunflower Spread: Available at Asda, Tesco, and Sainsbury's.
• Tesco's Own Cocoa Powder: Contains cocoa powder only (cocoa itself doesn't have milk in)
• Dairy-Free Buttons: Available from Tesco's Free From range.  I used 2 bags, and topped the rest up with Silver Spoon Cakecraft Dark Chocolate Chips.  These "may" contain milk, but we allow that.

I found it easiest to add all the dry goods (sugar, cocoa, and salt) together first, then pour it all into the water at once.  The mixture came to a simmer very quickly, which came as a surprise, so watch out for that!  I also found it easiest to melt the chocolate, and the butter, before adding it to the mixture in the saucepan.

The only issue I had was that my chocolate sauce was ready before the dishwasher finished cleaning my jam jar!  I filled a pyrex dish with warm water, and put the saucepan into that to keep the mixture from starting to solidify.  It worked really well, but I can't take credit for the suggestion, as it was my Mum's idea.

The chocolate spread (currently chocolate sauce) is now sitting on a high shelf in the utility room, out of the reach of little fingers.  I admit, I tried some of the bit left in the saucepan as I was cleaning up, and it tastes lovely!  I'll post an update when it's finished, as well as my Chocolate Adventure: Part 2 (making the cookies), and give my sister's verdict on the chocolate spread sandwiches.

All the best,

Charli

UPDATE: The chocolate spread sandwiches were announced to be "yummy", and we're almost halfway through the jar already. SUCCESS!

Nashville: Day 2

Today started out much the same as yesterday - I slept all morning!  Thankfully I felt much better after a good night's sleep, and no longer felt ill.  Yay!

After a hot shower, I felt positively human again, and I ventured out on the hunt for some breakfast.  The guy at the hostel reception recommended 417 Union, as they serve all day breakfast.  It was a fancy-ish looking cafe, and I certainly felt out of place since it had been raining and I turned up looking like a drowned rat.  I had pancakes, which were tasty, but seemed a little over-priced, especially since I explicitly said "no butter" and it was served..with butter.  Oh well!  I was very pleased that it had stopped raining by the time I left, so that made up for the whole "butter fiasco".  The place was only a few blocks away from the hostel, but that was still pretty far in the rain..!

I went back to the hostel to regroup, which basically meant updating my blog and check my Facebook, then went out into Broadway.  I wandered around the streets for a little bit, taking in the country vibe, then ended up in Honky Tonk Central.  I enjoyed it last night, and it was also the place that had the random 8 year old singing yesterday afternoon.  Basically, it seems like a good place!

I set myself up at the bar, and just enjoyed the atmosphere.  There was a group of drunk army guys (but "not the ass-hole kind") a couple of stools down, and I ended up chatting with them.  One of them, a guy from Georgia, opened the conversation with "I'll bet you're from the north, ain'tcha?".  I was slightly taken aback by such a random question, but told him that no, I'm from England.  This absolutely blew his mind!  "What, England? Really? NO F-ING WAY!".  I think he was impressed..?  Either way, he plonked down onto the stool next to me, and insisted I talk to him in my accent.  What other accent would I talk in..?!   He also insisted that he could talk to me all night, but quite quickly abandoned me (along with his friends) for a table full of drunk, pretty girls.  What can I say, I'm no match for an entire table, especially since they were willing to dance and I kept refusing!

I did later give in, and was taught how to "two-step", after a lot of insisting on his part.  I kept saying that I have no sense of rhythm, and two left feet, but he wouldn't take no for an answer.  I asked the bar-tender (Sue Bobby, from West By God Virginia, whose name was really Ashley. Weird place) to mind my purse, and "two-stepped" down the length of the bar.  It was a pretty simple dance, but I still frequently messed it up!  I escaped back to the safety of my bar stool quite quickly, and left him to try his luck with some of the other women.  It was more fun watching that!

A little later, their friend passed out at the bar, and they had to carry him to their truck outside.  This kind of depressed me, since all the other customers in the bar thought it was hilarious, and rather than offering to help, they just stood around laughing and videoing it.  Jerks.  It was a pretty sad taste of current humanity, and I left the bar in disgust.  To be fair to the staff, they all tried to help, including the female singer.

I hope you guys managed to get Hank home in one piece, and good luck to Dan on his 5 mile run tomorrow!

After this, I went back to the hostel, decided there was nothing to do there, and went back to Broadway.   I wandered around a little more, then I got myself some ice cream and wandered some more.

It's fun people-watching in Nashville, trying to spot the real locals from the tourists.  I think the locals are the one in the baseball caps, or the battered cowboy hats, not the pristine, new ones.  They're also the ones who aren't so keen on the "country-pop" songs like "Cruise" by Florida Georgia Line, unlike the non-locals who go crazy whenever someone sings it.

I managed to spill ice cream all down my top, so I'm back in the hostel, trying to decide where to go next.  I wasn't a huge fan of the night-scene, but if I manage to find myself a stool somewhere it isn't too bad.  We'll see!

My room-mate gave me her ticket for the hop-on/hop-off bus tour, since it's valid for 24 hours and she won't need it that long.  I'll probably check that out tomorrow morning to see a little more of Nashville. It runs out at 2pm though, so I might actually have to get out of bed before noon.  Shocking!

(My laptop just scared me half to death, as it's set to British time, and therefore tells me it's 1.30am on the 12th.  I thought that meant that I leave tomorrow, but I thankfully I still have another full day..!).

It seemed strange to me that the guys at the bar were so shocked that I was travelling by myself.  They thought it was amazing, "bad ass", and drink-clinking worthy.  They also couldn't figure out why I was here in Nashville.  I don't think "because I like country music" seemed like a sufficient reason.  Maybe it's a culture thing, I don't know.  I just have the mentality of "hey, I want to do this thing, let's go do it!", whether it's "I want ice cream", "I want to go to Nashville", or even "I want to go to America"!  I think life is more fun that way.

All the best,
Charli
(aka "England")

Nashville, Tennessee: Day 1

I arrived at Nashville, Tennessee on Friday at 11pm, having previously been to Columbus, Ohio (where I totally failed at being a tourist).  By the time I got to my room, it was midnight local time, which meant it was 1am Indiana/Ohio time.  Needless to say, I went straight to bed.  I'm just so hard-core.

