Last days of work....

My last couple of weeks of work have passed really quickly. It didn't feel like it at the time but looking back on it right now, it went fast. It was really quiet so I ended up being cut from alot of my last "normal" shifts. On my last PM shift, I was given an ADO so I never stood watching Illuminations while thinking "this is my last Illuminations". I wasn't too bothered to miss it though.

On my last days off, Rene and Iselin and I went round MK collecting autographs. I filled up most of my autograph book. We managed to get Chip, Dale, Pinocchio, Donald Duck, Peter Pan, Wendy Darling, Captain Hook, Mr. Smee, Princess Aurora, Cinderella, Belle, Pooh, Tigger, Stitch, Buzz Lightyear, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. Seventeen in one day is pretty good going!

Time card started on the 19th. Time card is the last week. They have already sorted out our paychecks at this point so we have to do the set hours. Even if we finish two hours before we're scheduled to leave.

Our throwout on Tuesday was alot of fun! It was a huge throwout. Andy, Rhys, Lauren N, Vikki and I all got our stuff together round at mine and Vikki's apartment. I had no idea I had so much crap to throwout! I had a ton of stuff and added to everyone elses, we had a huge mound of things! Throwouts are fantastic! Everyone gets together and you hold up each item and whoever yells "SHOTGUN!" first gets it! I can't believe we managed to fit so many people in our little apartment. As you can see by the pictures, we managed it! I was quite satisfied that I managed to get rid of everything I wanted to get rid of, including ALL the books.

On Wednesday was my last day of work. Vikki and I exchanged cameras and spent the whole shift taking photos of...well, pretty much everything. I have photos of me filling drinks, using the POS, serving a table, even scraping food at potwash! Everything had such a finality to it! I was pretty jazzed because I knew it was my very last time getting drinks or straws or salt or anything for tables! I broke every rule I could think of. I deliberately took out glasses WITHOUT a tray, I drank the chocolate milk, I didn't spiel anything to any table and I spent more time hanging out at podium than talking to my guests. It was great! I signed the back of the portraits that are hanging behind the bar so if you're ever there, look out for my signature!

That evening, Vikki and I walked back to our apartment and as we passed the lake, we grabbed our shoes off and tossed them in! I was so happy to get rid of them! Evil little buggers! We had to check all around us first to make sure security wasn't watching us as we could still get termed at that point.

In the evening, we had our last meal at Tu Tu Tangos. It was a nice meal and afterwards in the carpark, everyone posed for photos and hugged each other. I felt terrible because I was the only one who didn't seem to be able to cry. I felt sad but not crying sad. Everyone was saying the nicest things and I couldn't even produce one little tear! I'm not a cryer in public generally, I like to wait for privacy but it felt really bad that I couldn't get upset and everyone decided I must be dead inside.

The following day I spent getting prepared to leave. I picked up my last paycheck and packed my bags. I have two cases and they are ridiculously heavy! I can't believe how much stuff I've acquired over the last year and there isn't anything that I don't want to keep! I'm not the most girly girl in the world, in fact, I'm a bit of a tomboy. So can anyone explain to me how I have ended up with EIGHT pairs of shoes?! I don't even have lots of books (for a change). I'm taking home only two books! That's really good going for me! Yet all my stuff together fills two whole cases! Weird! The only time I felt anything approaching sad was when I got into the apartment after visiting the post office and noticed that Vikki had been and gone, taking all her stuff with her. I was alone in an empty apartment and that felt a bit sad.

In the evening, I met up with my Norweigan friends, Rene, Iselin and Siri and we went to MK to see my last Wishes. I stood there in the street holding hands with Izzy and Siri and finally, I cried! When the song at the end came on, my lower lip was trembling and I had to bite it to try and keep the tears back. After Wishes, we sat and watched Spectromagic. Rene and Izzy disappeared for a few minutes and came back with a light up rose for me! That was it, the floodgates opened and I was there sobbing while everyone hugged me! There was no way I could pretend I had "something in my eye" either as I was in complete floods! I intend to keep that rose forever. I will throw out clothes to fit it in my case!

We all came back to the apartment and had a group hug while listening to "Feels Like Home". I cried, Rene cried and so did Izzy! It was a big crying fest! I was just glad that I could cry, I was beginning to believe I really WAS dead inside. Someone once told me, if you can't cry over your year here, it's a wasted year.

Siri and Iselin went down to the car and I shared a special hug with Rene. He told me I was the only UK girl he's ever loved, something I'm never going to forget! I will miss him so much. He's been one of my best friends out here and he is the greatest guy I have ever had the priviledge to call a friend. I actually feel sorry for people who don't know him, you have no idea what you're missing!

This morning I moved over to the hotel Clarion on International Drive. I was very lucky as they let me check in at 10am, instead of 4pm. The first thing I did was take EVERYTHING out of my cases and spread it over the bed. Then I picked out anything I could possibly get rid of. Annoyingly, it's mainly clothes which don't weigh much. I don't get what exactly is making the cases so heavy. It couldn't possibly be the 300 odd pens I pinched from work! I'll repack them again tonight and if they are still too heavy, I'll....erm...freak? Nah, I'll pay excess baggage. No biggie. The trouble with that is you have to pay it on a card and I don't have one I can use. I've closed my American account, my English account hasn't got enough in it to cover the costs and my credit card is having issues. I have cash but apparantly, cash isn't good enough! Well, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

So, here I am in the hotel for the next few days. I have passes for Aquatica, Universal, Islands of Adventure and Seaworld, not to mention all the delights I-Drive has to offer. I also have a pass for the Disney parks so I'm spoilt for choice. I'm not sure I'll do Disney again. I want my last night to be the special one I shared with Rene, Izzy and Siri. All three of us are meeting up on Sunday to do Seaworld together so I've only got two days in which to play as I fly on Tuesday. Right now I'm going to pack my cases again and then grab some Doritos, dip and have a night in watching a movie. I'm thinking Aquatica tomorrow but it depends on the weather. We'll see....

Until next time, this is a very tired Tori signing off!