London 2012 - My Experience

London 2012 ends today, with the Paralympics Closing Ceremony starting very soon. I'm a big Olympic fan and have been for as long as I can remember, so I have LOVED these home Games, and have been lucky enough to see quite a lot of action. So, here's MY London 2012 story...

The Torch Relay!
The Olympic flame passed right by my office on it's journey around the UK. I was very excited and everyone at work got into the spirit of it - waving Union Jack flags and hanging out of the window as it went by. It was a great build up to the Games, and got everyone looking forward to things kicking off properly for London 2012!

There it goes!

Football - Old Trafford!

I'd bought the Olympic football tickets when I lived in Leeds, just a short journey from Manchester. Now I'm in Kent it was a bit of a mission, but we made a weekend of it and headed off for the first Team GB match of the Olympics. The matches we saw (Uruguay v UAE and Team GB v Senegal) were actually played before the Opening Ceremony had taken place so it felt a little early to be getting kitted out in my Union Jack tights and Team GB hoodie, but we soon got into the spirit of things and had a great evening. Seeing 2 matches for the £20 ticket price was a great bargain I thought, and Dan and I even got on the TV (again!) as we were sat behind 3 ladies from Senegal who were shown celebrating their goal :)

BBC TV stars!

Table Tennis - ExCel!

The table tennis tickets were an impulse buy when there was a mini release of tickets in April. I was living in Kent by then so it was easy enough for us to get to the ExCel after work, for this evening session. Just £20 once again, the tickets got us into 2 men's quarter final singles matches, and despite being right at the back of the seating area we had a great view and enjoyed cheering on the athletes. A compere got the crowds geed up and excited, and as a newcomer to table tennis spectating I was still able to follow the action thanks to the commentary, and the explanations in the programme I'd brought. Another fun evening :)

Wiff-Waff!

Handball - Olympic Park!

Although I'd had a great time at the football and table tennis, what I really wanted to do was go to the Olympic Park. I'd tried to get tickets in the original ballots when they were first released, but with no luck. So, never one to say no to a challenge, I set about securing Olympic Park tickets and began 6 days of hitting "refresh" on the London 2012 tickets website, waiting for the ticket releases that were happening sporadically. It was frustrating and - when you got something in your basket only to wait 40 minutes for the "no tickets found" message - demoralising, but my perseverance paid off and I finally managed to secure handball tickets (and a last minute day off work!) to see a women's quarter final match (Russia v Korea) at the Copper Box, with a full days access to the Olympic Park. Pricier at £50, the tickets were well worth the money in my opinion - I was a handball "virgin" but really enjoyed it, and being in the Park, seeing all of the venues in such a great atmosphere, was a fantastic experience. It gave me the bug for more... 

Handball action at The Copper Box

Paralympic Park Day!

Following such an amazing day at the handball and Olympic Park, I decided my next challenge was to get tickets and go into the Stadium itself. The "Operation Website Refresh" started again, and I was overjoyed when I bagged tickets to the Paralympic athletics. I decided to go all out and added goallball session tickets for the Copper Box, which also gave us entry to the Basketball Arena, Riverbank Arena and Eton Manor. It cost me £45 in total but was amazing value - I took my mum this time, and we had a fantastic day - we started off with goallball, Team GB v Sweeden in the women's quarter final match. GB lost to a heartbreaking Golden Goal in extra time, but it was a fascinating sport and great to watch - even though it was strange having to be silent during play (so that the athletes, who are blind, could hear the ball coming - it has bells in it). With our day passes we were then able to catch Team GB in action in the wheelchair rugby (hardcore!), wheelchair tennis and 7-a-side football before chilling out with a beer in Park Live at the bandstand, and going into the Olympic Stadium itself for a night of fantastic athletics. 

Ma and I at the basketball arena for wheelchair rugby; athletes crossing the line; the flame; Ma in the stadium 

So to sum up, I had an amazing time at London 2012. Without wishing to sound massively cheesy, it really was a once in a lifetime experience and I loved every second. Everyone was a little bit happier, a little bit friendlier and the whole country pulled together a little bit more. Who knows if we'll "inspire a generation" or have the legacy that's been talked about so much, but for me at least, there are memories to last a lifetime :)

30 before 30?

In a mere 9 months I shall be... gulp... 30. It's a big, terrifying birthday and one which will force me to admit I am an actual, proper grown up (whatever that is). To counteract the fear of this I'm trying to put a positive spin on it, and I've decided I'm going to go for the target of "Thirty Before Thirty" and aim to hit 30 countries visited before I enter my fourth decade on Planet Earth.

I realise that many people reading this will be well on their way to many, many more than thirty countries (and well done you!) but for me this will be a milestone, and considering I've worked full time since the age of 19 I don't think it'll be half bad going. I've got another six countries to go before I hit 30, which sounds like a lot in 9 months, but I feel like it's achievable - bring it on!

Anyhoo, I've decided to sumarise the 24 countries I've visited so far (in alphabetical order, because I'm a big geek) and yes, I do count the home countries separately - deal with it! I've used the Hostelworld travel map to answer those tricky "is it a separate country" moments, and this is how my list looks so far...