I then slept until lunchtime because, well, I just don't like mornings!  I finally crawled out of bed, and headed out into Nashville.  My hostel is the Downtown Nashville Hostel, and it really is right by downtown.  I couldn't ask for a better location (or better value for money!).  The staff are so helpful and friendly, and there's every amenity that a young traveller could want.  Basically...there's a beer fridge.  It's on the waterfront, which is pretty during the day, but a lot of vagabonds hang out in a park opposite, which is a little unnerving as it gets dark.  Maybe I'm just paranoid.  Anyway, I was able to leave the hostel, walk down the street...and be right onto Broadway.

Music was pouring from every doorway, there was people everywhere, more cowboy boots than I've ever seen in my life...it was amazing.  I grinned like a lunatic for about an hour.  But it was ok, everyone else was just the same!  I did notice that the women all seem very well dressed, which made me feel slightly out of place.  They all had perfectly coiffed hair, pretty dresses, or cute tops.  Then there was me in my shorts, tank top, loose pony-tail, and legs covered in bug-bites...!

I had lunch at Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville which was kind of expensive (by my standards), but nice all the same.  It was hard to tell where was serving food, as most places just looked like questionable bars where people were having 'liquid lunches'.  I have no issue with that, I just wanted some real food for myself!

After I ate, I wandered around Broadway and the nearby streets.  I just spent a few hours taking in the 'feel' of Nashville.  I also visited several bars, of varying levels of disrepute, and sat listening to live country music.  It was awesome.

Sadly I didn't catch the names of any of the live performers, otherwise I would happily share them.  They all rocked, though!  If you recognise any of them, please tell me and I'll credit them.  I'm pretty sure that the first two photos were taken at One 50 One, and the third photo was taken at Rippy's Bar and Grill.

One of the most amazing performances came completely by surprise.  I was walking past a bar, Honky Tonk Central, and saw that there was a HUGE crowd, waving cameras and iPhones.  Being a curious person, I tried to see what was going on.  I supposed it was a surprise performance by someone famous.  I could hear that the singer was incredible, and had a big voice.  Yup.  Probably some famous person.  When I could finally see the stage...well, I wasn't expecting what I saw.

It was a little girl!  A tiny scrap of a thing (no offence, kid), who seemed no more than 8 years old.  It was hard to believe that a voice that big could come out of a child that small.  I did video some of her performance, but the quality is terrible and doesn't do her justice at all.  I'll upload it when my internet can handle it..!  Her name is Marissa McKay (sorry if I spelled it wrong), and she is absolutely a name to watch.

After a while, I headed back to the hostel to catch up with my e-mails etc, and to generally recover from the fact I'd spent my day drinking endless glasses of coke.  I'm pretty sure that if you shook me up and down, you'd have heard me fizzing!

I had dinner at the National Underground, which I had previously been told had "the best burgers in town", and I'm not one to turn down such an enthusiastic recommendation.

Truth be told, I was a little disappointed.  My cheeseburger had that horrible square, plastic cheese, and it came with crisps.  What kind of burger comes with crisps?!  I suppose I should have expected it, when the menu said "kettle chips", but it didn't compute that it didn't mean fries.  It wasn't a bad burger, but I've had better from Steak'N'Shake...

It wasn't a complete loss, though, as the live music was great.  The lighting was a weird pink colour, which meant that my photo is terrible.  Sorry!

The male singer was James McNair, but I didn't catch the name of the woman.  She had a powerful voice, so I think her mic was adjusted to accommodate that, which meant that I couldn't hear a word she said when she was just talking!

My favourite thing about their performance was that they actually sang some of their own songs.  Now, I might be being naive, but...that's what I expected from Nashville.  I thought this was a place filled with singer-songwriters pouring out their souls, waiting to be snatched up and thrown into a world of fame.  I thought it'd be a place of originals, not a place of tribute acts.

I understand that the bars need to be business minded, and that Nashville is full of Americans from Northern suburbia who want to come down south to dress up in over-priced cowboy boots and pretend they know "what country is".  They want to sit in bars, drinking themselves silly, and be able to sing (and sometimes dance) to their "OMG FAVOURITE SONG".  They can't do that if the performers are singing their own, original songs.  I really do get that.  But...can't they sing a few?

I'm not one to judge, not really.  I'm English, what do I know about "country" in America?!  Sure, I'd love to buy myself a pair of cowboy boots (if I can find some that won't require me to sell a few kidneys in order to afford them).  I get excited when my favourite country songs come on, and I'm less enthusiastic when it's one I don't recognise.  I do genuinely love the vibrancy and fun of Nashville, and how the whole city (or the part I've seen, anyway) seems to be dancing to a country beat.  I just really hoped I'd be able to taste a little music history in the making.  I wanted to be able to come to America in a few years, turn on the radio, and be able to say "I know this song, I heard it before it was famous".

Yup.  Definitely naive of me.

Moving swiftly on!

Last night I went out with a few people from the hostel (two Irish, one English, one American I think, and one Czech).  We bounced from bar to bar, listening to various live performances.

The first photo was taken in Honky Tonk Central, and the second in the Legend's Corner.

Before I went out, I asked one of my room-mates in the hostel what a night out in Nashville was like.  She said it was like "one big hen-night".  She wasn't kidding!  Every other group of women was on a hen-night, and I even saw a wedding reception!  I was slightly taken aback by the sight of an entire wedding party, and all their beautifully dressed guests, in a dirty, sweaty bar, but each to their own!

By the time we reached the third or fourth sweltering, claustrophobic bar, I was done.  I'd heard the same five songs sung over and over again, I've been struggling with a queasy stomach (I think my body is rejecting all the greasy burgers and fizzy pop), and I decided I needed to go to bed!  So, despite being the only sober person in the party, I was back in the hostel feeling decidedly unwell by 1am.

So rock and roll...!

All the best,

Charli

Columbus, Ohio

I only had one full day in Columbus, so obviously the entire morning of that day was spent sleeping!  It's been a long month at camp, though, so I definitely needed the rest.

I stayed at the Wayfaring Buckeye Hostel, which is really nice.  The staff are lovely, and they absolutely bend over backwards to help you out.  There isn't a free shuttle service, but they recommend a taxi driver, who is contactable by email (useful for me, since I don't have a USA phone), and charges a flat rate of $15.  The rooms are clean, cosy, and the beds are so comfy (or I've just spent too long in camp bunkbeds...).  There is a free breakfast, but I missed that so I can't comment on it!  The bathrooms are also very clean, and the shower was really nice too.  I heard there's even a hot tub on the back porch!

I spent a lovely evening getting to know some of the other guests, which is always my favourite thing about hostels.

The area outside the hostel leaves a little to be desired.  I didn't have any interactions with the local people, so I can't comment on that, but the buildings and streets are run down and basically quite sketchy looking.  After I (finally) got out of bed, I asked one of the hostel staff where they recommend I grab some lunch. They recommended a taco truck, which is parked on the forecourt of a nearby gas station.  He said they all love it, and it's the best.  I chose to take them at their word, and decided to give it a miss.

Instead, I walked down to High Street, which "has everything" (the staff's words, not mine).  It was about 5 blocks away, so wasn't a long walk.  It was a weirdly damp, muggy heat outside though, so even though I didn't feel too hot, I was dripping with sweat quite quickly!  Gross, I know.

High Street wasn't a big improvement on the rest of the area.  It had Taco Bell, Goodwill, and a few other chains that I recognised, but that wasn't what I wanted.  I wandered up and down the street a bit, and mostly found dodgy-looking tattoo parlours, bars, and liquor stores.  Hmm.

I ended up in a place called Jack & Benny's, which I loved.  It serves all-day breakfast, which is always a good thing!  The food was quick, cheap, and very tasty (even if the portions seemed a little on the small side).  The service was friendly and attentive, and it was lovely chatting to the servers.  I may have accidentally given the impression that I will be going to Nashville to perform country music, but I did mean that I was going to enjoy country music.  Sorry for the mix-up, Dante!  He even told me that he had friends from the UK, and one such friend (who was here just recently, apparently) is from Doncaster.  My response was "No, really?! Actual Doncaster?!", which I think confused him a bit (his expression was just like '...what is her problem?!') but I did eventually explain that I'm from Doncaster. Small world!  So, a big shout-out to the staff at Jack & Benny's, I had a really nice time.  It seemed 'authentically American', just what TV tells me a diner should be like!  I even sat at the breakfast bar on a stool, with them all cooking the food on the other side.

I headed back to the hostel after this to 're-group' and decide where to go next.  My impression of Columbus hadn't been great, and I felt I should venture further afield so I don't leave with the idea that the whole place is really quite dodgy and run-down.

Unfortunately, I first decided that I was super tired and needed a nap.  While I was sleeping, the heavens opened.  I'm so glad I wasn't out in it!  I was meant to meet up with a friend who was at camp last year, and lives in Columbus, but her whole neighbourhood flooded!  Crazy.  So, I stayed in the hostel all evening, since everywhere I wanted to go was really far away and I didn't feel like getting soaked.

The next morning I was up at 5am to get my bus, and spent a couple of hours in the Columbus Greyhound station.  Not the most fun way to spend time, but I had some cheap pancakes and instant hot chocolate.

The bus back to Indianapolis was nice.  It had wifi and leather seats - can't complain!  It was 30 minutes late, though, which threw my plans off a little.

I was due to meet 3 of my camp friends (one of which was the friend from Columbus) at noon.  I didn't get there until closer to 1pm.  It was nice to hang out and catch up for a little while before they had to rush off, though.  I had until 6pm in Indianapolis, so I chilled at Claddagh's Irish Pub (where I met my friends) for a while, eating delicious brownies, and drinking my weight in coca-cola.  Many thanks to Matt for keeping my drink topped up!

I then wandered around, sat in the Indianapolis ArtsGarden (which I thought would be a nice little outdoor park with little bits of art scattered around).  Turns out it's a glass-domed area, with trees and a small, local art exhibition, in the middle of the Circle Center Mall.  It had wifi, and was above a busy street, so I had fun watching the world go by.

I went for dinner at California Pizza Kitchen.  I found my way to the megabus stop without much problem, and sat there for a reaaaally long time.  My megabus was about 40 minutes late, which was frustrating, and then the wifi didn't work for the entire 5 (?) hour journey to Nashville.  Not my most favourite trip ever.  What can you expect from cheap travel, though, really?  I arrived in Nashville at 11pm, and was absolutely frantic because I hadn't been able to pre-book a taxi, but some turned up at the bus stop (well, parking lot on a street someplace) and I was able to get to my hostel without any issue. Yay!

All the best,
Charlotte

End of camp, start of a new adventure

My month at summer camp has finally ended.  It feels like I've been there forever, yet at the same time it's gone by in the blink of an eye.

I had an amazing time, even if it was generally exhausting!  I slept on a tarp under the stars...

I made s'mores on a camp-fire...

I rode a yellow school bus...

I got crazy tan-lines...

I walked in a creek...

I ate funnel cake the State Fair...

I was kept up all night by kids who talk in their sleep...I got bitten by bugs...I (repeatedly) tried to get into the wrong side of the car...I learned what 'twerking' is...I got sunburned...I laughed...I cried...and I met some of the most incredible campers, youth leaders, and staff.

Now I'm going on to my next adventure of the summer!  I'm currently in Columbus, Ohio - I arrived an hour or so ago on the Greyhound bus.  I'll be here until Friday, at which point I'll head back to Indy for the afternoon (meeting a friend for lunch), then going to Nashville, Tennessee for a few days before flying home.

My arrival in Columbus wasn't fantastic, I have to admit. I stepped out of the bus station and was immediately accosted by a mentally challenged lady asking for a quarter. I declined, saying I didn't have any change, and she absolutely flipped out. She started yelling and swearing, thankfully not directly at me, but near me. It was a little scary! I decided to ignore her and keep walking to the taxi rank. While I waited for my pre-booked taxi to arrive, I spotted someone I recognised from the bus. I'd helped him get his bag off the overhead storage, so I figured that made it socially acceptable to stand near him in the hopes that the lady would leave me alone!