ANDORRA
I've been to Andorra twice, both times for skiing/snowboarding holidays. This is ridiculous as I'm not a fan of participating in sports, and I have NO balance or coordination. However, Andorra has great apres ski, and LOTS of pretty men in boarder gear (they don't call it MAndorra for nowt)

AUSTRIA
I took a train to Vienna when staying in nearby Bratislava. I only stayed for a day, but I packed as much into that day as humanly possible. Self led walking tour of Vienna: tick.

AUSTRALIA
My first big trip, and the longest I've done to date. 3 months with my best mate Polly after we finished college. 2 naive 18 year olds who spent the entire time getting drunk in Sydney - cultural it was not, but it was amazing, and I don't regret a second of the "wasted" opportunities to explore more of the country. I'll be back.

CANADA
I went with my Gramma to visit some family when I was 16 and had the long Summer holiday after exams. I went to Niagara Falls, and had my first "wow, travelling is AMAZING!" moment.

COLOMBIA
Another family trip, with my parents and brother to visit our friends who live over there. We stayed in Medelin and visited Cartaghena, and I loved it.

CZECH REPUBLIC
Long weekend with my friend Reg in Prague. Fun, but didn't live up to the "totally amazing, beautiful city" hype... maybe I expected too much?

ENGLAND
That's where I live, innit?! It totally counts though... and I have explored a LOT of it!

ESTONIA
3 night stay with my parents and "Uncle" Pete on our "Gutter Tours 2010" trip to Helsinki. We got the ferry over, and it was a huge contrast to Finland. We watched the World Cup Final on a big screen in the centre of Tallinn, and went to this excellently named place...

FINLAND

Part One of the aforementioned "Gutter Tours 2010." The name's a long running family joke I won't bore you with, but Finland was NOT boring... we boiled in ridiculously hot sun and got drenched in a torrential downpour, all the while paying huge amounts of money for beer, in an attempt to emulate the "fearsome drinkers" our guidebook had told us Finland was famous for.

FRANCE

France seems to be the traditional holiday destination of the British, and I spent many a happy Summer holiday there with various family friends (my parents always palled up with friends and their children for holidays, which us kids enjoyed as we could all play, and the grown ups enjoyed as there were more people to take turns at staying sober and therefore more evenings they could get drunk and not be classed as irresponsible parents). I also once got inappropriately touched up by the man in the Tigger suit at Disneyland Paris, but that's another story...

GERMANY

My first trip to Germany was a brief and traumatic one as a rep for work, but my second visit - to Berlin, this February, was a much happier experience all round. I still have plenty of Germany to explore, and hope to go back again soon.

INDIA

I went with my mom, on a volunteer tour of Kerala which included a jam packed itinerary of elephants, houseboats, cultural shows and city tours as well as volunteering at a special needs school. I LOVED it, and I wrote a more detailed blog here

ITALY

Well, Sardinia actually... but apparently that doesn't count as a separate country so I can't add another one to my list when I visit Milan in October - boo. I went with my family, for a week, it was pleasant - that's all I remember. Ooops. It's where my "jumping on the beach" photo which I use for my profile shot pretty much everywhere was taken though, so that's cool.

MONACO

This one DOES count as a separate country, hurrah! I am a big F1 geek, so I loved walking the track and seeing all the famous sites from the race. We spent an afternoon there when I was 16, and I spent the entire time imagining going back there when I was older, prettier, richer... and married to Michael Schumacher. I'm still waiting.

POLAND

I went to Krakow for 5 days, and I can't recommend it enough. Here's why

PORTUGAL

My first time in a plane, aged two and a half, with my parents. I've also been back recently, twice, to Baleal Surf Camp in Peniche, which is as ridiculous as the snowboarding holidays, but I loved it. Very relaxed, friendly and picturesque.

SCOTLAND

I went to Scotland for the first time just after my brother was born. My dad and his friend Hugh went to climb a mountain, and I cried because I was worried they wouldn't come back safely. That was it until recently, when my friend Katie had her Hen Do in Edinburgh. I've been back twice since - most recently for The Fringe comedy festival last month, which was brilliant.

SLOVAKIA

I went to Bratislava for 4 nights, because the flights were £36 return. Bargain or what?! Bratislava was fun - I stayed in a great hostel, got drunk with some Irishmen and explored all of the sights. Oh, and had an expensive cocktail at the top of a building that looks like a UFO.

SOUTH AFRICA

Have I mentioned it much on here? Yes? Oh...

SPAIN

Another of those "British families on Summer holiday" destinations, and also home of Ibiza (which rather disappointingly doesn't count as a separate country, and neither does Mallorca - boo!) where I have had many, many amazing holidays. I love Ibiza, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Ir really is A Lovely Island

THAILAND

Polly and I had a 6 night stopover in Bangkok on our way to Australia way back in 2002. We were a little wet behind the ears and really didn't make the most of it. I need to go back, and go further into Thailand than just the Khao San Road...

USA

A family weekend in New York City can hardly be described as "America: done" but I had a fun time and did all the touristy things - Central Park, Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty... it's a start :)

VIETNAM

I spent a month volunteering in Hanoi, and it was my "happy again" trip. I wrote a blog post about the volunteering, and had many more adventures along the way. It was fantastic.

WALES

Ahhh, Wales. I've been to Wales on family holidays, boozy gig weekends, and for weddings. Always have a good time, and have plenty of fond memories of my times there.

So there you have it! 24 down, 6 to go...

Bring. It. On.