I chatted away with him about travelling, American health care, and other random topics, and his presence did seem to discourage the woman. She came over and asked us both for a quarter again, but she didn't freak out when we both said no. Big improvement! He laughed when I said she'd flipped when she asked me before, and said he wondered why she'd been yelling.  So, I'd like to say THANK YOU to the friendly young man from Bloomington, who was going to the very Christian (and therefore tee-total) wedding in Columbus! You kept this big wuss from getting too nervous, and it was nice to have someone to talk to while I waited.

My hostel is quite nice, it looks like a normal house from the outside which was a little worrying (my nerves were already a little rattled), but inside it's set up really well. It's an odd mixture of looking run down in places, and really modern in others. My bed is a single bed, but it looks huge compared to camp bunk-beds! The staff are lovely, and they have a small yappy dog, whose bark is worse than its bite. I've not ventured outside just yet, but I've been told that Columbus is a pretty decent place. Despite how I was greeted, I feel optimistic about my couple of days here.

Looking forward to my next adventure :)

Charli

Summer Camp: Crazy Things My Kids Have Said

And by "my kids" I do of course mean "other people's kids who I have the pleasure of looking after for a week".  I don't actually have kids of my own, even though 24 is "old" according to my girls this week.  I suppose it is quite old when you're only 10...

I'll add to this through the next couple of weeks, but here is some of the things the kids have said -

• "Are you kind of British?"
• "Is it true you have a prince over there? Do you get invited to balls?" (I love that they think England is like living in a Disney film)
• "Would you like some sunscreen?  You're too light to be dark"
• "College kids are smart.  We play with Legos and talk about how we hate things" (Said by a visiting college student)
• "Are you a regular person, or are you ghetto?"
• "What's your favourite disease?" - "Anything, so long as it's not an STD"
• "What's your religion?" - "I'm atheist" - "Oh. That's bad"
• "You have a smart car. It has two seats. There's you, your most trustworthy friend, the love of your life, and a pregnant woman. What do you do? ... You go home and rethink your life because you bought a Smart Car!"
• "When they put the jelly [jam] on my sandwich.  It fell off."  (My co-counsellor was just like...um...ok?)
• "Are you from British?" (Not only was this an incorrect use of the term, it was also said to an American counsellor!)
• "It's like having a headache in my legs"
• "What language do you speak in England?"
• "Don't bring weapons to camp" (When asked what the most important rule was at camp)
• "Do you wear hats in England?"
• "Is this what the jungle looks like? We'll have to kill all the innocent bunnies!"
• "No killing people" (When asked what a rule was for archery)
• "What's your weakness?" - "Pepper spray!"
• "I want to move to Africa to build homes and help people" (Can we get a big 'awwww'?)
• "I had a dream that a CIT was The Lorax. We were all the animals, and we all died.  He wasn't a very good Lorax" (Said by one of the counsellors)
• "You can't be eighteen. Teenagers are eighteen, not adults!" (Said to the above counsellor)

Summer Camp: Why Do I Do It?

My decision to volunteer at summer camp for 4 weeks has been received by a lot of confusion - from the airport immigration officer, to the youth leader I'm working with.  No-one can quite seem to understand why I would want to spend my own time and money to toil in the blistering heat for the sake of a bunch of kids with attitude.  Of course, if I looked at it like that...I wouldn't do it.

The youth leader (my Counsellor-In-Training this week) did seem to genuinely be curious though, and I can't say I blame her for wondering.  We were out on camp-out, and had been faced with nothing but negativity from the campers.  As we walked through the woods, carrying heavy camping equipment, sweating profusely in the high temperatures, she just asked "How do you do this?!".  At moments like that, I'm not sure myself!

The truth is, it's hard work.  It's exhausting.  I'm bone-tired.  I have the most ridiculous tan-lines.  I ache all over.  I'm covered in bug-bites.  I got badly sunburned last week.  I'm hungry.  I'm a fussy eater, and camp food can occasionally leave a little to be desired for a picky person like me.  My kids keep bickering, they won't listen, they answer back...but after camp, all of that fades.  You remember all of the negative things, but they're not the first thing that comes to mind when you think "camp".

Instead, you think about the other things.  The good things.  That's what camp is about.

It's the twins with their corny but slightly unexpected jokes that leave you howling.
It's the pre-teen girl announcing that she wants to be an organ donor.
It's the surprising vote of confidence from the loudest child, who recognises that counsellors have feelings (and get tired) too.
It's the conversations about diabetes at 1am with a little girl who doesn't let it get her down, but instead launches herself into the nurses office when she's "feeling low" shouting - "I is in da HOUSE!".
It's the young man who stands up in the Talent Show to defend a boy with special needs because he felt the audience wasn't being properly respectful.
It's the sound of childish laughter ringing across the camp.
It's the camp songs, sung with enthusiasm (if not much tune).
It's the campers shouting your name from across the field, who just want to wave and say hello.
It's being remembered by campers, even though a year has gone by.
It's the funny questions about England ("Do you get invited to balls?"; "Are you kind of British?").
It's the young lady making a stand against bullying.
It's getting to know the other counsellors as you make camper awards at 2am.
It's the little boy who jumps for joy every time his arrow hits the target in archery (even if it's not a bullseye).
It's the 10 year old girl working hard to learn Spanish so she can communicate with her new best friend who doesn't speak English.
It's the 7 year old girl who translates from English to Spanish, so the girl doesn't get excluded.
It's the boy who dances during the Talent Show, and the whole camp dances with him.
It's the girl who calls everyone her brother and sister, and loves her camp family dearly.
It's PB&J sandwiches, s'mores, and campfire fajitas.
It's the sound of the campfire popping as you lie under the stars.
It's the campers who cry when they have to leave.  And the counsellors who cry with them.
It's the 10 year old girl who says she wants to move to Africa "so I can build houses and help people".
It's the happiness found in the smallest of things, by the children who have the toughest circumstances.
It's the expression of joy and wonder on the face of a camper, because her counsellor took the time to read out her award in Spanish as she doesn't speak much English.  And it's all the hugs (and tears) that follow.
It's the 'cool' teenage boy who sings a song for his mom (who sadly passed away) in the Talent Show with his sisters. It's the moment where he wraps his arms around his sisters, bows his head, and cries. It's all the staff who cry with him. It's the moment the next day where he tells the other teenage boys that "it's ok to cry".
It's the 18 year old counsellor who tries not to cry as he explains how he feels like camp is "where I'm meant to be". It's his 20 year old friend, who never says much, who tells him how proud he is of everything he's achieved this summer. It's how proud I am too.
It's the tears as the summer ends, and everyone goes their separate ways. It's the promises to meet up, and stay in touch.
It's the friendships made that last forever.
It's the lifechangers.

That's why I come back.

Summer Camp!

Eight days in and I don't think I stand a chance on catching up on Camp NaNo.  I've only written something on one day, and even then it was only 500 words!

That's right, summer camp has officially started (for me)!  The kids all arrived yesterday, and my cabin are a lovely group of six girls aged 11 to 14.  My co-counsellor is from New Zealand, and she's lovely too.  It seems like we have a great group of girls, though I suspect there's potential for some serious attitude. Going to have to stamp all over that!

I'll be teaching archery this summer (for real this time, not like last summer where I got qualified and then switched out to Journalism!).  The activity leader was one of the youth leaders (known as a CIT - Counsellor in Training) last year, so it's pretty cool to see her as a full counsellor, and leading the activity that she helped out at most last year.  Another of the CIT's I knew last year is also a full counsellor now - she was my CIT almost every session, so I'm like a super proud parent.  One of my campers is a CIT this year, and I'm very proud of her too!  It's great getting to see campers I knew from last year, and realising just how many of them remember me.  I keep having to enlist assistance from people to sneakily find out names - I feel guilty that the kids know my name, and I don't always know their's!

It's not quite so hot in Indy this year, though it has its moments.  It's much more overcast and damp, which I think means more mosquitos.  Yuck!  My feet are already covered in bites, and my legs are looking pretty bad too.  I try and avoid walking through the grass as much as I can, but it's not always possible.  Tuesday night will be our camp-out night, so I'll probably get bitten up so bad, I'll not know what I was complaining about today!

Today was the first proper day, so it's hard to say how I'm doing, and if I'm getting back into the swing of things, but I'd like to think that I am!  I'm feeling pretty tired, but I didn't sleep too well last night so I'm not surprised. I'm a light sleeper, and I've stopped being used to sharing a room, so being in a cabin with six girls who snore, talk, and wriggle...Well it doesn't lead to a great night's sleep.  Hopefully tonight will be better.  The kids should be pretty tired, so should probably go to sleep and not be so restless.  They all woke up at 7am today, even though they didn't need to get up until 8am. I was laid in my bed like...go back to sleeeep!  I was wanting to nap on my break, but I don't have a device with an alarm with me (it's in the cabin). So frustrating!  Plus all my bedding is in the cabin too, not in my staff quarters...

I'm hoping that I get to go to Walmart (or Walgreens, or whatever, I'm not fussy about that!) sometime soon.  I'd like to stock up on snacks for when I'm being fussy about camp food.  I need to pay more attention to which Americans have a car.  The ones I know of aren't on the same break as me.  It can be quite frustrating not being able to get anywhere independently.  I'm used to having my own car and being able to go out on my breaks if I want to.  Last year I got to know everyone very well during staff training, so there was always someone with a car.  I'm sure I'll figure it out soon enough, though!

All the best,
Charli

Camp NaNo - Still not started!

Well, it's now Day 5 of Camp NaNo and that officially puts me 5 days behind. BUT I'm not worried because I'm at CAMP! Real camp, with cabins, camp-outs, s'mores, everything!

I had a lot of fun sat in airports people-watching. I even bought myself a notebook (which was annoying, as I had TWO in my suitcase) to write down my observations and some story ideas.

I arrived in Indianapolis late last night, and watched Fourth July fireworks the whole drive from the airport. I fell asleep to the sounds of nearby fireworks too, which was pretty cool.

I had a bit of a scare at immigration, where it looked quite likely that they'd send me home to the UK, but thankfully they let me through. Many thanks to the camp Program Director for taking a phone-call from them, and confirming that I am an unpaid volunteer!

I woke up at 8am, Indy time, absolutely wide awake and no jet-lag to speak of. WIN! I refused to get up then though, since I knew everyone else would still be in bed, so I dozed on and off for the next few hours. I then unpacked, got a nice hot shower, and generally felt much more human.

I've spent the rest of the day catching up with my camp friends from last year, getting up to date with my Facebook, etc. I probably could have spent that time doing some writing, but never mind! It'll get done :)

I'm now surrounded by Americans and New Zealanders, and am having trouble understanding half of what people are saying, but it's definitely good to be back. Bring on the kids!

Charli

Camp NaNo - Day 1

As expected, I'm already behind on Camp NaNo. This doesn't bode well for the rest of the month!

The drive to Cumbria was absolutely lovely, though. It was a 6 hour round trip - the furthest I've ever driven. The morning was spent trying to research travel insurance for my upcoming trip to Indianapolis.  I didn't get very far on getting the insurance due to quirky internet, but I'm working on it.

This evening my brain has been reduced to mush (as I said - furthest I've ever driven!), but I've been having fun researching more images for my story. That totally counts, right?!

Tomorrow I intend to get some packing done for real camp, buy my travel insurance, and get some writing done for Camp NaNo. You never know, it could happen!

I'm a little put out that my cabin group for Camp NaNo doesn't have ANYONE that I requested, and one of the campers has a character with a very similar name to one of my main characters. I'm already turning into a paranoid writer..!

Good luck to all my friends doing Camp NaNo, hopefully I'll get some writing done this month..! :)

Charli

Camp NaNo - Nearly Time!

First of all, where did June go?! I'm sure it was only recently I was celebrating my birthday, doesn't feel like 2 months have gone by!

Tomorrow is the beginning of Camp NaNoWriMo, and I'm already falling behind. Tomorrow I'll be driving my sister and her boyfriend to the Lake District for a holiday, which (along with other errands I need to run) writes off my whole day. No pun intended.

Then on Thursday I fly to Indianapolis for 5 weeks. I'll be up with the sun, toiling all day in sweltering, humid temperatures, running around after squealing children until late at night. That's right, I'm headed back to camp! I'm volunteering for 4 weeks, then have a week's leeway for possible travel. I've been invited to go to Kentucky to visit one of the friends I made at camp last year so I may do that. I go wherever the wind takes me, basically! If I get to tick off another state (I aim to visit all 50 - I'm approximately a 3rd of the way through) then all the better.

Basically, all this means that if I get ANY writing done (never mind hitting my target), it'll be a Camp Magic Miracle.

Wish me luck!

Camp NaNoWriMo - Preparation

I've been trying to get myself ready for Camp NaNoWriMo.  Unlike the last camp I went on, this isn't an actual, physical camp, so prep is a little different.  This year, I'm not packing a suitcase full of flip-flops and shorts.  Instead, I'm organising my proposed novel.

I've decided (for now??) that I'll be working on a fantasy novel.  This idea for this story came out of an activity in A215 (creative writing course), and I've been toying with it ever since.  I looked back on my notes (all in one Word document) and found it quite confusing scrolling back and forth through the pages.  Some of my novel writing friends recommended downloading novel writing software.  Two names came out of their recommendations - ywriter, and Scrivener.

Scrivener has a 30 day trial, but if you want to continue with it afterwards, you have to buy it.  It's not hugely expensive, but I'm a little unwilling to part with cash.  Especially if I don't know if I'll find it useful.

ywriter is free. Now that's my favourite word!  So, I've decided to start with ywriter, and see if the concept is something I can use.  If it doesn't do everything I need, I can always 'upgrade' to Scrivener.

Findings so far -

I've only really been using ywriter for a day.  I started with it last night, and have been busily loading my characters into the programme, along with my plot-outline.  This is quite a long, cumbersome process, but I imagine that will be the case no matter what programme I'm using.  Once I've got started, I imagine it will speed up considerably.

Now, I like to also find photos that inspire me.  This is one place where ywriter falls down for me.  It gives you the option to load a photo onto your character profile, which is great, but there's isn't one photo that represents my character.  I'm doing research, I want her hair, her jewellery, her clothes, her pets, her tattoos...I need a whole host of photos per character.  Pinterest is my "go to" for photos, but they all get jumbled together.  That's great for a quick overview, I can scroll through and get a feel for the whole setting, but I'd like to have it organised into subfolders.  I'm a little obsessive that way.  I've created individual character folders onto My Documents, but that seems a bit long-winded.  If I could have all those photos within the novel writing software, that would be fantastic.  I don't know if Scrivener has that option, but if it does, that might be the point that sways me.  We shall see.

Other than that, I'm enjoying ywriter.  I've not started writing yet, as I'm trying not to be a Camp NaNo "rebel", and don't want to start writing until July 1st.  I'll get all my planning done, possibly right down to individual scenes, but won't start writing the main content of the novel.

I'll keep you posted on how I'm getting along with ywriter, and might try out the Scrivener trial as well for comparisons sake.

Camp NaNoWriMo - July 2013

For reasons even I don't fully understand, today I signed myself up for Camp NaNoWriMo (July 2013)!  I've been taking a break from writing since I finished my Open University course, A363 (Advanced Creative Writing - level 3 course), but figured this would be a good way to get back into it again.  What can I say, I guess I'm a sucker for deadlines!

Plus, I'm used to working very long hours, and studying on top of all of that, so with a 10 week summer holiday stretching ahead, I felt the need to fill the time somehow.  So far I'll be doing Camp NaNo, and probably an online TEFL course.  And working, if someone will give me a job for the summer.  And spending time with my family, of course.  Yes, I suppose that will keep me just nicely busy!

I'm now in a flat spin about Camp NaNo though, what on earth do I write?!  I've been toying with the idea of a fantasy novel since A215 (Creative Writing - the level 2 course), but whenever I try and write it, it's just a bit...well...rubbish.  I could write about some of my wacky adventures from the last few years, so many people tell me I should, but I wouldn't know where to start.  Plus, it's all well and  good saying "write what you know", but that's actually really quite difficult!  Or it is for me, anyway.  If I don't do either of those things, then what?!

All I can say is - it's a good job I have a month to figure it out...

Almost there!

Today I submitted my final assignment for my Advanced Creative Writing course, through the Open University.  That means that my next course (Children's Literature, starting in October) will be my final course.

This time next year, I'll be submitting my last ever assignment as an undergraduate, and will graduate at last - after starting my degree when I was 18.  I just turned 24.

Over the last six years (seven, by the time I graduate) I have -

- Studied two years of Psychology at Bangor University
- Spent two years on a 'gap year', turning my life upside down
- Studied two years of Creative Writing through the Open University
- Eloped to Canada, got married, and been separated
- Gained a sister, and a lot of cousins
- Made new friends, and had to question old ones
- Worked as a waitress, a cleaner, a shop assistant, a bar-tender, a complaints handler, a camp counsellor, a photography gallery manager, and an assistant house parent
- Been on Job Seekers Allowance twice
- Moved out (and in again) six times - including once to the USA
- Visited twelve states in the USA

It's been one heck of a ride over the past few years, and I'll be glad when it's finally over.  I'm sad to no longer be a Creative Writing student, though.  I've made a lot of great friends over the last two courses, and wish you all the best with your future (and best-selling, I'm sure) writing.  Hope to see someone you on the Children's Literature course!

As I'm now so close to the end of a (very) long chapter, I feel this is a moment that can only truly be described through song.  Ahem.

I know exactly where I'm going
Getting closer and closer every day
And I'm almost there, I'm almost therePeople down here think I'm crazy, but I don't careTrials and tribulations, I’ve had my share
There ain't nothing gonna stop me now ‘cause I'm almost there
- Tiana, Disney's Princess and the Frog


Best wishes!
Charli

Dear Supermarkets...

Dear Supermarkets,

Please allow me to introduce my little sister, Princess Lollipop.

She is 4 years old, and full of attitude.  Her favourite foods are cheese sandwiches, ice cream, and milkshakes.

Two weeks ago, she was diagnosed as lactose intolerant.

This has meant a major upheaval in our house as we adjust.  In case you didn't notice, all of her favourite foods involve milk.  She'd watch us eating these things, and in a forlorn little voice ask "Can I just smell it...?".  Luckily, several of our vegan friends have stepped forward with advice and recommendations.

Mum and I trekked out to one of the supermarkets, armed with a list.  Our first trip wasn't very successful.  We found some of the items they suggested, such as Swedish Glace ice cream (she's now obsessed with it!), vitalite margarine, and oat milk.

We spent ages searching for the chocolate oat drink suggested, and could only find it in small cartons.  Big disappointment.  She had wanted it on her rice crispies to make it "chocolatey", and it was a nightmare trying to squirt it out of the plastic straw!

A few days later, Dad and I were in Tesco.  We were overwhelmed by their lactose-free foods, and their "Free From" range. There were shelves upon shelves of yoghurts, milks, cheeses, and more!  She was over the moon to be allowed cheese sandwiches again, and loves her chocolate milk (which Tesco have in proper sized cartons).

I had never realised just how many foods have milk in.  Thankfully, on the whole, her diet has gone on with relatively simple substitutes.

Then today I rang my mum from the supermarket, with what I thought was a straight-forward question - "What cake would you like for your birthday?".  We chatted about the different cakes for a minute, when mum suddenly realised...Princess Lollipop couldn't eat any of them.  Even Tesco's "Free From" range didn't include cakes.  Mum's birthday is tomorrow, and our days are generally very hectic.  Not much time for baking (and we're not very good at it anyway).  She decided to pass on the birthday cake entirely, rather than tell her 4 year old that she wasn't allowed any.

So, supermarkets, I have a request on behalf of our little princess - please could you provide a lactose-free cake?  We're not asking for a wide range, or for intricate designs, just for one cake option.

There are many bakeries out there who specialise in lactose-free cakes, such as Peace of Cake London, which is fantastic, but in this economic climate, they're not always very affordable.  Plus there's the convenience factor of being able to stop by your local supermarket and just grab a cake off the shelf.

Thank you,

Charli & Princess Lollipop

PS.  I tweeted Tesco's Customer Support this same request, and they replied saying "Now that would be a great thing to have.  I'll pass on a suggestion".  I explained it was for Princess Lollipop, and they said "Awwww, I really hope we're able to sort something out for her".  Here's hoping the other supermarkets can be as helpful!

***

Edit (01/05/2013): Today is my birthday, and we went to the store to buy me a cake.  I'd already spoken to Princess Lollipop, and she was perfectly happy that we'd all have cake, and she'd have a bowl of her beloved, lactose-free ice cream. She's planning on having a candle and everything (which she will blow out - obviously). She picked my cake for me, and was generally very happy about the entire situation. Then she decided to choose a cake for her birthday (next February). I had to break it to her that she would still be lactose intolerant at her next birthday, and so she couldn't have one of those cakes from the shop. She burst into tears in the middle of the aisle, sobbing that she wanted a 'pretty, Disney Princess cake, or an awesome Star Wars cake'. She sulked around the rest of the shop, and was in a foul mood after that. We did go and speak to Customer Services, to ask why they didn't offer a 'free from' cake, and we were told to speak to the bakery. I won't name and shame, but they were definitely NOT as helpful as Tesco.

40km Charity Walk

Update: I am sadly no longer able to do this walk (can't get the time off work after all), but Jen and her friend are still taking part.  Please sponsor them for my sake! Thank you :)

***

Once upon a time, there were two little girls who loved Disney.  One was called Charlotte (me!), the other was Jen.  When they grew up, they had a crazy idea, worthy of the Mad Hatter - they wanted to work at Walt Disney World, Florida.

They jumped through all the hoops, and finally found themselves being asked to go to Cardiff for a face-to-face interview.  They went online and talked to other crazy people.  That's where they started talking to each other.  Jen suggested they share a hotel, to split the cost.  I agreed.  Sharing a hotel room with a complete stranger, in a strange city - what's the worst that could happen...?

Five years have gone by since that day.  Both girls went to Disney.  Jen worked in retail at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

I was a custodian in Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Both girls stayed friends on Facebook, checking in on each other every now and again.  Jen was kind enough to invite me to her Alice in Wonderland themed hen party last year.  

That was the first time we'd seen each other since our interview in Cardiff.

I've been following Jen's progress as she has been running Tumaini Kenya, a charity in Kenya for street children, and those in juvenile prison.  They started in 2011, and have made a huge difference in the children's lives since then.  Jen runs the charity from the UK.  Her project worker in Kenya provides educational transitional support to rehabilitated street children, as well as providing support and awareness to children in prison to help them make good choices in their future. You can follow their blog here - Tumaini Kenya Blog, or follow them on Facebook and Twitter.  

I don't know what it is, perhaps because their little faces remind me of my Ethiopian sister, but her work has struck a chord in me.

Now, all these years later, I have my answer to that immortal question - 'what's the worst that could happen?'.  Despite being hopelessly unfit, I've agreed to go on a 40km walk to raise money for a group of funny little children I've never met. 

I'll be joining Jen on 'Just Walk', which is a 40km trek across the South Downs, organised by 'Across the Divide'.  This is likely to utterly destroy me, but it's all for a good cause!

To sponsor me (please make it worthwhile!), visit the Tumaini Kenya 'Money Giving' page.  This is the main page for Tumaini Kenya donations, and is doubling as our team page.  Please state that you're sponsoring me (Charlotte) for 'Just Walk', so we can keep track of who's raised what.

I'll keep you up to date on my training, which so far consists of occasional walks around the school grounds where I work, and taking our boisterous puppy for a wander around the village.  The walk itself is on May 11th this year, so watch out for updates on how it goes!  That is if I survive... :)

All the best,

Charlotte

Update

There are new incentives to sponsor Jen Hanson, Nivraj Jassar, and myself!  Everyone who makes a donation of £5 or more, will be entered into a prize draw. The prizes are: Signed JLS perfume; signed Avril Lavigne perfume; a bottle of wine; a box a chocolates; and a fabulous £50 voucher for the cake shop, Dear Delicious in Gateshead.  Sponsor us at www.virginmoneygiving.com/TumainiKenya for a chance to win one of these great prizes.  Good luck!  Charlotte

Ethiopian Research

As some of you know, I'm an advanced creative writing student through the Open University.  As part of my course I have to write a 4,000 word complete story, or beginning of a novel.  This is a big task, which I work on over 3 assignments.  The first assignment, which is the plot proposal, is due on Valentine's Day.  That is also going to be my youngest sister's 4th birthday.

I thought long and hard about what to write for this story.  I needed it to be something I was interested in, something I could be enthusiastic about, but also something that other people might want to read.  I eventually decided to write about adoption from Ethiopia - in honour of my youngest sister.  It seemed fitting somehow.

Now, here's the thing.  I've not been to Ethiopia.  I was travelling elsewhere when my family adopted my sister.  This means I have a lot of research to do.  To be honest, it might just be easier to try and squeeze in a trip to Addis Ababa before my final assignment is due in mid-May.  A lot of the blogs out there about Ethiopia focus on the famine and poverty.  All of this has a place, absolutely, but I want to celebrate the good about Ethiopia.  Other blogs focus on the adoption process itself, which is important, but that's not what I'm writing about.

I'm hoping that you could help me.  I want to know the details about Ethiopia.  After all, it's the little details that make a story come alive, but that no-one thinks to write about in a blog.  What is the heat like?  Is it dry, or humid?  What are the smells?  What do the market stalls sell?  What did you do during the day?  What was the driving like?  What was church like?  What did the food taste of?  How did you feel during the coffee ceremony?  What did the guest house look like?  The orphanage?  What is there for young people to do?  What do Ethiopian people wear?  And any other details or anecdotes you can think of!

I'm planning on listening to a lot of Ethiopian music, and finding as many photos as I can (lucky I have a photographer for a father).  All this can only tell me so much, though.  It doesn't tell me the sounds, the smells, or the emotions.

Anything you can send me - photos, stories, testimonials, blog posts - would be greatly appreciated.  None of it is going any further than me.  If you could either comment on this blog-post, email me (please let me know that you have via a blog comment though, so I'll be sure to check my email!), or Facebook me, I'd be eternally in your debt.  I need to do this story justice, for my sister and for her culture.

Thank you!
Charli

New Orleans Catch-up

I've been back in the UK for a few months now, and have been applying for jobs like crazy.  To fill the time, I've been helping my Dad at his photography gallery.  I work as his 'social media correspondent', updating the blog, writing press releases, promoting the business on Twitter.  All that jazz.  It's really fun, but has taken my time away from this blog.  I've been blogging a lot in the last 4 months, it's just that I'm over here instead - Steve Oatway Photography's blog.  I even wrote about a touristy visit to York over there!  I realised, however, that I've been quoting this blog in job applications.  I'd better update it then, hadn't I?!

Travelwise, I believe my last update was about my final few days in New Orleans.  From leaving there, I had a severe lack of internet access, so my remaining time in New Orleans, then Philly, and Vermont, has been sadly undocumented.  I think it's time to break out the photos, and write about my final few weeks in America!  So, here I am, wrapped up against the miserably, January in the UK weather, writing about a summer in scorching USA.  I know where I'd rather be right now...

Ok, I'm not actually dressed quite like that...that was me venturing out into the night when we had that sudden cold snap.  But it's a far cry from this, that's for sure -

So, when I last blogged properly about my travels, I was loving life in New Orleans.  I'd been there a day and a half, and I was absolutely smitten.  As I later confessed, I ended up staying for almost a week.  That totally scuppered my remaining travel plans, but I didn't really mind.

I explored New Orleans in the company of two Dutch people, one Australian, and one American (who has the most confused accent I've ever come across).  They were all ever so slightly mad (all the best people are), insisting in playing in a fountain at one point.  I didn't question it, I just photographed it!

They had quite a relaxed attitude to adventuring, and were quite easily distracted.  'What's the interesting looking building over there?  Let's go look at it!'.  I'm quite an organised person, so this was strange for me.  I enjoyed it though!

The interesting looking building turned out to be a European church.  It was bizarre walking into this church (I've been to American churches before), as it was like stepping back into Europe.

Apologies for the photo quality, it was no flash photography allowed.  I don't have a big, fancy camera like my Dad's, so this was the best my little point-and-shoot could do!  I would love to tell you what church this was, but I don't know.  I really needed to keep better notes...

We finally made it to the French Quarter, which we explored for the next couple of days (taking time to return to the hostel for minor details like sleep).  Sadly we had to travel by bus, not by tram.

The bus shelters were like nothing we have in the UK.  So pretty!

We couldn't travel by steamboat either.  Definitely on my future 'to-do in New Orleans' list.

One of my favourite things about New Orleans, was all the people we saw.  The street performers, the buskers, and a whole lot of other people that...well I just don't know!

And of course, there was the music.  The whole of the French Quarter seemed to be moving to some kind of beat.

And the food.  Oh goodness, the food.  Beignets are some kind of heaven.

Potatoes as a starter at Deanie's?  I think I could get used to that...

Tracey's is said to have the best 'po-boys' going.  I have to agree, it was a darn good sandwich!

We also went to a reggae bar, which served food!  I had quesadilla (obvious meal of choice in a reggae bar in New Orleans...).  I thought it was sheer genius.

I think I'll write about Philly and Vermont in separate posts.  So I'll finish up New Orleans with a few random scenery photos -

Hope you enjoyed this picture heavy post!  Sadly, 4 months later, I can't quite remember what it is that I did, or where it was we went.  I mostly wandered around the Garden District and the French Quarter.  There wasn't often a plan, just a lot of 'Ooh, what's that?'.  Either way, I loved New Orleans and can't wait to visit again.  Next time, I promise I'll keep better notes of what I did, and not leave it so long to blog about it!